Ulceby St Nicholas Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 31 January 2024

This is a welcoming and friendly village school. Pupils are respectful and happy here. It is a place that they enjoy attending. They feel safe with friends and adults they can talk to. They are proud to be part of this positive community. Pupils build strong relationships. They work well together in the classroom. They take turns in discussions and respect the views of others. During breaktimes, they include each other in their play. The high expectations for behaviour lead to a calm and focused environment. Pupils live out the school rules of 'be ready, be respectful, be safe'. They say that the school rules are fair and that everyone is treated equally. A pastoral worker supports pupils' and families' mental health and well-being. Pupils have safe spaces to talk with trusted adults. They can choose to attend the 'calm club' during breaktimes. This builds pupils' confidence and resilience. They enjoy applying to become well-being ambassadors in a supportive role to others. The school has developed a curriculum with five overarching key themes: confidence, emotional well-being, aspiration, independence and outward facing. These themes are considered by leaders as essential to 'open doors and minds' as pupils are preparing for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum for handwriting is not clear and the precise knowledge that pupils should acquire at each stage is not set out. For example, children are not securing accurate letter formation as soon as they should. Some inaccuracies become embedded and are not addressed. Leaders should adjust the curriculum so that it is clear how pupils build accuracy and fluency in transcription over time.
• Some subject leaders are new to their role. They have not monitored and assessed the impact of the planned curriculum on pupils' learning. This means that some subject-specific gaps in learning and misconceptions are not addressed. Leaders should further develop subject leaders so that they can effectively monitor their subject, identify gaps in pupils' learning and develop the expertise of teachers.

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