St Andrew's Ceva Primary School

Inspection of St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Ecton Brook Road, Ecton Brook, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN3 5EN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 19–20 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew’s is a happy school where pupils enjoy learning new things every day. Pupils are confident and friendly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values, ‘I ASPIRE’, are at the heart of school life. Staff are always looking for ways to raise pupils’ aspirations. Visitors to the school talk to pupils about the jobs they do. They ignite pupils’ interest in different careers. Pupils have ambitions. They told us how they hope to become scientists, doctors or firefighters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to love the books they read. Pupils enjoy listening to classic stories that capture their imagination and build their vocabulary. More and more pupils are becoming keen readers. They are eager to talk about stories and poems they have enjoyed at school. Year 6 pupils, for example, loved reciting the poem ‘The Highwayman’, which they had learned by heart.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They say that bullying rarely happens. Events like ‘odd socks day’ help pupils understand and celebrate differences between people. Pupils know there are caring adults they can turn to if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils join lots of different clubs. They experience exciting visits, including to outdoor activity centres.

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better?

Leaders have set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn in every subject and by when. They have made sure that the plans build on what pupils already know. Pupils’ work is of a good quality. It is getting better all the time.

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better?

Staff teach phonics well. Children in the Reception classes start learning phonics earlier than children have in previous years. Leaders are improving the stock of early reading books. Occasionally, the books pupils read to practise their phonics are too hard for them.

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better?

Pupils read increasingly challenging texts as they move through the school. They read with fluency and understanding. Pupils read books that help them to learn in other subjects. For example, pupils enjoy reading books linked to their work on Ancient Egypt.

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better?

Pupils achieve well in mathematics. Teaching is well planned to build pupils’ understanding step by step. This helps them to master important skills. Pupils are confident and can tackle increasingly demanding work.

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better?

Leaders make sure that the curriculums in science and in history are ambitious for all pupils. Teachers re-visit and practise regularly the key knowledge they want pupils to remember. Pupils recall confidently what they have learned. This planned 19–20 November 2019

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re-visiting of learning is not evident in all subjects. In some subject plans, it is not clear what the important things are that pupils should remember from their units of work.

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Children play and learn happily together in the Reception classes. They know the class routines well and are growing in independence. They tidy away equipment, butter their own toast and wash their hands after messy activities. Staff know children well and how to capture their interests. The whereabouts of the missing gingerbread man left the children spellbound!

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Pupils are creative and imaginative. They enjoy learning about the arts. They understand important values such as democracy, the rule of law and respect for others. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures. Pupils access an interesting range of school clubs, including those for archery, drama and mindfulness.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They want to do their best and they work well together. Pupils are taught British values and are shown how to respect others.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective help and care. Teachers and teaching assistants know what these pupils find difficult. They skilfully adapt the work they provide so that pupils with SEND can still complete the activity, while it remains demanding for them.

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The governing body has been strengthened since the previous inspection. Governors challenge leaders when they spot that there might be signs of underachievement. They meet regularly with staff and pupils to find out about how well the school is meeting its aims.

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Leaders put the interests of the pupils at the heart of every decision. Staff feel well supported by leaders and are proud to work at St Andrew’s. They value the thought leaders give to their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that there are clear arrangements for keeping pupils safe. Staff know exactly what to do if they have any concerns about the safety of a pupil.

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Safeguarding

The learning mentor and the family support workers provide useful advice and support. Parents and carers value the help they get at difficult times for their families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have a good understanding of the potential dangers they face when they are online. Visits by organisations such as Google, the fire service and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) help pupils to know how to keep themselves safe. 19–20 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not re-visit previous learning frequently enough. Some pupils are unable to recall what they have learned in some subjects. Leaders should make sure that teachers re-visit and assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding across the curriculum so that they do not forget it.  The books that some younger pupils read are too demanding. They do not have the phonic knowledge needed to read the words fluently. Leaders should make sure that teachers carefully select books that match the phonic knowledge that pupils have already been taught.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 19–20 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110045 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 May 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous section 5 inspection, two assistant headteachers have left the school. The senior leadership team has been restructured. A new deputy headteacher and early years leader were appointed in September 2017. A new assistant headteacher joined the school in January 2018.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with senior leaders, subject leaders and four governors. We spoke with a representative from the local authority.  We considered the quality of education in reading, mathematics, science and history. We conducted interviews with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  We reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records, questioning staff and through discussions with pupils.  We considered the views of staff and parents shared through the Ofsted surveys. 19–20 November 2019

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Inspection team

Anthony O’Malley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole Ofsted Inspector 19–20 November 2019

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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.

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