Great Massingham CofE Primary School

Inspection of Great Massingham CofE Primary School Weasenham Road, Great Massingham, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE32 2EY

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are happy and enjoy school. The school is a close community and older pupils naturally look out for and support the younger ones. Pupils value the close links with the local village and the federated school, which helps them feel part of a larger community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and they quickly learn the routines when they start school. Pupils are enthusiastic and work hard. They feel safe and well looked after. Older pupils volunteer to take on various responsibilities, such as values leaders, and take these seriously. They help out both in school, running collective worship, and out in the village, for example, running litter picks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations for pupils’ academic work have risen and pupils recognise how their written presentation and handwriting has begun to improve over time. They enjoy listening to stories that their teachers read to them. There is a strong focus on oracy and language, giving pupils a wide vocabulary. Pupils regularly discuss key questions as part of lessons. As a result, they develop strong skills in comparing and contrasting different concepts.

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

The school has raised expectations of what pupils will achieve. The school knew pupils were not leaving with strong enough core skills and sought advice from specialists. Comprehensive schemes of work for all subjects make it clear what should be taught and when. The quality of education now enables more pupils to become confident readers and mathematicians.

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

Pupils read a wide variety of challenging, high-quality texts, which interest them. These include themes of discrimination and are set in a wide variety of countries. As a result, pupils become more aware of the wider world around them. Consistent teaching methods for phonics mean that pupils quickly learn the basics of reading. Most pupils regularly practise reading and so become fluent readers. Those who find it harder, get extra practise that helps them catch up.

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

The engaging texts and discussions in class make pupils enthusiastic writers. They are motivated to write at length and use the wide vocabulary that they have learned. However, pupils’ technical writing skills are not as developed as they should be. Too many have weak grammar and punctuation knowledge. Their handwriting is not always well presented. The school has ensured that, right from the start, pupils regularly practise letter formation, with the correct posture for writing. However, this has not had an impact on the older pupil’s writing.

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

The school makes sure that learning is engaging. Pupils take part in lots of practical activities to help them remember core subject knowledge. Sometimes, explanations from staff are not as clear or precise as they could be. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they should. 24 and 25 September 2024

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Pupils enjoy their learning. Their work is often put together in collaborative project books. Pupils look at these with pride and reflect on their own and others’ work. They generally behave well.

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Pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included well in the life of the school. The school has actively sought out expert advice on how best to help these pupils. As a result, adaptations in the classroom help them concentrate and make progress. Detailed plans support staff in how best to help pupils with SEND.

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The youngest children have a good start to their education. They join in with learning the same themes as the rest of the infant class, albeit adapted to their age. This helps to expand their vocabulary and confidence. They also have plenty of opportunities to learn through play and exploration.

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Pupils talk confidently about their school values. They know what they mean in practice and model these to each other. The school ensures pupils get to experience larger gatherings by bringing the federated schools together for events and virtual assemblies. They access specialist teaching and facilities for physical education.

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Staff work closely together and feel well supported by leaders. The governing body ensures that they meet statutory duties and are realistic about the further improvement needed, particularly in writing.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils have not been taught technical writing skills well enough. For too many pupils, weak use of grammar and punctuation, combined with poorly formed handwriting, means that they do not meet the age-appropriate standards for writing. The school needs to ensure that pupils are taught these skills in a coherent and effective way.  Some explanations and teaching points from staff are not as precise or as clear as they should be. When this is the case, pupils do not learn and remember as much as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff receive appropriate professional development to improve further their delivery of the curriculum.

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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. 24 and 25 September 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is federated with another small village school, Harpley CofE VC Primary School. The schools share a senior leadership team and a governing body. Subject leaders work with staff across the federation.  The school is Christian in nature, part of the Church of England. The last section 48 inspection (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) took place in June 2022. The next one will be due in 2027.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 September 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 spoke to the headteacher, the special needs coordinator, a local authority representative and an external school adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work in these subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. Inspectors considered the responses to the pupil and staff survey.  No separate provision judgement was made on this inspection for early years because there are fewer than five children in that provision.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Garrett Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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