Sunnybrow Primary School

Inspection of Sunnybrow Primary School Hunwick Lane, Crook, County Durham DL15 0LT

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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 Good 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sunnybrow Primary School is caring and inclusive. Pupils thrive in this nurturing environment. The school provides meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop respect and their sense of civic responsibility, such as volunteering locally in a charity shop and creating care packages for nearby residents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have recently made instrumental changes to the ambition and sequencing of the curriculum. The implementation of these new curriculums and additional focus on revisiting prior knowledge has increased opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge. Pupils have work that is well matched to their next stage in learning and staff have the expertise to deliver the aspirational curriculum. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. The school values are important to them. Pupils reflect on these when discussing how to treat others. The school teaches pupils how to stay safe online and within the local community. The school prioritises the development of pupils’ understanding of mental health and healthy relationships. As a result, pupils discuss these themes with confidence. They know it is important to show respect, treat others fairly and pay attention to their emotions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive a high level of support and are well included in school life. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the support and education the school provides.

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

The school has introduced a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum across all subjects. It has prioritised the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each year group. This has been carefully mapped out so that pupils develop their knowledge in a logical order.

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

The school checks pupils’ understanding regularly, using ‘daily 5’ time each day as one of the many ways to do this. This helps the school to quickly respond to any misconceptions that pupils may have. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and skills due to gaps in curriculum coverage from previous curriculums. This has meant that, in the past, some pupils have not achieved as well as they could have. The new curriculum is now having a positive impact, and pupils are achieving well.

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

The school supports pupils with SEND effectively. The school quickly identifies pupils’ needs, and partners closely with parents and external agencies to put the right support in place. Pupils with highly complex needs benefit from a sensory-rich environment, structured routines, and staff, who understand their needs well. This helps pupils with SEND to engage and thrive across school.

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

Children in the early years are happy and develop lovely relationships with staff. As soon as children join, the school develops a comprehensive understanding of children’s starting 11 and 12 March 2025

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points and needs. The school ensures that children are ready for their next steps. Children are happy. Staff help them to play and work well together. The curriculum provides well- planned opportunities for children to develop their skills across the areas of learning. However, the interactions between staff and children do not maximise these learning opportunities. This means that, sometimes, staff do not extend children’s learning, language or skills in the moment.

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Reading is an important part of school life. Pupils enjoy reading and using the recently revamped library space. The school has prioritised early reading and the development of reading skills for older pupils. Pupils now have daily reading skills lessons. This has improved pupils’ comprehension and reading fluency. The school checks pupils’ progress in reading regularly. Pupils learn to read quickly and confidently. Those pupils who need more help to read accurately and fluently get regular support. This helps them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils behave well across school. The school’s approach to behaviour encourages pupils to identify and reflect on their emotions. This is having a positive impact on how well pupils manage their behaviour. Pupils are engaged in lessons and are motivated to do well. They are proud of the recognition that they receive for trying hard.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. The school has introduced initiatives to promote good attendance. This has helped pupils understand why it is important to attend school regularly. However, a significant minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. These pupils develop gaps in their knowledge, which hinders their achievement.

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The school has a well-structured personal development offer. This provides pupils with a broad range of opportunities to develop their character, confidence and life skills. The school prioritises key aspects such as fundamental British values, personal care, road and water safety, and financial literacy. Pupils have opportunities to visit sit-down restaurants as part of their cultural experiences and develop their financial literacy through class savings initiatives, where pupils manage money earned from school rewards.

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Leaders across the school are committed to ensuring that pupils have the best education possible. They have pupils’ best interests at the heart of all they do. This is evident in the revised school values and the focus on well-being and inclusion throughout school. Staff well-being is a high priority. Staff support each other. Governors have effective mechanisms to maintain an accurate picture of the school. They have the right knowledge to be able to hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Adult interactions during less-structured ‘free-flow’ activities in the early years sometimes do not move children’s learning on or extend their thinking. This slows the progress children make. The school should provide staff development in the early years to ensure that the provision and all interactions continually focus on building children’s knowledge.  A significant minority of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, they develop gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to strengthen the systems to promote good attendance and punctuality so that all pupils attend school more regularly and on time.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There is a governor-led nursery at the school.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.  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 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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.  Inspectors spoke to senior leaders, including representatives from the local authority and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. 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 spoke to leaders about pupils’ learning in some other subjects.  Inspectors listened to a range of pupils from different year groups reading to a familiar adult.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator, spoke to pupils with SEND and reviewed plans to support these pupils. They visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are supported.  Inspectors visited the early years provision to discuss the learning with children and leaders.  Inspectors observed behaviour at the start of the day, at lunchtimes and in lessons.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey, and staff survey. They also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Georgina Chinaka, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rowena Sykes Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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