Ofsted and SIAMS

Ofsted      

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Dear Parents and Carers

Re: OFSTED Inspection Report, 1 November 2022

I have pleasure in attaching the Ofsted report from our recent inspection which confirms that the school continues to be a good school. The report has just been released today and will be published on our school website as well as the Ofsted inspection website.

The purpose of the section 8 inspection was to confirm whether the school remains good under the definition of overall effectiveness as set out in the school inspection handbook. As such, the inspection did not result in individual graded judgements for different aspects of school provision. Instead, the school received a report setting out the inspection findings.

We are pleased that the report recognises and highlights some of the many strengths of the school. For example:

• Staff know pupils well and care for them as individuals.
• Our School values are a strong feature of school life.
• Pupils feel safe at school. Pupils know staff will help them if they have any worries.
• Pupils are polite and well-mannered.
• Pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their work, behaviour and values.
• Each day pupils select an activity from their ‘kindness jar’ and do their best to carry it out.
• Children with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) receive the extra help they need so they make good progress.
• Leaders give reading a high priority. Well trained staff teach phonics consistently and effectively. Older children talk with enthusiasm about stories they have listened to and books they have read.
• Friday quizzes ensure pupils recall what they know. This helps them remember their learning over time.
• Staff promote pupil’s personal development well. Pupils enjoy visits from artists and storytellers, and everyone learns to play a musical instrument.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and when they are in the community.
• Older pupils learn about appropriate touch and consent.
• Every single member of staff feels very well supported by leaders and value the training they receive. They all say they are proud to work at the school.
• Governors use their knowledge and expertise to provide leaders with appropriate challenge and support.

There is so much to be proud of!

Other notable strengths include our work to promote pupils’ wider development, the wide range of extra-curricular clubs we provide, the strong emphasis we place on social and emotional support for pupils and very importantly the support we provide for children with Special Educational Needs.

 Of course, in all inspections there are a number of areas for us to continue improving, however, all of the recommendations made by the inspectors were already included in our School Improvement Plan, Funding from the LA and Friends of Norton are already on the case with improving our Early Years outdoor space.

There are three areas for improvement identified in the report.

• Staff to use assessment information effectively in the foundation subjects to ensure pupils build knowledge and remember their learning in the longer term.
• A few pupils with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties are sometimes taught separately from other pupils to help manage their behaviour. Inspectors would like these pupils to have more coping strategies to be abler to work alongside their peers more regularly.
• Leaders should implement their plans to develop the outdoor area to promote children’s imagination and curiosity.

Thank you again to all the parents who completed the online survey and to those who spoke so positively about the school to the inspectors.  Although it is not included in the report, they told us that the overwhelming majority of parents would recommend the school to other parents.

A huge thank you to the children for being ‘themselves’ and to the staff for all their hard work commitment and dedication over the years. Every member of staff goes above and beyond their job descriptions.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the inspection and thank you for your ongoing support.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Alkureish

SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools)

We were inspected by SIAMS in March 2023 and the full report can be accessed by clicking on the attached document

SIAMS Inspection Report 

Our strengths and areas for improvement are summarised below: