Nocton Community Primary School

Inspection of Nocton Community Primary School The Green, Nocton, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 2BJ

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 9 and 10 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nocton Primary School is a happy place. Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. Pupils, staff and parents told the inspector that it is ‘like a family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful. They know that they can use the ‘check- in boxes’ if they have something to celebrate, or have a worry or concern. Pupils know that they can talk to an adult at any time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is highly positive. Bullying is very rare. Pupils know the forms that bullying can take. They know what to do if it occurs. Pupils know that leaders would help them if they became victims of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the roles that they undertake in school. They are proud to be well-being warriors, school councillors and Makaton champions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard during lessons. They listen carefully to their teachers and follow instructions quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some parts of the school’s curriculum are not yet planned well enough by staff. In some subjects, curriculum plans do not set out clearly enough what pupils should learn in each year group. This is not helping pupils to acquire and build their knowledge and understanding in these subjects in a systematic way.

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better?

There are inconsistencies in the way that the curriculum is planned. Some subjects, including mathematics and physical education (PE), are well sequenced. They set out what pupils should know and remember. Plans in other subjects have been changed several times and have become overcomplicated. They do not make clear enough the most important things that pupils should learn.

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better?

In the early years the curriculum is not well sequenced. It does not set out precisely what children will learn in the different areas of learning during their time in the early years. This is limiting the extent to which children are developing their skills and knowledge across the early years curriculum. Leaders are at an early stage of addressing this.

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better?

Reading is taught well. A new programme for teaching phonics has recently been introduced. This sets out the sounds that pupils should know and by when. All teachers have received appropriate training in how to implement the approach. Phonics is taught consistently well. Pupils’ reading books help them to practise the sounds that they have learned.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading. They read a wide range of books. They talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors. They say that school has a wide range of books for them to read. 9 and 10 November 2021

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to learn the curriculum. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) regularly checks to make sure that the help pupils with SEND receive is appropriate in meeting their needs.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leaders make sure that pupils from the school develop ‘broad horizons’. Pupils learn about their local community. They learn about people and places in Britain and from across the world. At the time of the inspection, pupils were meeting people from different workplaces as part of a careers week.

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Senior leaders have a thorough understanding of what is working well in the school and what needs to improve. The school benefits from being part of The Spires Federation. Senior leaders have learned from the experience of other schools within the federation, which has helped them in planning their new curriculum offer. While this is at an early stage, there is good capacity to bring around the improvements that are needed. This is evident in the way that the reading curriculum has been developed and the effective support provided for pupils with SEND.

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Most governors are new to post. They bring a wide set of skills and experience. The governing body challenges leaders effectively. Governors have quickly developed a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They make sure that additional funds are used well.

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The local authority has an accurate view of the school. It recognises the recent improvements that have been made following a period of decline. It shares the inspectors’ view that the school is well placed to bring around the improvements that are needed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is the school’s highest priority. Staff get regular training. They know what they need to look out for to keep children safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders record in detail any safeguarding concerns that they may have. The records are reviewed regularly so that leaders maintain a clear oversight of safeguarding cases. This enables them to respond appropriately to any further concerns that may arise. Leaders deal with concerns quickly. They work well with other agencies to make sure that pupils get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to stay safe. They know what to do if they have a worry or concern. They are confident that they will get support if they need it. 9 and 10 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum for key stages 1 and 2 does not make clear enough the most important things that pupils should know and remember in most subjects. This means that pupils are not consistently gaining the key knowledge that leaders want them to learn. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for key stage 1 and key stage 2 sets out the precise things that pupils are expected to know at each stage of their education across all subjects. This will support pupils in being able to amass the knowledge that is expected by leaders by the time they leave the school.  The early years curriculum is not well sequenced across the seven areas of learning. It does not set out what children will learn and do at each point of their time in the early years. This means that children do not do as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that the early years curriculum is well sequenced across all the areas of learning and sets out what children should know and do from pre-

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

school to the end of the Reception Year.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 9 and 10 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has started to admit three-year-old children on a part-time basis.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, the SENDCo and the early years leader.  Inspectors did deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with the subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about 9 and 10 November 2021

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  The lead inspector met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 15 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and 11 written comments from parents. An inspector spoke informally to parents outside the school.  Inspectors met with safeguarding leaders. They reviewed school documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and governance.

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vondra Mays Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 November 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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