Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Simon Rance and Mr Joe McCrossan Interim Headteachers St Luke’s Church of England Primary School French’s Road Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB4 3JZ

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School

Following my visit to your school on 30 October 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school.

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Evidence

I scrutinised the single central record, your action plans, the local authority’s statement of action and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. I held meetings with you, a group of teachers and teaching assistants, four governors (including the chair of the governing body and the governor responsible for safeguarding), your inclusion leader and the pupil school council. I also visited lessons with you, where we observed pupils across the school in their classes and spoke to pupils informally. I also spoke with parents at the start of the day.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

St Luke’s Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school and provides education for 188 pupils.

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Context

Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in the leadership and management of the school. Since May 2018, the substantive headteacher has been absent. During the summer term, there was an interim headteacher, supported by the local authority. Since September, you both currently share the post of interim headteacher, working at the school for two-and-a-half days a week each.

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Context

Several staff have left the school, including the deputy headteacher. Your inclusion leader has taken on the additional role of acting deputy headteacher. In addition, a new teacher has started at the school this term. There have also been changes to the governing body. Three parents have joined, and one parent has taken on the role of safeguarding governor. There are firm plans for the school to join the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT) in 2019.

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Content

In the light of the previous inspection, governors have taken swift action to ensure that they now have the skills and knowledge to be more effective in their roles. Governors have heeded the recommendations following the external review of governance, which was conducted by the local authority. Consequently, governors understand their roles fully and are far better informed to challenge leaders. You have ensured that the failings in the school’s safeguarding practice identified at the time of the previous inspection have been successfully remedied. You continue to work closely with the local authority to ensure that safeguarding practice is effective.

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Content

Parents and carers were noticeably dissatisfied with the school at the time of the previous inspection. However, those whom I spoke with were extremely positive about the improvements in communication and your leadership. In the short time you have been in post, you have successfully gained parents’ confidence. You have improved the quality of communication between school and home through regular meetings, letters and an improved website. You and other leaders are visible at the start of the school day and this is welcomed by parents. However, some parents remain understandably concerned about future changes.

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Content

Pupils told me that they are happy and feel safe in school. They are aware of the different types of bullying. Pupils have an appropriate level of awareness of the dangers of online activity and how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. All pupils I spoke with could name an adult they could talk to if they had worries. Pupils play well together at breaktimes and engage well in lessons, including those children in early years, who are happy and safe and know routines well. They engage purposefully when working independently.

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Content

Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are supported effectively by adults to help them to access the curriculum. Pupils spoke positively about the school’s new behaviour systems and understood teachers’ expectations and the reasons for the rewards and sanctions in place. They told me that they and other pupils value the ‘golden time’ they now receive and reported that those pupils who have sometimes lost golden time, through less positive behaviour, learn to make the right choices in the end. However, a few pupils mentioned that they did not feel that the concerns they reported to adults were always dealt with fully.

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Content

Leaders have made significant improvements in ensuring that systems are in place for identifying and controlling risks. For example, leaders have made sure that there are appropriate controls and measures to safeguard individual pupils and minimise risk in spaces used by pupils within the school. Recent training has ensured that all staff are aware of the latest updates from the Department for Education (DfE) on how to safeguard pupils. In addition, leaders have ensured that processes for reporting concerns are clearly understood by all staff.

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Content

The designated senior leaders are vigilant and knowledgeable. They have rightly improved processes for recording and following up concerns about pupils. Evidence shows that leaders follow up any concerns in a thorough and timely way. Leaders also work very well with external agencies and relentlessly pursue the most appropriate support for pupils who need additional help.

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Content

Leaders have made sure that new staff and volunteers are clear in what they need to know about keeping themselves and pupils safe within the school community. You carefully record all staff training and this has helped you identify any gaps in adults’ knowledge of safeguarding. You correctly make sure that adults who need additional training receive it.

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Content

At the time of the previous inspection, it was apparent that fire evacuation procedures were not clear or understood by staff and pupils. You have taken effective measures to ensure that this is no longer the case. Clear signage shows the evacuation route from all areas of the building. Records show that leaders test the fire system regularly and that fire drills take place routinely. Your last fire drill recorded for this term demonstrated that pupils and adults evacuated the school in a timely fashion. Pupils in key stage 1 were able to explain to me, clearly and confidently, what to do if they heard the fire bell. One told me, ‘You stop what you are doing’, while another exclaimed, ‘You don’t change your shoes!’ and several showed me where they would line up quietly and sensibly. The new safeguarding governor has fully embraced her role. Governors make regular visits to check on the work of leaders and review its impact. This is

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Content

particularly notable in the case of reviewing pupils’ behaviour in lessons. Governors have already produced several informative reports where they have looked at areas for improving safeguarding identified in the previous inspection.

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Content

The new school improvement plan is clear, concise and helpful to leaders and governors for improving safeguarding. Governors recognise that they need to evaluate the impact of their actions and those of leaders, particularly in relation to keeping pupils safe.

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Content

You and leaders have ensured that safeguarding checks on employees are carried out effectively. On the day of the inspection, it was noted that some checks had not been recorded correctly. However, this was rectified quickly at the time of this inspection. You agreed that employee files, although holding the necessary information, would benefit from reorganisation so that documentation is easier to locate.

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Content

Leaders effectively analyse pupil attendance information and work closely with parents and the school attendance officer to help reduce pupil absence. Leaders’ work has successfully improved attendance, which is now in line with national averages. There have been no unlawful exclusions, as highlighted in the previous inspection report. In addition, the number of pupils that are on a part-time timetable has been significantly reduced. Part-time timetables are agreed with the relevant outside agencies and the local authority and in line with government guidelines.

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External support

During a challenging period, the local authority has provided effective support to school leadership. This has included support to the local governing body, through the governance review. The impact of this is demonstrated in the re-defining of governors’ roles. This is notably the case regarding the new safeguarding governor. The local authority says that it will continue to work closely with leaders at all levels to support them with further improvements.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Improve the organisation of employee files, so that information can be retrieved easily.  Ensure that leaders and governors routinely review the impact of their work to improve safeguarding.  Ensure that all staff take measures to ensure that pupils always feel they are being listened to. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Ely, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cambridgeshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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