North Curry CofE Primary School

Inspection of North Curry CofE Primary School Greenway, North Curry, Taunton, Somerset TA3 6NQ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Helen Morley. This school is part of the Richard Huish Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), John Abbott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jade Renville.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected North Curry CofE Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged North Curry CofE VC Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as North Curry CofE Primary School as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ permeates through the school. Adults are role models that pupils look up to in helping them learn and to keep them safe. This extends to pupils themselves who act as role models for each other. During social times, older pupils value supporting younger pupils, including sharing books with each other during lunchtimes. Parents and carers value the support the school provides to pupils. One parent summed up the view of many others by saying, ‘The staff really care about the children and go the extra mile’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a calm and orderly school where staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to these and learn the curriculum well. This starts in the early years where children get off to a strong and settled start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide variety of opportunities beyond the academic. The school supports them to be active and responsible citizens through the many pupil leadership roles. For example, the ‘worship warriors’ support assemblies while the ‘REW’ (rights, eco, wellbeing) team organise weekly events to help the environment such as ‘waste free Wednesdays’.

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

The school is determined for pupils to be successful. It has worked on the design of an ambitious curriculum. Across most subjects, the school has considered the knowledge it wants pupils to learn, starting in the early years. For example, in mathematics, the school has identified the small steps of knowledge pupils need to know and remember based on what they have learned before. This helps them to learn the curriculum well.

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

Teachers work together to consider carefully how pupils in mixed-age classes learn the curriculum. They identify the gaps in coverage to ensure pupils learn the intended curriculum throughout their time at school. In some wider subjects, the school has not yet fully identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to know and by when. Consequently, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and so they are less prepared for future learning.

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

To support the teaching of the curriculum, staff benefit from training to strengthen their expertise. As a result, they present new knowledge clearly to pupils to help them learn well. In lessons, pupils revisit previous learning to help them remember what they have learned before. For example, pupils demonstrated a secure depth of knowledge in history.

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

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access learning. For example, pupils are given visual prompts in mathematics to support their conceptual understanding. The school has a system in place to identify and support pupils with SEND. However, on occasion, some pupils with SEND are not identified and supported quickly enough. There are also some inconsistencies in the precision of learning plans to address specific gaps in their knowledge. As a result, these pupils are not progressing well enough across the curriculum. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Staff teach phonics well as they benefit from regular training. The school identifies and supports those pupils who need help to keep up. This helps to ensure that pupils become confident and fluent readers. A love of reading is promoted across the school. This starts in the early years where children are immersed in books, such as ‘Owl Babies’, to support their learning. Pupils across the school are enthusiastic about the golden tickets and coins they receive for practising their reading regularly.

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Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. In lessons, pupils are focused and engaged demonstrating their eagerness to do well. The school has clear routines for pupils to follow to help them to be successful. This starts in nursery where children know to wash their hands and to sit down together during snack time.

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Pupils know they make a difference beyond their school through the many fundraising events that take place. For example, they sponsor the education for a child in Uganda. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pastoral support for pupils is a high priority for the school. As a result, pupils are confident they will get the help they need if they have any worries.

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Staff are proud to work at this school and want to make a difference. They value the support from colleagues and the trust to fulfil their roles. Those responsible for governance have an accurate view of the school. Alongside the trust and school, they are ambitious for pupils to be successful.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not identified with enough precision the important knowledge pupils need to know and by when. As a result, sometimes pupils are not progressing as well through the curriculum. The trust must ensure that the precise knowledge is identified and sequenced across all subjects and check that pupils are learning the curriculum well.  Some pupils with SEND do not gain all the support they need to learn the curriculum well. This is because they are not identified swiftly enough or do not consistently benefit from precise learning plans. The trust needs to develop staff expertise to identify pupils’ needs early and ensure they receive targeted support to learn the curriculum effectively. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 North Curry CofE Primary School is part of the Richard Huish Trust.  This is a smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into five classes and a nursery. The school accepts children from two years old.  The school is designated as having a religious character. It is a Church of England school and is part of the Diocese of Bath & Wells. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was carried out in March 2022. The school should receive its next section 48 inspection within five school years.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.  The school does not currently use any 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 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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 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 with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents, a representative from the diocese, the CEO, a trustee and a local governor.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 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.  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 lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jyotsna Paranjape Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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