East Cowton Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 March 2022

Pupils thrive in the family atmosphere of this small school. Relationships are extremely strong. Staff want every pupil to shine and they celebrate each pupil's interests and talents. Staff notice quickly when pupils are having difficulties. This ensures pupils get prompt help. Exemplary behaviour is typical. Boys and girls of all ages happily play together. They enjoy a game of football and climbing on equipment in the playground. Older pupils look after their younger school mates, such as at lunchtime. This is a responsibility that they take seriously. Instances of bullying and the use of unacceptable discriminatory language are exceptionally rare. Pupils trust adults to resolve any issues so they do not happen again. In lessons, pupils work hard in response to the high expectations of staff. Teachers make sure that pupils learn to work together. Younger pupils become independent quickly. They cooperate with each other to complete tasks. Pupils love reading. They help to choose the books that are bought for the library. They recommend stories to each other so that they become familiar with many different authors. High-quality books are found all over school. They are used to deepen pupils' knowledge of the curriculum. For example, a picture book has provided the stimulus for an enticing role play area. This helps younger children to learn about life before they were born.

What the school should improve

• The school's curriculum is not sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders need to complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all subjects within their identified timescale. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.
• The curriculum in some subjects is not as clear as it needs to be. For example, the history curriculum does not identify the disciplinary knowledge pupils need. This contrasts with detail of substantive knowledge that helps pupils learn about events in history. As a result, pupils' ability to apply their knowledge is inconsistent. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in each subject identifies substantive knowledge needed by pupils. Each subject should include disciplinary knowledge that helps pupils work in an informed way in the subject as well as having knowledge about it.
• Pupils do not have a secure command of the vocabulary they need to confidently discuss issues linked to diversity. This means that pupils are not fully prepared for the next stage in their education. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is adapted to address gaps in pupils' knowledge.

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