Somersham Primary School

Inspection of Somersham Primary School Church Lane, Lower Somersham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 4PN

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15–16 January 2020

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to learn in this happy school. Learning time is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour because pupils enjoy their lessons. The school’s values are well known to the pupils. Pupils demonstrate perseverance within their learning, and they are polite and respectful. The emphasis on ‘live, learn and laugh’ is evident throughout the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very positive about the school and their teachers. Teachers are passionate about what they teach and inspire pupils to learn. They plan exciting activities, trips and visits linked to the topic work. Pupils talk about what they have learned with enthusiasm and interest.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class and at breaktimes. Older pupils enjoy helping and spending time with younger children. They read with them and help them to use the play equipment. Parents value the nurture provided by staff. They are happy with recent improvements. Most say that behaviour is good. A very small number of parents shared concerns about bullying. Pupils told us that they feel safe. Bullying is rare but is dealt with well by teachers if it happens. Pupils are confident that adults will deal with their concerns if they are worried.

p.2

better?

Leadership, including governance, has been significantly strengthened since the arrival of the executive headteacher. With experienced and committed staff, she is ensuring pupils develop into confident, happy and independent learners. Staff value that their own well-being is considered, and that leaders match skills and experiences to job roles so that staff have the biggest impact on pupils’ achievement.

p.2

better?

The ‘curriculum drivers’ support pupils’ personal development and experiences well. Pupils attend a variety of lunchtime clubs and after school clubs. Visitors, such as authors, are invited into school, and trips enhance pupils’ learning. Nurture provision is strong, and pupils talk warmly about the specific care and support they receive.

p.2

better?

The teaching and learning of cultural diversity are planned well. Pupils know that ‘people are different but equal’, and they say that they would welcome any pupil into the school. Most are aware of different religions and cultures but do not know enough detail.

p.2

better?

Improvements in reading are helping pupils to achieve well. Phonics is taught effectively. Pupils, including those who find reading difficult, use the skills to help them to read difficult words. Throughout the school, pupils talk knowledgably about their favourite authors and stories. They gain a good understanding of how books are written, in order to engage readers. 15–16 January 2020

p.2

3

Pupils become confident writers from Reception. They routinely apply their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills well. Teachers show pupils how to use ‘powerful vocabulary’, and they expect them to use the words in their own work. However, this is not yet securely built into curriculum plans, and it is not taught consistently enough across the school.

p.3

3

Pupils’ mathematical understanding has improved. Pupils build on their skills and are becoming more confident at tackling problem-solving tasks. Small group work is helping pupils catch up.

p.3

3

In mathematics, pupils present their work well and record it accurately. However, not all teachers have high enough expectations of the presentation of pupils’ work across subjects. Some workbooks are scruffy and handwriting untidy.

p.3

3

In subjects such as physical education and history, lessons are appropriately planned to build on pupils’ skills. In history, pupils are able to discuss how to use different sources and know the significance of fact and opinion. Pupils can confidently order important events, for example from the Stone Age to Anglo Saxons, and events relating to the ‘The Space Race’. The new curriculum plans are being implemented well, so that pupils build on skills that are logically sequenced. However, knowledge is not always understood deeply enough. In addition, pupils cannot talk well enough about how past events have impacted on the current day.

p.3

3

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Training for staff is well targeted. Skilled adults provide good support for the pupils. Teachers plan activities that ensure the pupils achieve well. Pupils with complex needs are sociable, confident and work happily in class.

p.3

3

Children in Reception work alongside those in key stage 1 and move from formal to ‘free-flow’ activities seamlessly. This has improved transition to key stage 1 and has developed confident learners. Teachers have high expectations of what the children can do. Children have exciting activities to choose from. They engage with purpose, interest and awe. We observed children using hammers and nails confidently to attach leaves onto a beanstalk. Children in Reception are prepared well for Year 1.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders give the well-being of pupils high priority. They ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Training ensures that all staff understand potential risks to pupils from radicalisation and ‘county lines’.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when working online. The family support worker and leader of SEND ensure pupils’ needs are identified early and that the most vulnerable pupils receive timely support so that they can achieve as well as 15–16 January 2020

p.3

4

they can. Records of behaviour are well documented and followed up by leaders appropriately.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the writing curriculum are not yet fully embedded. Leaders need to plan precisely the vocabulary they want pupils to learn so that they can extend and deepen their understanding of language across all subjects over time.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations for how pupils present their work. Some work is not presented well enough. Teachers need to ensure that pupils take pride in their work, particularly their writing, so that it is neatly presented across all curriculum subjects.  Leaders’ plans for subjects such as history do not always deepen pupils’ knowledge well enough. Curriculum plans need to link across year groups and subjects better so that pupils gain knowledge at a deeper level to enable them to make better sense of the world around them.  Pupils do not have a full enough understanding of cultural diversity. Leaders need to make sure that curriculum plans help pupils know more about, and can talk

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

confidently about, the different cultures that make up modern Britain.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

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. 15–16 January 2020

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10121359 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 19–20 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is federated with another local school, Bramford Primary School. The executive headteacher and governing body are shared across both schools.  Most pupils come from a White British background.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we met with the executive headteacher, head of school, the special educational needs coordinator, the family support worker and teachers from all year groups. Inspectors also spoke to several groups of pupils to talk about their learning across the curriculum. The lead inspector met with three members of the local governing body, including the vice-chair of governors. She also met with a representative from the local authority. 15–16 January 2020

p.5

6

 We did deep dives in the following subjects: reading, writing, mathematics, history and physical education. With the exception of history, we spoke to leaders of these subjects. We visited lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers, listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ work and documentation to understand the quality of education.  We looked at the school’s systems and processes for checking adults’ suitability to work with children. Inspectors spoke with teachers, pupils, mid-day supervisors and parents to check safeguarding arrangements.  We considered the 22 parent responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 20 responses to Ofsted’s free-text survey. The lead inspector spoke with staff and pupils to gain their view of the school. She also spoke with parents on the playground at the beginning of the day.

p.6

Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Sally Nutman Ofsted Inspector 15–16 January 2020

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