Southtown Primary School

Southtown Primary School

Address: Tamworth Lane, Southtown, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0HJ Unique reference number (URN): 148119

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the early years. They regularly review practice and use their findings to improve provision. Leaders provide effective staff training and deploy staff effectively. As a result, staff deliver the curriculum effectively.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum is ambitious, broad and well sequenced. It builds children’s knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Staff plan activities that reflect children’s interests and next steps. This helps children to deepen their learning over time and prepares them for Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff use assessment to identify gaps in children’s knowledge and adapt activities where needed. Effective, targeted support helps children who need to catch up. Staff model language clearly and extend learning through play and appropriate questioning. Open- ended questions encourage children to think deeply. Checks for understanding are well timed.

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Early years Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well from their starting points. Children learn the phonics sounds they need to begin to read. They develop their letter and number formation well through daily handwriting sessions.

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Early years Expected standard

Children’s wellbeing and welfare are prioritised. Children settle quickly, follow routines and feel safe. Behaviour is typically positive, calm and respectful. Leaders work closely with parents. For example, weekly drop-in sessions enable parents to be involved in their child’s learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders place a clear focus on ensuring that all pupils feel welcome and part of the school community. Leaders have a clear overview of pupils’ needs, including those with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND), those who are disadvantaged and pupils known to social care. Leaders understand the barriers to learning that pupils face. They provide effective support so that staff identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately. Parents and external professionals usually contribute to this process. This helps remove barriers to learning at an early stage.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders support pupils with SEND through a clear and consistent approach. Staff make personalised adaptations and appropriate adjustments for pupils who need them. This practice is consistent across classes. Parents meet regularly with leaders and teachers to review the impact of the support. Adjustments are implemented through a collaborative approach. Staff training has improved staff confidence and expertise. Positive relationships between staff and pupils further strengthen the support provided.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders carefully consider how they use additional funding. This support enables pupils to attend clubs and receive targeted support in school. The school’s specialist speech and language provision supports pupils, including pupils from other schools, well. Leaders liaise regularly with pupils’ home schools about attendance, curriculum and safeguarding matters. The school uses one alternative provision, which leaders have commissioned appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate professionalism and set high expectations, which are shared across the school. Staff respect and value the support provided by leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas that still require improvement. Since the headteacher’s appointment, leaders have taken action to address key priorities. For example, they have reviewed the curriculum so that it is now appropriately sequenced. The teaching of phonics supports pupils to develop age-appropriate reading fluency. Behaviour expectations and support have also improved, resulting in fewer incidents during social times.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders recognise that further work is needed to improve the quality of teaching. They have identified clear priorities focused on pupils' needs. Staff receive regular training provided by the trust and external experts. Staff also visit other schools, attend trust moderation sessions and take part in local network meetings. These opportunities help refine practice and build staff expertise.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The trust provides effective support and challenge for the school. This has been particularly important since the previous inspection, when the school experienced a period of instability. Trustees understand and meet their statutory responsibilities. They review key policies, procedures and financial matters regularly and with appropriate rigour. Trustees also ensure that the school meets its equality duties and remains inclusive.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders recognise the importance of staff wellbeing and workload. Staff feel supported. Trust-wide strategies focus on listening to and supporting staff. These approaches help to reduce unnecessary workload and build staff confidence. Leaders also value engagement with parents and the wider community. They provide early guidance and support when needed.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide clear and effective leadership of personal development and wellbeing. They place pupils’ mental health at the centre of their work, supported by clear systems. Pastoral support is effective. Leaders and staff have received training in mental health, trauma and wellbeing. When a pupil raises a concern, staff follow a clear and structured approach. Support staff usually provide the first response, followed by personalised pastoral support where needed.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is coherent and well planned. Leaders map content carefully across year groups so that pupils build knowledge progressively. Health and wellbeing education is taught regularly. By Year 6, pupils can explain confidently how to live healthy lives. They understand balanced diets, dental care and the importance of physical activity. Pupils also learn how to manage their mental health. They practise relaxation and learn how to support others.

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Needs attention

The relationships, health and economic education curriculum is appropriate and typically well delivered. Leaders consult parents regularly. Staff teach sensitive content carefully. Pupils understand consent and know how to seek help when they need it. Teaching also covers online and offline risks. This helps pupils to keep themselves safe.

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Needs attention

Pupils develop a secure understanding of British values. They learn about democracy through school council elections. Visits and discussions with public figures extend this learning. The curriculum promotes respect, tolerance and equality. Pupils also learn about diversity and protected characteristics.

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Needs attention

The wider offer enhances pupils’ personal development. For example, the newly established lunchtime provision provides 16 or more rich play experiences that develop curiosity, teamwork and resilience. Clubs, such as choir, multi-sports and dodgeball, help pupils to develop their skills and interests. Leaders track participation carefully and encourage pupils to attend a club if they have not already taken part. Trips are thoughtfully planned and give pupils opportunities to experience places beyond their local community. These include visits to the coast, a Second World War museum and opportunities to perform on the stage at a professional theatre.

