Shotley Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 January 2023

Pupils do their best to showcase the 'Shotley Bs' in school: to be responsible and safe, be ready, be curious and be kind. When starting school, children in early years get taken under the wing of a 'Year 6 angel'. This helps settle children into school routines. Each Year 6 angel sits with their partnered child during assembly. They show them how to sit and listen and how to talk to a partner about the questions staff ask. Pupils have other caring duties too. They tend to the hens and help to look after the therapy dog. Tasks such as these foster kindness and responsibility. Pupils recognise the improvements leaders have made to behaviour. They know that it keeps getting better. They are keen to work together to collect house points for their team. Pupils understand the difference between bullying and pupils having a falling-out. They speak about the assemblies and lessons when staff explain this to them. If either occurs, pupils know how to seek support from the peer mentors or trusted members of staff. Having staff they can turn to means that pupils are kept safe. Pupils typically meet staff's high expectations, listening to staff and trying hard to complete activities and remembering much of what they learn.

What the school should improve

• Some teachers are slow to spot and support pupils who are not keeping up with their learning. This hinders some pupils' achievement. Leaders should ensure that teachers use their checks on what pupils know and can do to inform their teaching efficiently in order to maximise pupils' achievement.
• Leaders have not tackled the persistent absence of some pupils effectively. As a result, these pupils are routinely missing out on learning, which leads to gaps in their knowledge and difficulty in understanding the school's routines. Leaders should implement a more rigorous approach to identifying and resolving issues with pupils' attendance, including ensuring that these pupils quickly catch up on missed learning.

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