Norbury CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Norbury C of E Primary School Lid Lane, Norbury, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 2EG

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Outcome

Norbury C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers describe this small rural school as a ‘great big family’. The school has a welcoming and nurturing ethos. Staff are on the gate each morning to welcome the pupils into the school. This is also an opportunity to check how pupils are, and ensure they have no worries or concerns. Pupils feel safe and happy here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning. They recall what they call ‘sticky knowledge’ for the subjects they study. For example, many pupils talk enthusiastically about their scientific investigation, which compared the anatomy of dinosaurs with that of animals today. This led them to conclude that Tyrannosaurus Rex was ‘simply a large, flightless chicken’. The curriculum is often bought to life by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Pupils are proud to represent one of the three houses, Derwent, Dove and Manifold. Pupils eagerly collect house points through their positive engagement in class.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the education and care that pupils receive at this school. One parent summed up the views of many when they said: ‘My child is happy and worry free at this school, and learns and develops every day.’

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

This school has a broad curriculum. Curriculum cycles consider how pupils will connect new knowledge to what they have learned before. This helps pupils know and remember key knowledge and skills across all subjects. However, there is some variation in how precisely teachers identify important knowledge in a few subjects and year groups. Where this is not identified sharply, pupils’ recall of it is sometimes weaker. 15 December 2023

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There has been much necessary change to the curriculum recently. The curriculum in each subject is discrete. The school has overhauled the curriculum completely in some foundation subjects. These subjects are much more ambitious now and pupils are beginning to benefit from it. However, there are occasions when teachers do not consider the gaps in pupils’ knowledge before enacting the new curriculum. These gaps remain, and pupils sometimes do not get the depth of understanding that is set out in the school’s new curriculum plans.

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Teachers choose activities and resources that help pupils learn the curriculum. For example, in art, pupils not only learn about the work of Jackson Pollock, but also learn how to apply his use of colour in their own work. Teachers have good subject knowledge which enables them to present information clearly and concisely. Pupils develop their understanding because of this.

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The school is highly inclusive. It is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Not only are there systems which identify and respond to pupils’ needs, but for each subject, teachers consider appropriate adaptations to help pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. This helps pupils with SEND make progress across the full breadth of the curriculum.

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Children start to read as soon as they start in the Reception Year. Teachers are early reading experts. The early reading curriculum is well implemented, monitored and assessed. This helps teachers identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Staff give targeted support to pupils to ensure that they keep up. The books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to quickly become fluent readers. The school also develops pupils’ love for reading. There is a well-resourced and well-used library. Pupils help maintain this library. They keenly recommend books that the school should order and eagerly anticipate the arrival of these books. All pupils read every day.

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Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Teachers support children to develop very strong self-regulation, through modelling and their own communication. Children get a strong grasp of early mathematics through discrete teaching and play. The early years environment is well-organised. As a result, children develop in all areas of learning and are well-prepared for their more formal education in Year 1.

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Pupils are highly accepting. They gain a firm understanding of fundamental British values. Most recently they have visited the Derby Open Centre to further develop their understanding of different faiths and celebrate the commonalities. Pupils engage with many extra-curricular activities and clubs. These include, but are not limited to, the very popular ‘Nature Gardening Rangers’ (NGR) and the singing club. The school develops pupils’ talents and interests and prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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Staff are proud to work here. They care deeply for the children and act in their best interests. The governing body and school leaders are highly considerate of staff’s workload and their well-being. 15 December 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The most important knowledge in some subjects, in some year groups, is not yet precisely identified. Pupils’ recall of this knowledge is weaker as a result. The school must ensure that the most important knowledge in some parts of the curriculum is more precisely identified.  In some subjects where there have been significant changes to the curriculum, gaps in pupils’ knowledge have not been considered well enough. These gaps mean some pupils do not get the depth of knowledge that is set out in the school’s curriculum. The school should consider how to identify and address these gaps in knowledge as parts of the new curriculum embed.

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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 February 2014.

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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. 15 December 2023

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 15 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Derby. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2017.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a 15 December 2023

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at the curriculum plans and pupils’ work in several other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around the school.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Hazel Henson His Majesty’s Inspector 15 December 2023

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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