Norton Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2022

Norton Primary is a big school, set on two different sites. It retains a firm 'family' feeling. Leaders and staff know the pupils and their families very well. Pupils say that they are proud and happy to attend this school. They say that they feel safe because the staff care for them. Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have developed a curriculum that is both academic and teaches pupils important life skills. They want pupils to communicate effectively and know how to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Older pupils have opportunities to explore wider interests through a variety of sports clubs or by joining the choir. Leaders are planning to extend these clubs to younger pupils. Pupils' mental health and well-being are central to everything that happens in this school. There is a relentless focus on care, respect and kindness. This can be seen in the way in which pupils and staff speak to each other. Consequently, behaviour is very good. From the earliest days in Nursery, children listen well. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning. At playtimes, they play well together. They say that bullying is very rare and are confident that it would be dealt with quickly and fairly if it happened. Pupils are encouraged to take on roles and responsibilities, such as those of sports and pupil voice ambassadors. They are proud of being democratically elected to take on these roles.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not clarified how teachers should use assessment effectively. This means that the information gained from assessment is not always used purposefully to support pupils' learning. Leaders need to develop systems of assessment, across the curriculum, so that teachers can plan and adapt lessons to build on what pupils already know.
• Leaders are not monitoring the intended curriculum closely enough. As a result, they are not aware of some inconsistencies in teachers' subject knowledge and pedagogy. This means that, in some lessons, pupils do not achieve as well as they could and do not retain the intended learning. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders monitor subjects with precision and that class teachers have sufficient skills and knowledge to teach all subjects to a high standard.
• Variances exist in the accuracy and quality of individual support plans written for pupils on the SEND register. For some pupils, the barriers to learning and areas of need do not accurately match. As a result, targets are set that do not precisely support the needs of pupils. Leaders should ensure that targets closely match the needs of pupils, and that pupils are supported to make swift progress against their targets.

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