Northbourne Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 May 2022

Pupils eagerly come to school each morning knowing that they will have an inspiring day ahead. The teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve in their learning. The school's code of conduct and embedded values help pupils know how they should behave and why. As they learn to read and write, pupils persevere and are proud of their achievements. They show love and respect to their friends and adults that help them. As a result, learning is calm and purposeful. This is a school where pupils are cherished and nurtured. Pupils' interests and their individuality are understood and valued. As one pupil commented: 'Everyone works together as part of one big community.' All pupils know that they must support each other and be kind to one another. Pupils say that bullying is not an issue. If bullying occurs, staff respond effectively as a team to any concerns raised. Pupils benefit from the wide range of opportunities that enrich their learning. The whole school community particularly appreciates the time they spend together. This includes joyous singing during collective worship, as well as trips out to the local church, park and library. Residential trips have continued throughout the pandemic underlining leaders' ambitions to broaden horizons and raise aspirations.

What the school should improve

• In mathematics, teachers do not check pupils' understanding systematically. This means that pupils' misconceptions are not accurately identified to provide important feedback or inform future teaching to address issues. Leaders should monitor whether teachers are using a range of assessment information and techniques to help pupils check and use knowledge securely before moving on.

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