Norham St Ceolwulfs CofE Controlled Primary School

Overview

Pupils are described as “safe, happy and educated well” at this small rural first school. Inspectors noted a “sea change” in all aspects of work since the previous inspection, with parents appreciating that the school has “improved immensely.” The report highlights strong relationships, high expectations, and effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• The new curriculum is “well designed” and “well established” in core subjects, with gaps in knowledge addressed “straight away.”
• Reading is a “high priority,” with staff ensuring books are “matched precisely” to pupils’ phonics knowledge; older pupils read “confidently, fluently and for pleasure.”
• Provision for pupils with SEND is of “high quality,” with individual needs identified “more carefully” and supported “more effectively” than in the past.
• Pupils behave well, are “polite, courteous and welcoming,” and undertake charitable work “enthusiastically.”
• Early years provision is strong, with adults modelling “clear spoken language” to help children’s speaking and listening skills develop well.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, the curriculum is “not fully embedded,” leaving older pupils with “gaps in their knowledge” that must be revisited.
• The governing body does not “challenge the school incisively enough”; governors need the expertise to carry out this role effectively.
• Pupils’ knowledge of religions other than Christianity and the make-up of different families is “limited.”

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.