CARISBROOKE PRIMARY KEEPS ‘GOOD’ OFSTED RATING AFTER LATEST INSPECTION

A ‘positive learning culture’ permeates throughout an Isle of Wight primary school which has kept its ‘good’ Ofsted rating. Pupil’s personal development at Carisbrooke Church of England Primary School was also ‘exceptional’ and ‘outstanding’, the education watchdog said after it visited in September. Ofsted’s findings have recently been published and deem the school to still be ‘Good’, where pupils are proud of their inclusive school. Inspectors said pupils are keen to meet the high expectations of leaders and build a harmonious environment where they feel safe and have strong, nurturing relationships with staff. Through the school’s curriculum, pupils are taught how to identify risk and seek help if they are worried, developing a strong understanding of the challenges of social media. Inspectors said the school’s curriculum is ambitiously planned where leaders have carefully considered and sequenced the knowledge they want pupils to learn in most subjects. In some subjects though, further work is underway to refine what pupils need to learn and in what order as not all pupils are able to build on prior learning as effectively as they might. Pupils do achieve well across the curriculum and in early years, the inspectors said, with teachers’ subject knowledge being secure, whilst well-trained staff deliver the school’s early reading programme effectively and listen to weaker readers, providing rapid support for those who need to catch up. Inspectors said assessment in the core curriculum is used well and leaders can carefully track pupils’ progress and support those at risk of falling behind. In the foundation subjects, however, assessment expectations are not yet established and it is sometimes unclear what knowledge pupils have retained.