Norwood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Norwood Primary School Norwood Crescent, Southport, Merseyside PR9 7DU

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Outcome

Norwood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this lively, happy school. Teachers greet them with a smile every morning on the yard. Leaders have established positive relationships with parents and carers. This contributes to pupils feeling happy and safe. They have fun while they are learning and they would recommend their school to other people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard and use the school motto of ‘aspire, respect and enjoy’ as a way of explaining how to do well at school. They understand that hard work brings its own rewards. They are proud of doing their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and during playtimes. They know the school rules and follow these with only an occasional reminder from adults. Pupils feel well supported and know that staff will listen if they have any concerns. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying should they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and keen to take on lots of responsibilities, for example they act as school captains, eco-warriors and mini police. They enjoy the wide range of extra opportunities, such as dance and chemistry club, which enhance their learning and foster their talents.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have created an ambitious and interesting curriculum. Leaders use the local area as a starting point for pupils’ learning. The knowledge that pupils should learn is carefully considered and organised from the Reception class to Year 6. This enables pupils to know and remember more over time. They achieve well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In most subjects, teachers design activities that help pupils to refer to their previous learning. This helps pupils to make strong links with what they know and what they are currently learning. However, this is not always true. At times, pupils are not given enough 8 and 9 November 2022

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opportunities to consolidate their previous learning to make sure that their understanding is secure before they move on to new ideas. Most teachers use assessment strategies well to check that pupils are learning subject content.

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Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading across the school. All staff are trained well to use the school’s phonics programme. Leaders ensure that reading books match the sounds that pupils know. Children in the early years and pupils in other classes who are struggling to read receive extra sessions that help them to catch up. As a result, pupils become confident and fluent readers as they move through the school. Leaders have developed attractive libraries and reading nooks to encourage pupils’ love of reading. They have chosen books to stimulate and enthuse pupils, making sure they have access to ambitious texts and many different authors.

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Children in the early years settle in well and live up to the high expectations of their teachers. They enjoy learning and work well together, sharing resources and communicating their ideas. Teachers in other year groups capitalise on this good start, ensuring that pupils have many opportunities to work together as a team. Pupils behave well. They can learn free from disruption.

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Pupils have a strong voice in the school. Leaders listen to their views and take action to meet pupils’ needs and interests. For example, leaders have modified lunchtimes to give pupils more space to play. Leaders have also built a wide-ranging offer of extra-curricular clubs. Leaders use their links with local high schools productively to enhance their extra- curricular offer. Pupils learn to be tolerant and respectful of the differences between themselves and others.

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Leaders and teachers are quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They ensure that these pupils can access the same curriculum as their classmates, using external support when this is necessary.

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Parents and carers said that staff go the extra mile for their children. Senior leaders know all the pupils and their families well. Parents recognise that the staff at the school care deeply for their children.

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Governors are knowledgeable and use their experience to support and challenge the school leaders appropriately. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. They know that leaders have put actions in place to ensure that their workload is not excessive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained. Staff understand the importance of being vigilant and know how to spot changes in pupils that could signal they are at risk of harm. The clear recording system in place, which all staff use, allows leaders to act on concerns so that pupils receive the help they need as quickly as possible. Governors regularly review the safeguarding procedures in school. 8 and 9 November 2022

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They revisit lessons on online safety to keep their understanding relevant. Pupils have a good understanding of what it means to be a good friend and how to develop healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not allow pupils enough opportunities to revisit their previous learning. This makes pupils’ learning insecure and hinders their ability to build on what they already know. Leaders should ensure that teachers enable pupils to recap on their prior learning so that they are able to apply what they know when learning something new.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240661 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 and 21 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and a wide range of other staff.  The inspector met with members of the governing body and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their work and their wider school life.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. She examined leaders’ approach to safer recruitment. The inspector also spoke to staff about their safeguarding knowledge and checked how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities. 8 and 9 November 2022

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  The inspector spoke with parents to gather their views about the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, science and geography. She spoke to the staff teams who lead these subject areas. She visited lessons and spoke with teachers. She spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work. She also considered how leaders organise other subjects across the wider curriculum.  The inspector observed pupils in key stages 1 and 2 read to a trusted adult.  The inspector considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil survey.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted through Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Sarah Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 November 2022

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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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