Markington Church of England Primary & Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Markington Church of England Primary & Nursery School is wonderfully caring and aspirational. The school's motto, 'Make full use of the gift God gave you', is important to pupils and staff.

This makes the school wonderfully inclusive.

This is a smaller-than-average-sized school. The school is ambitious for all pupils.

There are mixed-age classes throughout school. The curriculum is well developed to support the teaching of the mixed-age classes. In some subjects, the curriculum needs some refinement to ensure teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit their prior learning and remember their learning over time.

Pupils with special ed...ucational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support. The school partners closely with external providers, parents and carers to ensure pupils receive the timely support they need. This contributes to their impressive progress.

Pupils' behaviour is exceptional. They are kind and polite. Older pupils enjoy the opportunities that they have to be positive role models for younger pupils.

The school teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe.

Parents are overwhelming happy with the education their children receive. One parent described the school as a 'friendly and welcoming environment where pupils are treated as individuals and respected'.

This encapsulates the views of many parents.

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

Due to the small nature of the school, children from different year groups are in the same class. This is well managed by the school.

Leaders have carefully tailored the curriculum to meet the needs of the mixed-age classes. Curriculum plans are reviewed often to ensure pupils access the right learning for their age group. As a result, pupils achieve well.

Reading is a priority. The school invests time each week to ensure that staff are well trained to teach phonics. Children learn to read as soon as they start in Reception.

They make rapid progress learning to read. Children have regular practice developing their fluency. The school provides timely and effective daily support for those that require additional help learning to read.

Every Friday, older pupils share stories with the younger pupils. They value this time together. Pupils enjoy spending time in the school library, which offers a diverse range of books.

Pupils eloquently discuss their favourite genres and authors. Pupils love to read at Markington.

Most lessons are ambitious and engaging, particularly in the early years.

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. In a small number of subjects, lessons do not provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning. This means that, occasionally, some pupils do not remember the important knowledge that they need to be ready for the next stage of learning.

In most subjects, the school has reviewed and strengthened the systems to check what pupils remember over the long term. In some subjects, this needs more time to be fully embedded. In some subjects, teachers do not have a clear understanding of what pupils know and can do.

This means that sometimes pupils do not build on what they already know.

Pupils with SEND benefit from the expertise of the adults supporting them. The school ensures that pupils' needs are well understood and met in a bespoke way.

Pupils with SEND are at the heart of all the decisions made about their provision. Parents are highly involved in the support their children receive. They are confident that their children are happy and safe.

The school goes above and beyond to help pupils with SEND prepare for their next stage of learning.

Children have an excellent start to school life in the early years. They benefit from the meticulously considered and carefully tailored learning opportunities provided by the school.

The curriculum which children access is highly ambitious. The interactions between staff and children are of exceptionally high quality. Staff use every available opportunity to extend children's language and use of new vocabulary.

The outdoor area is filled with multi-use learning opportunities. Children deepen their understanding of number when developing large-muscle strength when 'shooting hoops'. They have a clear understanding of how to make healthy food choices.

This is further strengthened by opportunities to try fruits in different forms and creating healthy meals to share together. Children eloquently discuss their recent learning. Staff provide extensive opportunities for children to see and hear new language.

They remember and use the vocabulary that they have been taught. Children's personal and social development is a priority, this contributes to their independent learning. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour is exceptionally positive throughout school. The school's systems to teach pupils the 'ingredients' for good behaviour are highly effective. Pupils treat each other with a high level of respect.

The school teaches pupils how to resolve friendship issues quickly. This contributes to pupils' mature approach to managing friendships. The school's recent focus on promoting good attendance and punctuality is having a positive impact.

There is a marked improvement in pupils attending school regularly and on time.

The school helps children recognise their individual talents and how they can use those to make the world a better place. The Christian ethos of the school prioritises the spiritual development and well-being of pupils.

All pupils contribute to the weekly collective worship in their classes. Pupils remember their learning from their personal, social and health education lessons. The school provides well-timed safety messages to parents and pupils at key points in the year, such as the dangers of frozen water and monitoring of new devices.

This helps to keep pupils safe.

The school is strengthened by the expertise and challenge from the governing body. Governors are highly committed to the school and ensure the Christian ethos is maintained.

Both the school and governors seek advice from the local authority and external experts to make improvements. Staff are happy working here. Their workload is well managed and their well-being is well considered.

Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the education, care and development that their children receive.

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 small number of subjects, lessons do not provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit prior learning.

This means that some pupils do not remember the important knowledge they need to be ready for the next stage of learning. The school should ensure pupils have opportunities to revisit the identified important knowledge in the curriculum to help them secure it in their long term memory. ? The school's systems to check what pupils know and remember are more developed in some curriculum subjects than in others.

In some subjects, teachers do not have a clear understanding of what pupils know and can do. This means that pupils do not build on what they already know. The school should refine how teachers check pupils' prior knowledge and understanding.