Great Steeping Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 September 2023

Pupils are happy at this school. They learn to have a positive attitude to their work and school. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to become active citizens. The head boys and girls take their roles and responsibilities seriously. The 'mini police' enjoy supporting pupils should they become sad or if pupils fall out with each other. Pupils have a strong moral understanding. They learn how to keep themselves safe, happy and healthy. Parents, carers and pupils say the school has a family feel. The school cares about its pupils. One parent, with a comment that was typical of many, said, 'Staff are willing to go above and beyond for the welfare of the children in the school.' Pupils feel cared for by the school. They consider each other's needs. Pupils behave well. Pupils talk positively about the experiences they receive in school and trips they go on. They enjoy their residential trip in Year 6 and the adventure activities they do. Visits to places such as Nottingham Castle and the Wolds wildlife park enhance the curriculum. Although the school has high expectations, this is not always realised for all pupils. However, the school has a clear focus on what needs to improve.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, the curriculum is not ambitious enough and lacks the detailed knowledge that pupils should know and remember. As a consequence, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects. The school should complete the work they have started to ensure that all curriculum subjects have a clear, detailed progression so that pupils' learning builds on prior knowledge.
• There is not a systematic approach to check what pupils know and remember in the long-term in some subjects. This means there are gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school should establish systems to check what pupils know and remember and make the necessary adaptations to lessons to ensure that these gaps are filled.
• The school is not checking carefully enough on the implementation of all of its curriculum. This means that important knowledge, such as fundamental British values, is not made explicit enough and pupils understanding of aspects of it is not deep enough. The school should make sure that the whole curriculum is implemented effectively and is having the desired impact.
• In the early years foundation stage, learning in continuous provision is not made explicit enough. This hinders children from reliably developing in all areas of the early years foundation stage curriculum. The school should make sure that intended learning is made clear for all activities so children achieve as well as they could.

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