Thurton Primary School

Inspection of Thurton Primary School Ashby Road, Thurton, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 6AT

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a strong sense of community and individuality in this school’s nurturing environment. They support and care for each other as they embrace the school’s value of ‘togetherness’, celebrating each other’s achievements and jointly planning community projects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to their work. Their attendance is high. They understand the school’s expectations of them, so they work hard to achieve their best. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), appreciate the extra help teachers provide if they find learning tricky and succeed in meeting their targets.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and enjoy breaktimes, taking part in activities led by older pupils who act responsibly as ‘play leaders’. Pupils are exceptionally polite and respectful as they share equipment and wait their turn. They appreciate that these activities contribute to keeping them active and healthy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop the confidence to discuss and debate ideas. They have a secure understanding of fairness and democracy, voting for ‘class ambassadors’ who represent their views and ideas to improve the school, including successfully instating new outdoor equipment. A wide range of clubs and activities such as gardening and karate spark new interests and help pupils develop their talents.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum. The key knowledge and vocabulary pupils will learn at each stage is clearly set out. A sharp focus on improving pupils’ writing is beginning to have a positive impact. Pupils’ handwriting is of high quality. The curriculum is structured so pupils build on what they have learned before, and teachers precisely check pupils’ learning. Teachers present information clearly and model new learning, so many pupils achieve well. A few subjects have newly introduced content, so teachers are refining their understanding of how important knowledge builds over time. As a result, in these subjects, teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning are not always as effective, and adjustments to learning do not consistently support pupils’ progress as well as in more established subjects.

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

Pupils engage well in lessons because they find learning meaningful. However, some pupils remember the topic generally rather than the most important learning. This makes it harder for them to build on their knowledge and make connections between their learning. The school ensures pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers through well-planned support. Some pupils benefit from small group sessions that help them to reach their individual targets.

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

Pupils develop a love for reading. They enjoy class novels and carefully chosen books that enhance their learning across curriculum subjects. Skilled staff teach phonics with precision, helping children quickly grasp new letter sounds. Pupils practise reading books 29 and 30 April 2025

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that match the sounds they know, building their confidence and fluency. Teachers carry out regular checks to identify pupils not keeping up with the expectations of the phonics programme. The school provides extra support to help them catch up.

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Children thrive in the early years. Staff quickly establish routines, helping children settle into learning. Children focus well and sustain concentration. Frequent, high-quality interactions boost children’s communication and language skills. Staff nurture children’s interests, offering rich experiences to reinforce new learning through play. Engaging equipment sparks curiosity, inspiring children to create ‘potions’ and use their imagination. Children learn to understand feelings and consider how their actions affect others. This helps them play cooperatively, take turns and share.

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Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. This contributes to a tremendously calm, purposeful atmosphere where learning is not disrupted. Pupils actively contribute to the community. For example, they deliver sunflower seeds to spread joy to local residents.

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The school’s offer for pupils’ wider development shines through everything the school does. An extensive range of experiences promote pupils’ personal development. Trips beyond the local area broaden pupils’ horizons. Visits to places of worship and historical sites enrich pupils’ cultural understanding. From Year 2, pupils enjoy residential trips that build independence and social skills. They take part in team building activities and try new experiences such as canoeing. The school strongly integrates character development into its culture and ethos. Pupils build resilience through interschool competitions. They gain confidence by singing in the choir, leading assemblies and performing in school events. Skilled pastoral support helps pupils learn to cope with setbacks and express their emotions.

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The school has an ambitious vision for pupils, supported by regular training that enhances staff skills and improves teaching. Staff appreciate the school’s support for their workload and well-being. Governors stay informed about the life of the school. Their visits and discussions with staff and pupils ensure the school continually focuses on improving standards. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects in the curriculum have been newly introduced, so teachers are developing their expertise in how knowledge in these subjects builds over time. This means there are times when teachers do not use assessment to inform adaptations to their teaching effectively, and pupils may not learn as well as they could. The school should continue to establish its work in these subjects, ensuring teachers clearly understand the intended learning for pupils to inform any relevant adaptations to 29 and 30 April 2025

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teaching so pupils can achieve the high standards expected of them.  On occasion, teaching focuses on the topic being taught rather than the most important knowledge pupils need to learn. This means pupils do not always secure the knowledge and skills they need to prepare them well for their next steps in learning. The school should ensure that the most important knowledge pupils need to know is clearly outlined to teachers, and teaching focuses on this precisely in lessons, ensuring pupils have remembered and understood before moving on to new learning.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This school is a smaller-than-average primary school.  This school is a Church of England school. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2024. The next section 48 inspection should take place within eight years of this inspection.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, reading, mathematics and history. 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, some subject leaders, representatives from the school’s governing body (including the chair of the governing body), a commissioned school improvement partner and a representative of the local authority.  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

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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 the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses, and some letters sent to the school by email. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Mireille MacRaild, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Avieson Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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