South Borough Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 April 2023

The school values of 'respect, kindness and determination' shine through this welcoming school. They are clear to see in the way that pupils approach their learning and treat each other. Pupils meet teachers' high expectations for their personal, social and academic achievements. Pupils learn how to make a positive contribution to society. They describe the school as 'a lovely community, a good society'. They are proud of the school, their own achievements and the achievements of others. Parents appreciate this culture, with one saying, 'South Borough has instilled in our child a strong sense of community. She has been taught to genuinely care about others and their success.' Pupils are happy, enjoy learning and feel safe in school. Pupils behave well. They know and understand the expected behaviours and take great pride in achieving a 'Power of Purple' award which recognises consistently good behaviour. Pupils are not concerned about bullying because they know that it is rare and that, when it does occur, it is swiftly and effectively dealt with. They learn to understand and manage their own behaviour and emotions. The coloured 'zones of regulation' help pupils to talk about their feelings so that they are ready to learn.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of foundation subjects, the end points that the curriculum is building towards are not clearly defined. Therefore, the knowledge and skills that pupils need to retain to reach those end points are not always sufficiently clear or precise. This means that pupils do not always achieve as well as they might in these areas. Leaders should identify and clarify the ambitious end points that they want pupils to achieve and strengthen the impact of assessment in these subjects to support this.

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