Norden Community Primary School continues to be ‘Good’

Norden Community Primary School continues to be a ‘Good’ school following the latest Ofsted inspection.

The inspection on 29 and 30 March was the first time the school had been inspected since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the second ungraded inspection since the school was judged to be good in October 2012.

Inspectors praised the school for a variety of extracurricular activities, including sports, playing a musical instrument, acting or even pottery, as well as its “detailed and ambitious” curriculum.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with regular training for governors, leaders and staff.

“Pupils and their families get the support they need as soon as possible,” the report said. “They work well with a wide range of outside agencies. The procedures to ensure concerns are identified, recorded and reviewed are effective.

“Throughout the curriculum pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations including when online and in the local community.”

Whilst teachers overall were said to be “knowledgeable about the subjects they teach,” it was noted that sometimes teachers are “unsure” about what content they should teach and when pupils should learn it, resulting in some gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

They noted that pupils were proud of their school, work hard and behave well. Pupils also felt safe in school and know they can speak to a member of staff.

Pupils were praised for being “happy, polite, confident and respectful” with learning “rarely interrupted by low-level disruption.”

Teachers had “high expectations” for pupils’ learning, including those with special educational needs/or disabilities (SEND), who access the full curriculum.

Recommendations for Norden Community Primary School included ensuring pupils’ knowledge being “clearly identified so that pupils know and remember more over time.”

Head teacher Rachael Bentham said: “This is a very pleasing report that recognises all our hard work; the pupils, staff, governors and families are delighted with this outcome.

“The report reflects the safe, happy and inclusive environment that we have created, the broad and ambitious curriculum and the high expectations we have here at Norden CPS.

“It acknowledges that we are all true to our mission statement of ‘being the best we can be’.”