Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Owen Rhodes Executive Headteacher The Norman Church of England Primary School, Northwold School Lane Northwold Thetford Norfolk IP26 5NB

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of England Primary School, Northwold

Following my visit to your school on 17 June 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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of England Primary School, Northwold

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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of England Primary School, Northwold

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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of England Primary School, Northwold

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that teachers and middle leaders develop the knowledge and skills required to teach the planned curriculum effectively.

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Context

You took up post as the executive headteacher in September 2019, six weeks before the previous section 5 inspection. You quickly formed a new leadership team which works across the three schools in the Trinity Partnership.

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Context

A new chair and vice chair have been appointed to the governing body since the most recent section 5 inspection. You have changed the structure of classes by year group. Two new teachers have been appointed to enable this change.

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Main findings

Following the inspection in October 2019, leaders have developed new curriculum plans. These plans are more embedded in English and mathematics. In these subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge they want pupils to remember and the order in which it is taught. In other subjects, such as science, history and geography, leaders have selected the important vocabulary they want pupils to learn. For some subjects, such as computing, the curriculum is less developed. Where curriculum planning is less well developed, teachers are still acquiring the knowledge and skills required to implement these plans effectively.

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Main findings

Leaders have placed great importance on the teaching of reading. Teachers and pupils talked enthusiastically about the books they have been reading together. Pupils are given regular opportunities to read independently in school. Some pupils do not see the importance of reading at home. Leaders have implemented a new phonics programme. Staff have a good understanding of this programme and have received training on how to teach it.

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Main findings

Curriculum leaders have started to monitor how effectively the curriculum is being taught. They have plans for checking what pupils have remembered from the curriculum. However, leaders are in the early stages of implementing these checks and there is inconsistency in the monitoring of some subjects.

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Main findings

The previous inspection identified that leaders needed to ensure that behaviour management systems were used more consistently. Since then, leaders have provided appropriate guidance and training to staff on how to implement the new behaviour policy. Most pupils behave in a calm and orderly way in both lessons and around the school site. Pupils say they feel safe and that bullying is rare, and when it does happen it is resolved quickly.

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Additional support

The multi-academy trust provides appropriate challenge and support. You have benefited from help to improve the quality of the curriculum and how it is taught. However, not all staff have been able to take up these opportunities. You have made use of help from a national leader of education, which has helped embed reading within your curriculum.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with the executive headteacher, other senior leaders, the multi-academy trust chief executive officer, other trust representatives, pupils, staff and representatives of those responsible for governance to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

I visited lessons in all year groups with the executive headteacher and looked at a sample of pupils’ work in a range of subjects. I observed pupils’ behaviour when visiting lessons and at break and lunchtime. I reviewed documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour and the school’s improvement plans. I analysed 27 responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey and 26 free-text responses. I considered the responses of 10 staff to an Ofsted survey.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of The Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust, the director of education for the Diocese of Ely, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Norfolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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