Northrepps Primary School

Northrepps Primary School Church Street, Northrepps, Cromer, NR27 0LG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Given their individual starting points when they join the school, most pupils make good progress and achieve well.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning, and their general behaviour around the school, are good. This is because the school promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Pupils cooperate well together, both at work and at play; they know how to keep each other safe and take care of each other.  Adults and pupils show high levels of respect for each other; their working relationships are a strength of the school.  Leadership, management and governance are good. All work constructively as a team to ensure teaching and learning continue to improve.  Most teaching is consistently good throughout the school. The quality of some teaching and learning is outstanding.  Teachers plan well for groups of pupils in the mixed age classes.  The school makes sure that it provides

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

opportunities for all pupils to take a full part in its life and work.  The school is regarded highly by its families and its local community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers’ written marking is not consistently helpful in highlighting what should be improved, particularly in mathematics.  Pupils’ standards in mathematics are not as high as they are in English. They are not given enough opportunities to use mathematical calculations for a range of purposes in a range of different subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, including three which were seen jointly with the headteacher. Both class teachers, and their teaching assistants, were seen working with the pupils. The headteacher was also seen teaching the Junior (Key Stage 2) class.  Daily registration time was observed and the inspector attended an assembly.  The inspector heard all the pupils from Years 2 and 6 read. A meeting was held with all pupils from Year 5. In addition, many informal opportunities were taken to talk with all other pupils, at both work and play.  A wide range of school documents were scrutinised. These included development plans, policies, self-evaluation reports, various monitoring files, safeguarding and curriculum materials, information provided for families and governing body documents.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, both class teachers and their teaching assistants, parent and governor volunteers working at the school, members of the governing body and a

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Information about this inspection

representative of the local authority.  The 13 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and a telephone message from a parent, were taken into consideration; this represented some 60% of the school’s families. The inspector spoke with a number of parents and carers during the inspection. All 12 staff responded to their questionnaire; these were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Michael Miller, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school, serving families mainly from its local community and surrounding area.  Pupils are taught in two mixed-age groups, one for Reception and infants (Key Stage 1), and the other for juniors (Key Stage 2).  Most of the pupils come from White British backgrounds. There are few pupils from other heritage backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils entering or leaving the school, other than at the normal times of entry and exit, is well above average. Due to family mobility issues, typically only a third of the pupils continue their education at the school from the Early Years Foundation Stage until they leave at the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for particular groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is well above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs supported at

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Information about this school

