Horton St Michael's CofE First School

Overview

Horton St Michael’s CofE First School is described as a ‘small school with a big heart’, characterised by a ‘strong sense of community and team spirit’. The report states that pupils ‘feel safe and happy’, enjoy lessons, and generally achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Staff know pupils and families very well, creating an environment described by parents as ‘warm, friendly and nurturing’.
• Reading is ‘at the heart of the curriculum’, with high-quality phonics teaching starting in Nursery and effective interventions for those who struggle.
• Pupils learn about different religions and cultures, helping to ‘prepare them for life in modern Britain’, and benefit from clubs and trips that broaden their experiences.
• Leaders and staff are ‘united in working together’ to improve the curriculum, and staff appreciate the school’s strong support for their well-being and workload.

Areas to improve

• The school should support staff to embed recently revised subject curriculums so that pupils’ progress is secured and they can ‘remember and apply their learning over time’.
• Teachers should be supported to ‘check pupils’ learning systematically’ and use assessment to adapt curriculum delivery, as current practices sometimes slow progress.
• The school must ensure teachers consistently have ‘high expectations for handwriting and presentation’ to prevent work from being hard to read or lacking pride.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.