Allington with Sedgebrook Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Allington with Sedgebrook Church of England Primary School Marston Lane, Allington, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 2DY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in December 2007 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school has not been inspected for 12 years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 11–12 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely positive about the deal they get at this school. The many we met during the inspection told us how much they enjoy coming here each morning. They feel very safe in school, and most cannot remember any bullying ever happening. They say that, on the very rare occasions someone is unkind, staff sort it out immediately. Pupils describe Allington as ‘one big family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get a well-rounded education that is nothing less than good. Teachers show them how to read well from an early age. Pupils learn to write with creativity and to calculate with accuracy. The curriculum provides pupils with a range of experiences. Pupils learn to beat drums together. There are many opportunities to take part in sporting competitions. Experts bring anacondas and hedgehogs into classrooms to make science learning come alive. The headteacher and her staff put pupils first and work to unlock the potential in each one.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ character. Pupils raise money for The Grantham Passage and other charities. They help create a woodland in the village sports ground. Pupils’ behaviour is delightful. Their excellent attitude to their work is matched by their politeness and respect for others.

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better?

The headteacher leads this school with skill, sincerity and integrity. She is highly respected by parents, pupils and her staff. Her ambitions for the future of every pupil and her determination are absolute.

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better?

Staff work together as a productive, mutually supportive team, in a consistent way. They receive good support and professional development to improve their skills.

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better?

The good quality of education children receive begins in the early years. Kind staff and clear routines mean that children settle in quickly. Children learn the names of shapes and count the fruit they eat each day. They make model houses from sticks and use gloves when moving bricks. They write sentences such as ‘The wolf was sneaking behind the cows.’ Well-trained staff teach children phonics each day. Weaker readers have books that give them confidence to catch up. Pupils become fluent readers.

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better?

Teachers promote a love of reading in pupils. Pupils in Year 5 told us how they like to read myths and legends and stories with dilemmas. Pupils read classic fiction about Narnia and hear African tales such as ‘Anansi the spider’. The wide curriculum builds pupils’ skills in, for example, physical education and science. Pupils learn and remember work on earth and space. We saw pupils learning how to lunge with a badminton racket, then building their core strength by practising sit-ups. 11–12 February 2020

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Pupils of all groups achieve well across different subjects because teachers meet their needs. When needed, staff adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Leaders have been working to adjust their planning for teaching every subject. They want to ensure that each one builds up pupils’ knowledge and skills over time in an effective way. Although most subject plans are complete, the revised geography curriculum is not fully embedded. Leaders are continuing to improve plans for history and computing.

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Staff help pupils to be independent self-managers. As they grow, they are expected to organise their own resources and set themselves goals. They debate questions, such as whether ‘drinking and driving’ in an emergency can ever be justified. They can explain why British values are important. They learn about other cultures, including the indigenous people of the rainforest.

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The very large number of clubs, including book club, construction and magical maths, are open to pupils on an equal basis. Many say that one of the best things is the huge number of sporting opportunities open to them. The sports ambassadors explain how pupils represent the region in swimming. Pupils have been the Small School Athletics Champions for three years. Many go on to represent their next school and their county in sports.

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The behaviour and attitudes of pupils are exceptional. From the early years on, children pay attention, follow instructions and try their hardest. Teachers expect pupils to put their hands up to answer questions. Large numbers do, because they are so keen to explain what they think. There are respectful relationships and high standards throughout the school. Pupils complete work neatly. Pupils’ outstanding attitudes support their readiness for secondary school. Pupils told us how staff set an excellent example to them.

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It is no surprise that parents’ views of the school are highly positive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher ensures that all staff are clear about their responsibilities. They know they must do all they can to protect every pupil. They are well trained and can recognise quickly the signs that a pupil may be being harmed. Staff communicate well, and continually, to minimise the risk to a pupil or their sibling.

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Safeguarding

School records show that the headteacher notes any safeguarding concerns that teachers raise. These records contain clear timelines of the brisk action taken as a result of information received. Parents we spoke with unanimously feel that the school keeps their children safe. 11–12 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The sequencing of the curriculum is not precise enough in history and computing. Although leaders have written detailed plans for other subjects, showing how pupils’ knowledge builds up systematically over time, they have not yet completed planning in the same depth for these. Leaders should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers plan work that builds explicitly on what pupils already know and that current lessons prepare them for more complex tasks.  Although the geography curriculum has been planned with skill, its implementation is recent. Leaders should make sure that all subjects are securely and consistently embedded across the school and check that pupils are remembering over time the knowledge that leaders intend them to.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10130940 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.allingtonsedgebrook.lincs.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2007

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the last inspection.  The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in December 2007 under the relevant inspection framework at that time. The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection. The school has not been inspected for 12 years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 In order to judge the quality of education, we focused the inspection on specific subjects of the curriculum. We did deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, and physical education. This involved meeting with senior and subject leaders, 11–12 February 2020

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scrutinising curriculum planning, and visiting lessons where pupils were learning these subjects. We met pupils from the lessons and looked at their work in these and in other subjects. We met with teachers about the curriculum they were delivering. We also looked at the curriculum in other subjects.  We met with representatives of the governing body, the coordinator for pupils with SEND and the early years leader. We read a wide variety of school documents, including the school development plan. We spoke with other members of staff, such as mid-day supervisors. We checked whether pupils were safe and happy at the school’s breakfast club.  We met with parents at the start of the school day and with many staff to discuss their views of the school and its leadership.  In order to judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, we read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for

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the safe recruitment of staff, and interviewed the designated lead for safeguarding. We also spoke with staff to check details of their safeguarding knowledge and training, that they understood the importance of their responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns without delay and whether they knew the procedure to do this. We checked samples of safeguarding records, and spoke with parents about their child’s safety at the school.

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Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jackie Stirland Ofsted Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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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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