school action is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those supported at school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs, is well above average.  Numbers of pupils in Year 6 are too few to compare the school’s performance in relation to government floor standards. These standards set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils.  Links are established with a local group of schools. The headteacher works within this group to advise and support new headteachers in the area.  The Northrepps Pre-School (EY436251) operates from the school’s premises. This is managed by the governing body. It is inspected separately at a different time, and was not part of this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, and improve pupils’ achievement, by:  ensuring a more consistent approach to the written guidance provided through marking, especially in mathematics  ensuring marking reinforces the teachers’ regular oral feedback by reminding pupils more specifically as to what they should do next to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment in mathematics across the school, and improve their progress by:  using the evaluations from the current review of mathematics teaching and learning to strengthen the teaching of mathematics  extending the opportunities for pupils to use and apply their calculation skills across a wider range of subjects, and through situations which relate directly to their everyday lives.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Typically, children enter the school with levels of attainment and development below, and sometimes well below, those expected for their age. Pupils make good progress and achieve well by the time they leave in Year 6, although not all reach the standard of most eleven year olds.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has developed good systems to measure individual pupils’ progress which enables it to provide equality of opportunity for all, including those pupils supported by additional funding. The money is spent wisely on learning support and to provide access to events such as educational visits. With so few pupils in each year group, it is not possible to comment on the attainment of those known to be eligible for free school meals without potentially identifying pupils individually. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make the same good progress as their peers, because they are given individual support.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are now making particularly good progress in reading, and this aids their success in English and literacy. Right from the start in Reception, children are taught systematically about letters and sounds (phonics). They made excellent progress when playing with phonics ‘dice’. Each side of the die has a letter or combination of letters on it, and the random nature of the game helped children to recognise both real words and random groups of sounds. This is standing them in good stead for the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has stocked its library and reading scheme with an excellent range of exciting books to encourage a love of reading. Pupils talk thoughtfully about the books they read. However, discussions with pupils show that although they have daily opportunities to practice their reading skills at school, which they enjoy, most say they do not read at home with an adult.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The good progress in mathematics was typically demonstrated in a Key Stage 2 lesson, in which pupils drew a ‘bird’s eye view’ of their classroom. This was planned well to enable pupils from Years 3 to 6 to work at suitably challenging levels, both individually and collectively. All pupils succeeded in drawing and labelling their plan; this was particularly demanding for those pupils known not to have regular opportunities to practice their drawing skills at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not quite as strong as in English. The school has recognised this and a new policy for mathematics has been agreed by the governing body. New approaches to the teaching of calculation skills have been introduced and guidance has been provided for families to help their children at home. These initiatives are starting to make an impact but remain to be tested through pupils’ attainment in national tests.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are close links between the school and Northrepps Pre-School concerning what is taught and how it is taught, in order to ensure children settle well in Reception. This is typified in the weekly Friday afternoon sessions when pre-school and infant classes combine for activities. This gives the infant children a good opportunity to take responsibility for their younger peers and siblings, promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school. Teaching and non-teaching staff provide fine role models for the pupils. This supports effective working relationships and helps underpin pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Pupils, staff and volunteers support each other; volunteers help develop pupils’ reading skills particularly well. Pupils see their teachers and their assistants as an important strength of the school. One pupil, among others, said, ‘School is perfect with our teachers.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use questioning effectively, not only to check pupils’ understanding but also to challenge them to explain their thinking and ideas and develop well their investigative skills. Lesson planning is good and provides well for the different groups of pupils in each mixed year group class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say their teachers help them a great deal through the regular oral feedback they receive about their work during lessons. Teachers’ written marking in English is usually good at helping pupils to know what to do next to improve. It is not as effective in mathematics. Nevertheless, the assessment of pupils’ work is accurate. Staff observations of children’s work and progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage are particularly good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some outstanding teaching is evident in Key Stage 1. Enjoyment is a key feature. Reception children had great fun being given a word at the top of a slide in their play area, and challenged to think of a rhyming word by the time they got to the bottom.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Many lessons help promote pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school‘s ‘allotment’ nearby gives pupils the opportunity to show how they were responsible. Great fun was had not only by the Reception children in gently digging up and studying worms, but also by the Year 1 and 2 pupils in observing the wildlife and carrying out a survey of slugs and snails for their mathematics work next day.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a junior class religious education lesson, pupils were challenged well to compare what they had learnt about creation stories from the major world faiths with a humanist / scientific perspective. The teaching helped the pupils to balance and reflect on the different viewpoints. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was enhanced, and stood the pupils in good stead to consider the choices we have to improve or destroy life by what we do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although mathematics teaching is good, there remain too few opportunities for pupils to use and apply their calculation skills across a wider range of subjects, and through situations which relate to their everyday lives.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 School records and the inspector’s observations confirm that behaviour is typically good throughout the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The foundations for pupils’ good attitudes to learning are laid securely from the Reception year. The school is a friendly community within which pupils can work and play in safety and confidence. There are a few pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour consistently well throughout a school day. However, if pupils have a problem they know who to go to and behaviour is managed well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides a flourishing community within which pupils can feel safe and develop well both personally and academically. In an assembly, pupils considered thoughtfully the message that they all have the talent to help others. This was reflected in the words of the song they sang: ‘If we don’t win, no one’s to blame’, and ‘Trust each other no matter what.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand their responsibilities to each other. When asked about bullying the response was an immediate ‘No way!’ Pupils enjoy coming to school and, unavoidable long-term absences aside, attendance is above average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 On Friday mornings, there is a valuable ‘Friday Friends’ session where the older ‘Oaks’ help the younger ‘Acorns’ with their reading. This not only encourages responsibility for others, but is also indicative of the school’s well-established community spirit.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management make a good impact on pupils’ achievement. Staff and parents alike point to the excellent leadership provided by the headteacher which has secured the school’s success. Almost all parents would recommend the school to others. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection and the school is poised well to continue this trend.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is good monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher, and staff are constantly sharing and discussing ideas. This helps significantly in the sharing of good practice. However, the current review of mathematics teaching, to help strengthen the teaching of mathematics across the school, is still in the process of being completed and evaluated.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are taught a wide range of subjects and topics which make learning interesting. There is a good programme of extra-curricular activities which enriches and broadens their experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 Partnerships are strong because the school works closely with a group of local schools to provide opportunities to share expertise and experiences for the pupils. The headteacher works within this group to advise and support new headteachers in the area.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is a strong sense of teamwork between staff and the governing body, which enables an open dialogue and approach to securing successful school improvement and development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides appropriate ‘light touch’ support for the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is well informed about the school’s performance. They appreciate how difficult it is, as a very small school, to compare and contrast the school’s performance with others nationally. Consequently, there is a clear understanding of pupils’ progress as individuals. Governors are questioning as well as supportive, and make an important contribution to the school’s everyday life and work, including as regular volunteers.  There are systematic checks on the effectiveness of teaching and teachers’ targets for both their personal and professional development. Governors recognise the importance and value of rewarding good teaching.  The governing body knows how the pupil premium is allocated and produces a statement showing how it is spent. The school has been quoted in a report for the government as an example of how a small school should spend its pupil premium.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 120836 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 411724

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 35 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joseph Hill Gaston Headteacher Terrie Clifft Date of previous school inspection 5 June 2009 Telephone number 01263 579396 Fax number 01263 576631 Email address office@northrepps.norfolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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