Norbury Hall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Norbury Hall Primary School Shepley Drive, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 6LE

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Outcome

Norbury Hall Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Norbury Hall Primary School is a warm, welcoming and happy place. Pupils care about each other and know that adults care about them. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They thrive at this school. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to their concerns. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour, and pupils behave extremely well. Playtimes are sociable, enjoyable occasions, during which pupils make good use of the wonderful outdoor environment which includes nature areas, climbing frames and ball courts. In classrooms, pupils work with great enthusiasm. Staff develop and nurture these positive attitudes from children’s very first days in the early years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. Leaders and staff are ambitious in their expectations of what all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Pupils talk excitedly about their learning and how their teachers support them to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that leaders have regarding their personal development. Older pupils are proud to take on leadership roles such as reading champions, behaviour ambassadors and digital leaders. They make a positive contribution to important school matters.

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

This is a successful school where pupils achieve well. Leaders, governors and staff work together effectively to ensure that the school’s high standards are maintained.

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

Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. Learning is not disrupted by the need for reprimand.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that helps pupils to develop their knowledge across a 8 and 9 November 2022

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broad range of subjects as they move through school. In the majority of subjects, leaders have identified the key knowledge that pupils need to acquire in each year group. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not been so precise in setting out the knowledge that they want pupils to gain. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge in these subjects as well as they could.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. Staff have created an environment in which learning resources and adult support are clearly focused on encouraging children to learn and play together. Even at this early stage in the school year, children in the Nursery class had learned to follow routines and take part enthusiastically in learning activities with their new friends. Children’s positive experience in the early years means that by the end of the Reception Year they are well prepared for life in key stage 1.

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Staff are well trained in phonics teaching. They know how to help pupils to develop the knowledge that they need to read accurately and with confidence. Phonics lessons are highly engaging. Staff also ensure that the books pupils read match their knowledge of phonics. This helps pupils to develop into confident and competent readers. Adults are quick to intervene if a pupil begins to struggle. They provide additional support to ensure that pupils are able to keep up with their peers.

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Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils develop life skills. The personal, social and health education curriculum is enriched by outdoor learning and a variety of clubs, including netball and lacrosse. Many pupils also learn to play a musical instrument.

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Leaders have developed effective systems to identify and support pupils with SEND. Staff are well supported in making modifications to the curriculum so that these pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers and participate in all aspects of school life. As a result, pupils with SEND enjoy their learning and make good progress from their starting points.

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Governors share leaders’ ambition and are knowledgeable about the school’s work. They work in partnership with school leaders to strengthen the quality of education.

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Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They say that the school is an important part of the local community and that their children are taught well.

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Staff share leaders’ high ambitions for all pupils and are dedicated to supporting pupils and their families. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive from the leadership team. They feel valued and are grateful for the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that safeguarding is given a high priority. Staff know families well and understand how to identify when pupils may be at risk of harm and how to respond. 8 and 9 November 2022

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Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. They also ensure that recruitment processes are robust.

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Pupils are taught how to stay safe, for example when working and playing online. They also learn the importance of keeping physically and mentally healthy.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not made clear the precise content that pupils should know and remember. This means that relevant knowledge is not taught, or learned, as well as it could be. Leaders should ensure that curriculum planning in all subjects identifies the precise content that pupils need to know and remember.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2013.

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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 10240620 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.norburyhall.stockport.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The inspector held a meeting with governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. As part of this process, he met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, listened to pupils reading and looked at their work in books. The inspector also scrutinised the curriculum in other subject areas.  The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinators to help evaluate provision and practice for pupils with SEND. 8 and 9 November 2022

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 The inspector examined safeguarding records. He also spoke with staff about safeguarding.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school. He also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during dinner time.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. He also looked at the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Ofsted 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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