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Achievement Needs attention

Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should. As a result, too many pupils are not prepared well enough for the move to secondary school. For example, outcomes in the key stage 2 national assessments for reading, writing and mathematics have been below the national averages for the past 3 years. Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check have also been consistently below the national averages over the same period.

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Achievement Needs attention

Achievement varies between subjects. Pupils’ knowledge is variable across the school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who are disadvantaged generally progress steadily from their various starting points. Staff know these pupils well and provide some effective and targeted support. However, gaps in pupils’ basic knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics remain. These gaps affect pupils’ understanding, their progress and the quality of their work across different subjects.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Many pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not attend as regularly as they should. Overall attendance and persistent absence have been consistently below national figures for the past 3 years. As a result, many pupils miss key learning across the curriculum. Leaders analyse attendance patterns and use this information to provide challenge and support. Recent actions, such as introducing a 15- minute soft start to the school day, have improved punctuality. However, further work is needed to ensure that attendance is everyone’s responsibility and that more pupils attend school regularly each day. Leaders have placed a clear focus on raising expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This targeted work has helped to improve pupils’ conduct and reduce the number of behaviour incidents. Pupils understand the importance of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. Staff form positive relationships with pupils and know them well, including those who find it difficult to

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

regulate their emotions. Staff treat pupils with care and kindness. Pupils respond positively to this approach. Pupils say that adults help them if they feel unsafe or are worried about bullying. Pupils often show positive attitudes to learning. However, learning sometimes slows when activities are not adapted precisely enough in lessons. Behaviour around the school, including during social times, is generally positive. Lunchtime activities contribute positively to pupils’ behaviour.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is not taught consistently well. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to build securely on their learning over time. Staff do not consistently use assessment information to check what pupils know and can remember. As a result, important gaps in pupils’ understanding are not always identified or addressed. Pupils’ learning slows, and they continue to make similar errors in their work. This means that some pupils move on to new learning without having secured earlier knowledge. This can limit the progress they make.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders and the trust have an accurate view of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. They have begun to make appropriate improvements. For example, leaders have reviewed each subject to ensure that the curriculum is appropriately planned and well sequenced. However, these actions are at an early stage, and it is too soon to see their full impact.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of the phonics curriculum is improving. Although phonics outcomes have been below expectations in recent years, pupils now learn a well-taught phonics programme. This is helping pupils to develop their reading fluency, particularly in the early years. Pupils are taught the core skills in mathematics and writing. However, gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain. Targeted support, overseen by leaders, is becoming more robust and is beginning to help pupils catch up.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils describe their school experience as positive. They enjoy their learning. Pupils access a curriculum that is increasingly coherent and well sequenced. Staff help pupils to develop secure foundations in communication, reading, writing and mathematics. However, some pupils still have gaps in their core knowledge. This limits how well they understand new ideas and build on their previous learning. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could by the end of key stage 2.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils who are disadvantaged and those known to social care are typically supported well through targeted and timely support. Staff identify pupils’ needs quickly. Leaders ensure that barriers to learning are addressed early. Pupils’ support plans are detailed. Leaders involve parents and external professionals when considering the most appropriate provision to support pupils’ learning. Most pupils behave well and feel safe. Pupils say that staff help them if they are worried. Leaders have raised expectations for behaviour. Pupils understand what it means to be ready, respectful and safe. Behaviour incidents have reduced, and staff respond promptly when issues arise. Over time, pupils have not attended as well as they should. Leaders are working to improve this. They analyse patterns and have introduced strategies such as providing a soft start drop ‑ off window at the start of the school day. These are beginning to

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

make a positive difference, but are still at an early stage.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Clubs, trips and high ‑ quality lunchtime provision help pupils to develop confidence, teamwork and resilience. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils are supported so that they do not miss out. Pupils learn about democracy, healthy lifestyles and positive relationships. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and how to support others. These experiences help to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should secure greater consistency in high-quality teaching, particularly in writing and mathematics, so that pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 2. Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment information effectively to identify key gaps in pupils' knowledge and address misconceptions so they build on their learning. Leaders should check that teachers adapt lessons promptly when pupils do not understand new learning so pupils progress as well as possible. Leaders should strengthen attendance procedures so that attendance improves, persistent absence reduces and pupils do not miss essential learning time.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Kingfisher Schools 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), Craig Morrison, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Neil Collins.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders including the headteacher, pupils and parents. They also spoke with representatives of the trust, including the CEO, and trustees during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The headteacher joined the school in November 2024.

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Team inspectors:

Duncan Ramsey, Ofsted Inspector Carol Dallas, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The school includes specialist resource base provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs for 10 pupils.

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What does this mean?

The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Ben Newstead The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 68% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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