Carleton Rode Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they are taught the school values of 'kindness, honesty and perseverance'. They are polite to each other and work hard. Pupils like being part of this small school, where they feel safe and happy.

At playtimes, they play together well and older pupils often help the younger pupils with games.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' learning. Pupils rise to meet these expectations and achieve well from their different starting points.

In lessons, most pupils behave well. They listen carefully to the adults and to each other. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning.

The curriculum is enhanced with carefully pl...anned trips and visitors. For example, recent trips to Norwich Castle and a local farm and a visit from an explorer. Pupils enjoy being part of the school council and make a real difference to their school, such as running events to raise money for charities.

Pupils can take part in clubs such as rock band, dodgeball and football. Older pupils relish the opportunities to attend residential visits or take part in sporting events. They learn new skills, such as sailing and high rope climbing.

These opportunities help them to develop independence and perseverance.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum that interests pupils. Staff have good subject knowledge and help pupils to learn well.

From the early years, the school has set out the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. In most subjects, pupils confidently talk about what they are learning and how this links to what they have learned before. However, in a few subjects, the key ideas that leaders want pupils to develop are not made clear to staff.

When this is the case, pupils struggle to make links with their prior learning

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs quickly identified. Effective support is put in place. Additional adults are well trained to provide extra support, where this is needed.

The school prioritises reading. The library has recently been updated and pupils enjoy the wide range of books on offer. Teachers read to pupils daily from carefully chosen books.

Many older pupils read with increasing fluency and confidence. For pupils at the early stages of reading, the school has an established phonics programme in place. Staff check pupils' understanding regularly.

For those who need extra support, this is put in place. However, not all pupils are developing their reading fluency as well as they could. This is because staff do not deliver the phonics programme using the agreed approaches.

Sometimes, pupils practise using books that contain sounds they cannot read yet.

Children make a strong start in early years. They are taught to take turns and work together and enjoy their experience of a wide range of books.

Children are taught key skills, such as counting and writing numbers and letters through activities that engage them. Staff know the children well and design learning that will interest the children. For example, children role played running an ice-cream parlour and modelling vehicles based on their transport topic, using boxes, wheels and glitter.

This helps children to become confident and independent learners, ready for Year 1.

The school has a clear behaviour policy in place. Pupils are well mannered and take great pride in being part of the school community.

When pupils need extra help to focus on their learning, effective support is given to them.

The school prepares pupils for life beyond the school well. Pupils learn about democracy through the election of the school council and a recent project on the suffragettes had led to some lively discussion about equality.

Pupils learn about other cultures through musicians, stories and in assemblies. They have close links with the local church, where they hold regular services and events.

Governors know the school well and provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders.

Staff enjoy working at the school and say being part of a federation helps them with their work and increases opportunities for the pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, staff are unclear about the key concepts that the school wants the pupils to develop over time.

This means that new concepts and ideas are not always linked to the prior learning needed to understand these. The school should ensure that in these subjects, key concepts that pupils will learn over time are made explicit and included when delivering the curriculum content. ? Phonics is not always taught using the agreed approaches.

On occasion, pupils practise using books that they do not have the knowledge to decode. This hampers pupils' progress to becoming fluent readers. The school needs to ensure staff use the agreed approaches and resources when teaching pupils to read.