Cherry Burton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 May 2022

Pupils say that 'everyone is welcome' at this friendly and inclusive school. They mean it and they show it. New pupils settle in quickly because of the kindness from staff and pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Everyone is committed to the success of the pupils. Parents and carers also appreciate the 'friendly, family atmosphere'. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They respond well to their teachers. Pupils say that there is always someone to talk to if they have a problem or are worried about something. Bullying is not an issue because of the respect pupils have for each other and the knowledge that staff will sort out issues. Behaviour in lessons is good most of the time. However, a minority of pupils feel that there is sometimes too much noise or other distractions, and this makes it harder for them to get on with their work. The democratically elected 'pupil parliament' plays an important role in the school. These pupils consult with their classmates on what would make the school even better. For example, they are requesting more lunchtime clubs for each class based on what pupils want to do, like yoga or origami. Pupils enjoy their outdoor learning lessons where they learn new knowledge and skills like how to build a shelter.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, leaders have not planned out in enough detail the key knowledge that pupils should be taught and how this links with past and subsequent teaching. Teachers are sometimes not clear on what to teach and when in these subjects, and some sequences do not build towards clear outcomes. Leaders are aware of this and are already making the changes that are needed. When making these changes, leaders should ensure that they are crystal clear on the substantive knowledge that pupils need to know in each subject.
• Some pupils at the early stages of reading are given books that are not precisely matched to their phonics knowledge. Pupils are not able to segment and blend some unfamiliar words. Leaders should ensure that the assessment used to match books only uses the phonics knowledge of pupils and that these books are therefore more precisely matched to the pupils' knowledge. When reading with pupils, all staff should use consistent segmenting and blending strategies so that pupils can read unfamiliar words.
• Very occasionally, some pupils get distracted by other pupils in their class. Sometimes, teachers do not deal with this decisively or swiftly enough. Pupils say that they cannot get on with their work as well as they want or need to when this happens. Leaders should ensure that teachers deal with any incidents of low-level disruption quickly and consistently to stop this happening. Leaders should gather the views of pupils to check that this is the case and act on any further issues. School 3

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