St Cuthbert’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Leaders and governors know this school very well. They are passionate about the care, welfare and education of every pupil who attends the school.

They have brought about many significant improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the last inspection. Subject leaders share senior leaders' driving ambition and vision for the school and carry out very regular checks on the progress that pupils make in subjects. This has accelerated the progress made by all pupils, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, including those in Reception.

The curriculum is exceptionally well planned and strongl...y develops learning in a wide range of subjects. All pupils benefit from attending the wide range of out-of-school clubs run by the school. Some pupils compete in the wider community, where they have made their mark at county level in tennis, football, cricket and netball.

Children who start in Reception make rapid progress from their differing starting points. No matter what their level of need, they very quickly settle into the highly nurturing environment created by staff. Staff across the school gauge the emotional well-being of pupils at the start of every day.

This is followed up by highly trained support staff who are on hand to assist pupils if they have any concerns or worries. Parents say that there is a real community feel at St Cuthbert's Primary. Parents typically describe the school as their 'extended family'.

Pupils say that they feel very safe, happy and well supported. Sign language is taught to all pupils. Such highly effective practice enables them to communicate throughout the day with pupils from the resource base provision.

Strong teaching of phonics alongside a review of guided reading has resulted in a whole-school love of reading. Pupils told inspectors that they thoroughly enjoy coming to school and do not like to miss a single day. This is reflected in their consistently above-average attendance.

The outdoor play area in early years does not reflect the high quality of provision for children indoors. Although very good, opportunities to help pupils appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live are not developed to their full potential.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

This is a slightly smaller-than-average primary school. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is significantly higher than in other schools nationally. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is higher than average.

Most pupils are of white-British heritage. The school provides full-time early years provision in the Reception class. The school has met floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment in mathematics and English, for the past three years.

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