Norton-in-Hales CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 November 2022

This is a small school where staff know pupils well and care for them as individuals. The school's values are a strong feature of school life. For example, pupils learn to show respect by being kind, listening to one another and playing together well. Pupils enjoy school and take part in a very wide range of activities. They are proud to be school councillors and sports leaders. They enjoy community activities, such as planting trees. They like working with pupils from different year groups. They attend a wide range of clubs, including sports, sewing, gardening and cookery. Staff are ambitious for all pupils, and they achieve well. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the extra help they need so they make good progress. However, some pupils with SEND work on their own with an adult for too long. Occasionally, in a few subjects, staff give pupils work that does not help them to build on what they already know. This slows pupils' progress. Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. They feel safe at school. They are confident to tell adults if they have any worries and know that staff will deal with concerns effectively. Bullying is rare, but when it occurs, staff deal with it quickly and effectively.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, staff do not use assessment information well enough to inform subsequent teaching. As a result, work is not always matched to what pupils already know. This slows their progress. Leaders should ensure staff use assessment information effectively so that they plan tasks that will help pupils to build their knowledge and remember their learning in the longer term.
• A few pupils with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties are sometimes taught separately from other pupils to help them manage their behaviour. While this is effective in the short term, it does not help them to learn the social skills they need when they rejoin their classmates. Leaders should consider ways to help these pupils reintegrate with their peers so they cope well when working alongside others.
• Leaders have not provided the necessary outdoor resources to support the delivery of the curriculum in the early years. This limits children's opportunities to extend their learning and play outside. Leaders should implement their plans to develop the outdoor area so that it promotes children's imagination and curiosity.

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