Little Digmoor Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils are happy at school. They particularly value times when they can play and socialise together. Pupils are respectful and take good care of each other. They are patient and kind. Pupils understand that some members of their school community may need more help at times, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children in the early years quickly settle at the school. They benefit from the well- established routines in place and high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils in key stages 1 and 2 maintain high standards of behaviour in class and as they move around the school. Those who find this more difficult respond well to the calm and consistent approaches used by members of staff. Pupils take full advantage of the many clubs and other opportunities on offer at the school. For example, they enjoy developing their fitness and agility in the outdoor adventure play and wooded areas. Older pupils are proud of their leadership roles as ambassadors and school councillors. The school aspires for all pupils to achieve well. However, pupils' achievement has been low across the school for some time. Pupils are not as well prepared as they need to be for their next stages of education.

What the school should improve

• The school does not ensure that pupils develop some of the key knowledge that they need as they progress through the school. This is particularly true for writing. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could across the curriculum as a result. The school should make sure that pupils learn what they need to be able to access other areas of the curriculum more easily.
• The school does not make sure that teachers check that pupils fully understand prior learning before moving on to something new. This makes it harder for pupils to make sense of new information. The school should provide the support that teachers need to ensure that their pupils are fully prepared for their next stage of education.
• The school does not identify pupils' SEND consistently well. As a result, at times, teachers do not focus on what these pupils most need to learn. The school should ensure that teachers are well equipped to ensure their classes' curriculum is delivered more effectively to meet pupils' differing needs.
• The school does not identify and address consistently well underlying issues that prevent pupils from achieving as well as they could. This slows down the rate at which the school improves the quality of education that pupils receive. The governing body should provide more support for the school in accurately evaluating how effectively the curriculum supports pupils in their learning. It should also help the school to sharpen its focus when weaknesses begin to emerge.

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