A Nelson primary school has been commended for encouraging older pupils to inspire young age groups.

Great Marsden St John’s Primary School is part of Cidari Multi Academy Trust and caters for 208 pupils.

An Ofsted report in January rated the school as "good", following a similar rating in an earlier inspection.

The report said staff had high expectations for the achievement of all pupils.

It read: “They foster a warm, supportive atmosphere in classrooms, which gives pupils the confidence to try their best and be unafraid of making mistakes.

"Pupils make strong progress through the curriculum and typically achieve well.

"The school helps pupils to build strong relationships and to feel part of the school community. For example, children in the early years are buddied with Year 6 pupils who act as mentors. 

“At lunchtime, the ‘family dining’ approach has pupils sitting in mixed year groups, with the older pupils setting the table and modelling the behaviour expectations for the younger pupils. 

“Pupils uphold the school ethos by behaving well and treating one another with kindness and respect. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of activities that promote and enhance their physical fitness. 

“At lunchtime, sport leaders run games that get pupils moving and develop their collaborative skills. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to participate in clubs that deliberately promote more unusual sports such as curling, archery and laser-tag.

"Other opportunities include the school choir, which is open to all pupils who enjoy singing.”

Teachers were said to benefit from training that develops their knowledge and expertise in each subject. 

The report said: “The school ensures that high-quality resources are available to teachers when designing and delivering lessons.

“This has a positive impact in reducing teachers’ workload, as well as enhancing pupils’ learning. In most subjects, teachers carefully check on pupils’ knowledge.

"They ensure that any misconceptions are quickly identified and addressed. However, in some subjects, the school is in the early stages of developing suitable systems to check on pupils’ learning over time. 

“This means that staff are sometimes unaware of gaps in pupils’ knowledge that hamper their ability to take in new learning.”

The school’s emphasis on reading was praised by inspectors too.

The report said: “The school strongly promotes the importance of reading from the start of the reception year. 

“Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of texts, both through the taught curriculum and during their independent reading time. Parents and carers are invited to attend regular ‘stay and read’ sessions to share and enjoy books with pupils. 

“Most pupils in the early stages of reading quickly develop the knowledge that they need to become confident and fluent readers. Staff are typically well trained to develop pupils’ knowledge of phonics. They ensure that pupils have suitable books to practise their reading regularly.”

The report added: “Parents value the strong pastoral care provided by the school. Because staff know pupils and families well, they swiftly spot any problems or difficulties that pupils may be facing.

"In the early years, staff quickly form strong relationships with children, helping them to feel comfortable and confident in the school environment.

“Staff are well trained to identify signs which may indicate that a pupil has SEND.

"The school has strong systems in place to support these pupils, and those who speak English as an additional language. This helps these pupils to progress successfully through the curriculum.”