Ettington CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ettington CofE Primary School Churchill Close, Ettington, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7SP

p.1

Outcome

Ettington CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a close-knit community. A sense of belonging is evident in the pride with which pupils, staff and parents talk about their experiences. It is a school in which teachers enjoy teaching and pupils enjoy learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Ettington is a kind school. Staff care very much about pupils’ welfare and happiness. Pupils take care of each other. They do not worry that someone may treat them unkindly or bully them. They know that someone would help them if bullying were to happen.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff believe in them and want them to do well. They rise to teachers’ expectations by behaving well and working hard. Almost all pupils achieve very well as a result.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons beyond the academic curriculum. The school’s leaders are always looking for ways to provide more, and better, experiences. For example, there are lots of trips to places of interest. Year 1 spent the second day of the inspection at Kenilworth Castle. Every pupil has the chance to learn a musical instrument, take part in a sports team, learn to cook or join in a range of art activities.

p.1

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

Leaders have thought hard about how they can improve the quality of education. They want all pupils to achieve the best they can, regardless of any barriers they may need to overcome. The school’s offer is well on the way to meeting this ambition.

p.1

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

Subject leaders have mapped out ‘non-negotiable’ knowledge in each subject. These are important things that pupils must know and remember before they can move on in the subject. This paves the way for pupils to tackle increasingly challenging content as they progress through the curriculum. 6–7 November 2019

p.1

2

Planning for each subject sets out logical sequences for teaching the non-negotiable knowledge. Plans balance new content with chances to practise and embed previously taught knowledge. For example, children in the Reception class experience moving in time to music. By the time they get to Year 2, pupils can talk about music’s pulse and rhythm. They revisit these and other musical terms many times in the following years. Each time, the degree of challenge is increased. By Year 5, pupils can use their knowledge about pitch, dynamics, instrumentation and other features to analyse a piece of music.

p.2

2

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. They do this exceptionally well in some subjects, in some parts of the school. They create sequences of lessons that lead pupils towards the non-negotiable knowledge. The school refers to these sequences as ‘units’. Teachers check that pupils are grasping the content along the way. In this way, teachers make sure that pupils learn what they should from the unit. For example, pupils in Year 5 explained line graphs confidently to the inspector. They can do this because they have learned how to read and interpret these graphs in previous weeks.

p.2

2

Subject leaders provide helpful information to teachers about how best to teach the content of each subject within a cross-curricular topic. Over time, leaders are refining the detail and quality of such guidance. They are doing this because they want to improve the quality of education still further.

p.2

2

A team of highly qualified and expert staff oversees the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This team works closely together to identify exactly what support each pupil needs to ensure that they achieve the best they can. The team helps teachers to adapt lessons for individual pupils. Teachers follow the advice. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

2

The school, rightly, prioritises teaching pupils to read. In the Reception class and in Years 1 and 2, the focus is on teaching phonics. Almost all pupils learn to read fluently and independently by the end of Year 2. This sets most pupils up well for key stage 2. In Years 3 to 6, teachers focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary. This helps pupils to read and understand quality literature.

p.2

2

A very small number of pupils could read better by the end of Year 2. This is down to their choice of reading books to take home. Pupils need to take home books that help them practise the sounds they are learning in school. A small number of pupils choose books that are too tricky. Parents work hard to help their children work out the unfamiliar words. Nevertheless, this is not helping these pupils to become fluent, independent readers.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

The school places pupils’ welfare at its heart. This shows in the joined-up way in which the school implements its safeguarding policies. Governors, leaders and staff check that each other follow agreed procedures diligently. 6–7 November 2019

p.2

3

Staff quickly spot signs that a pupil may be at risk. Leaders then act immediately. They work in close partnership with the local authority to provide the help that pupils need.

p.3

3

The curriculum ensures that pupils learn about risks they may face beyond school. For example, they learn about the dangers of online activity and how to keep themselves safe from different kinds of abuse.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers have not kept a close enough eye on the books that the lower-attaining pupils in key stage 1 select to read at home. These pupils are not yet fluent readers. A few take home books that contain unfamiliar sounds. As a result, they are not becoming independent readers as quickly as they could. Teachers need to ensure that pupils do not take home books that they cannot read without high levels of support.  The school’s curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. It is delivered well across the school. Leaders are pleased with the quality of education the school provides, but are aiming for even better. They are in the process of improving subject guidance for teachers. Leaders need to ensure that this process leads to series of lessons across all subjects and parts of the school that contribute well to delivering the intended curriculum.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Ettington CofE Primary School to be good on 7–8 March 2011.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 6–7 November 2019

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 6–7 November 2019

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 2 February 2016

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Coventry. Its denominational education and collective worship are inspected separately under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. This is known as statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools (SIAMS).  The school received its most recent SIAMS inspection in March 2016.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 The inspector spoke with school leaders, including the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, and two members of the governing body, including the chair.  Discussions were held with subject leaders, teachers, support staff, parents and pupils. The responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, pupils and staff were considered. These included 46 responses to Ofsted Parent View and 31 free-text comments.  The inspector looked in depth at reading, mathematics and music. This involved discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work and curriculum planning, as well as discussions with pupils and class teachers. 6–7 November 2019

p.5

6

 Safeguarding records and documentation were looked at, and records of pre- employment checks and incidents scrutinised. Discussions were held with the school’s safeguarding leaders and other staff. Pupils were asked for their views. Professional development opportunities and expectations for staff training were checked. Day-to- day safeguarding practice was observed by the inspector.

p.6

Inspection team

Sandra Hayes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 6–7 November 2019

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7