Caythorpe Primary School

Inspection of Caythorpe Primary School High Street, Caythorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 3DR

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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

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The headteacher of the school is Helen Hunt. The school is part of the Community Inclusive Trust, which means that other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Peter Bell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dr Stephen Hopkins. 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Caythorpe Primary is a warm and welcoming school that is treasured by pupils and their families. The school’s vision is to ‘nurture hearts and inspire minds’. Pastoral care is strong. Pupils know they have a trusted adult to turn to if they have any worries. Pupils feel happy and safe. They rightly describe the school as inclusive and caring.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. The ‘Caythorpe bees’ (be ready, be responsible, be respectful) are central to the school’s work. Pupils understand these strong school values. Their good behaviour positively contributes to their learning. Routines are well understood, including within the early years. Lessons ‘buzz’ with pupils’ enthusiasm. Achievement has improved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that all pupils are supported to develop new talents and interests. Pupils enjoy many opportunities to be involved in sport, music and performance. Pupils express genuine excitement for the planned visit to the local pantomime, for example. The school encourage pupils’ sense of responsibility. Pupils act as reading ambassadors, sports ambassadors and buddies. Older pupils act as role models for younger children. The school has a strong sense of community. Pupils are a credit to their school.

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

The trust has provided effective internal support and governance. The school has improved since the previous inspection. This improvement has happened at pace.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. The school has thought carefully about the knowledge that pupils need and when they should learn it. There is a well-thought- through progression from the early years to Year 6. The curriculum is implemented consistently in most subjects but not in all. In a few subjects, the curriculum does not ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills build securely over time. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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

Staff receive high-quality professional development and training from the trust. Subject leadership is a strength. Staff use questions skilfully to check pupils’ knowledge. Regular checks happen to ensure that pupils gain the knowledge that they need. However, in some subjects, pupils find it difficult to explain in detail what they have learned. Some do not use subject vocabulary with confidence.

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

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they enter the early years. The phonics curriculum is well designed and taught. Reading books match pupils’ phonics ability. Pupils receive appropriate guidance if they need to catch up with their peers. Pupils quickly become confident and fluent readers.

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

The school’s work to promote the love of reading is effective. High-quality books are everywhere, including in the early years. They are central to the curriculum. Pupils gain knowledge of interesting authors and books of differing genres. They said that they love 10 and 11 December 2024

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hearing the stories read to them daily by their teachers. All pupils are supported to read regularly in school and at home.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive expert support. The school ensures that their needs are quickly identified and addressed. The curriculum is suitably adapted so that pupils successfully take part in all lessons. Pupils with SEND flourish in the school and achieve well.

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The school does all that it can to ensure that pupils attend school. Good attendance is promoted. Pupils are praised and rewarded for attending well. Families receive additional support and guidance if they need it. Pupils’ attendance has improved.

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Pupils benefit from a thoughtfully constructed and sequenced personal, social and health education curriculum. They have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe, including when online. Children in the early years are taught the importance of eating healthily and how to look after their bodies. They show great independence when they self-serve their drinks and healthy snacks.

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Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values. The school encourages pupils’ understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and faiths. Pupils take part in community events, such as visiting the local church to learn about the Nativity. They are knowledgeable about protected characteristics and the importance of equality, fairness and diversity.

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Parents and carers are extremely positive about the school. They express gratitude for the work of the school and the impact this work has on their child. Communication with parents is a particular strength in the early years. This helps children to have a happy start to school.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ actions to protect their work-life balance. Workload is under constant review. Teamwork is promoted so that tasks can be shared. Staff show immense pride in being part of the school’s improvement journey. They show great commitment to the school and to the community that it serves.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils sometimes find it difficult to articulate their understanding of the curriculum and are not confident using subject vocabulary. This limits pupils’ ability to convey meaning or demonstrate secure knowledge. The school should continue the work to develop pupils’ oracy and improve pupils’ confidence in using subject and technical language. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The curriculum is not yet securely embedded in all subjects. As a result, pupils do not achieve consistently well in some subject areas. The school should ensure that the curriculum is consistently and securely implemented so that pupils’ knowledge and understanding builds over time in all subjects.

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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’ 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Community Inclusive Trust.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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. The discussed pupils’ attendance.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and a range of school staff.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust, the chair of the trustees, a representative of the local governing board and the director of primary education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and computing. As part of the deep dives, inspectors spoke with curriculum leaders to review the curriculum,

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visited lessons and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with teachers.  Inspectors also spoke with the curriculum leader of design and technology and religious education and reviewed curriculum planning.  Inspectors visited the early years provision, including the outdoor learning, and spoke with the early years lead.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times in the school day, including the start and end of the day and at lunchtime and breaktime.  Inspectors considered the response to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View and the survey of staff.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Westmoreland Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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