North Worcester Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 February 2024

Pupils are friendly and happy in school. They enjoy learning and most attend regularly. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils know that they can talk to a trusted adult if they are worried about anything. The school has high expectations of pupils and wants the best for them. This includes for pupils with complex additional needs. Staff work diligently to tailor support to ensure that all pupils achieve well. The vast majority do. However, there are some aspects of the school where these high expectations and ambition are not yet realised in practice. The school has identified these areas and plans are in place to improve consistency and achieve the ambition set. Many pupils in school behave well. They know the difference between isolated unkind behaviour and bullying. They report that staff sort out any disagreements quickly. A minority of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour. Adults support these pupils to minimise the impact on their learning and that of others. As a new school, community links are still evolving. However, a mutual partnership already exists with the adjacent care home. Pupils visit and entertain the residents, and residents reciprocate by hearing pupils read each week in school.

What the school should improve

• Some leaders are new to their roles and do not yet have sufficient oversight of their area of responsibility. This means they are unable to provide the support and challenge needed to ensure that all pupils, including children in the early years, make the progress they should. The school should ensure that all leaders have the skills, knowledge and opportunity to monitor and evaluate their areas of responsibility.
• The school's expectations of some pupils with SEND are too low, particularly for those who struggle to regulate their behaviour. On occasion, a small number of pupils are allowed to regularly disengage from the lesson. This limits the progress they make. The school should ensure that all staff have the skills and expertise needed to adapt teaching successfully to meet the needs of these pupils so that they develop the resilience, perseverance and independence needed to achieve as well as they should.
• There are some minor inconsistencies in provision in the early years, including in curriculum implementation and expectations of behaviour. This means that some children do not get off to the strongest start possible. The school should ensure a consistency of approach in the early years through regular monitoring and evaluation.

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