Carisbrooke Church of England Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 September 2023

Pupils are proud of their inclusive school. Leaders' high expectations are well established in the school's values and in the mantra, 'to treat everyone with respect'. Staff know their pupils well, and this leads to strong nurturing relationships. In turn, pupils are keen to meet these expectations, building a harmonious environment where they feel safe. Pupils behave well around the school. A positive learning culture permeates throughout. Classrooms are calm, orderly places. Pupils say, 'No-one is lonely in this school.' They enjoy the active, busy playtimes with their friends. Pupils waiting at the 'Friendship Stop' are quickly 'scooped up' into games. Around the school, pupils are kind and courteous to all. Pupils prize the range of experiences that enhance the curriculum, such as learning to sail and residential visits to London. They are encouraged to have a voice in their school, relishing the opportunities to help. Many actively participate, for instance in groups such as the 'Pupils' Parliament' or as 'travel ambassadors'. Pupils' clubs, such as 'hide and seek' and 'glow discos', are attended well. Throughout the year, pupils take part in events to raise funds for both local and national charities that are important to them, such as the local Mountbatten Hospice.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, essential learning has not been identified as clearly as in the rest of the curriculum. Consequently, not all pupils are able to build on prior learning as effectively as they might. The school should ensure that its ongoing work to identify the specific knowledge that it wants pupils to learn leads to them developing secure knowledge across the whole curriculum.
• Assessment expectations across the foundation subjects are new and not yet established. As a result, sometimes it is unclear what knowledge pupils have retained. The school needs to ensure teachers can confidently use the assessment processes to identify knowledge gaps and adapt learning accordingly so that pupils know and remember more across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)