Thorpe Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 March 2023

Thorpe Primary school is a friendly and inclusive school. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils talk about their school with pride. They know that staff listen to their opinions and value their ideas. Pupils speak positively about the support that they receive in school. Worry boxes, pupil counsellors, and the pupil well-being lead all support a culture of mutual respect between staff and pupils. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They identify and assess pupils' needs well. Staff provide support so that pupils with SEND make good progress through the curriculum. Teachers adapt teaching materials so that pupils with SEND can learn the same knowledge as their peers. Pupils express a clear passion for sports and physical education. Pupils are given the opportunity to try out a range of sporting activities. Staff introduce pupils to new disciplines, such as American football, which they value highly. Competitions are a strong feature of the school's curriculum and extra-curricular offer. These result in numerous awards and successes. Pupils are proud of these and the school's achievements and representations at local, regional and national levels.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not focus sharply enough on how well pupils are learning important subject content. They lack a detailed understanding of how well pupils are learning key knowledge. Leaders need to keep a sharp focus on how well teachers are delivering important aspects of the curriculum and how well pupils are remembering these important aspects.
• The early years curriculum is not clearly sequenced. Staff have not identified the most important knowledge and skills that children need to learn. As a result, children are not fully ready for Year 1. Leaders should work with staff to improve the early years curriculum so that children learn the knowledge, skills and personal attributes that they need.

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