Norfolk Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 June 2022

Norfolk Community Primary is a school where leaders have created a positive environment that ensures pupils are well cared for. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and can talk about the importance of being mentally and physically healthy. From the youngest children, who know they need to wear a sunhat in the warm weather, to older pupils who understand the importance of accepting and celebrating the culture and beliefs of others that may be different from their own. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say bullying does not happen in their school. School records show that bullying is a rare occurrence. Parents and carers are positive about the improvements that leaders have made. They spoke to inspectors about the care and support they receive from staff. One parent summed up the feelings of many stating, 'The staff have been rocks. Through the gravest of times they have offered an unparalleled example of dedication to the children. A consistent, supportive and self-sacrificing service that can never be repaid.' Pupils are keen to learn and do well at school. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils have high aspirations for the roles they wish to lead later in life. Leaders share this ambition for them. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in subjects such as mathematics and English. However, curriculum thinking does not fully support pupils to achieve ambitious end points in all subjects.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, curriculum thinking is at an early stage of development. It is not sufficiently well planned and sequenced from children's starting points in school at two years of age through to Year 6. This means some pupils struggle to reach ambitious end points that prepare them well for the next stage in their education. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum clearly sets out the precise detail of what pupils need to know and in what order. This will support pupils to know more, remember more and be able to do more. It is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process of bringing about this change. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.
• Where subjects are at an earlier stage of development, assessment is not yet used with consistency to check what pupils know and remember. This can lead to pupils' misconceptions not being addressed and gaps in their knowledge. Subject leaders must develop and embed accurate assessment processes that ensure prior learning is effectively built upon in all lessons.

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