Southrop Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 October 2023

Much of the school's curriculum is new. The essential knowledge the school wants pupils to know and remember is not identified in all subject curriculums. Therefore, the school's work to check and fill gaps in pupils' curriculum knowledge is in its infancy. This includes the individual education plan targets for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school helps pupils to feel safe and ready to learn. Pupils know how to look after their bodies and minds. Pupils enjoy taking part in the school's move-it sessions. School council members suggested the use of calm spaces in classrooms. Pupils are happy and safe in school. They play and learn well together. Pupils benefit from a wide range of enrichment experiences offered by the school. For example, pupils enjoy climbing sessions and after-school clubs. Trips and visitors to the school help pupils to explore the wider world. Older pupils develop their financial knowledge through their work in the community. New pupils and their families are warmly welcomed to the school. Pupils learn sign language to communicate with people effectively. Pupils believe that everyone should be treated fairly. Parents and carers value the care and individual attention their children receive.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils with SEND do not have accurate targets in their individual education plans. This means that staff are not able to plan and resource the provision to meet pupils' needs effectively. The school needs to ensure that targets for pupils with SEND are precise and that provision is precisely matched to their needs.
• Gaps in pupils' phonics and spelling pattern knowledge in key stage 2 go unchecked. Pupils continue to make repeated spelling errors in their writing. The school needs to ensure that pupils secure their knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns to use correctly in their independent written work.
• The school has not identified the essential knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember in some foundation subject curriculums. This means pupils do not remember some of the important concepts. They are unable to build on prior learning and make connections between concepts taught. The school needs to identify the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember in all subject curriculums.
• Staff do not have secure subject knowledge of some curriculums. Consequently, learning activities do not always provide pupils with opportunities to secure and deepen their knowledge sufficiently well. The school needs to support staff to improve their subject knowledge to ensure pupils know more, can do more and remember more over time.

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