Sandlings Primary School

Inspection of Sandlings Primary School Easton Road, Sutton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3TD

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 11–12 March 2020

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of a school that is ‘unique and nurturing’. They say they feel part of the school from the moment they join. They feel they are listened to and their voice is heard.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a strong contribution to the life of the school. They want to make a difference and support others. Pupils elected to the various councils and school committees take account of what pupils say. For example, the school council arranged a visit to the local bookshop when they learned that pupils had not spent their World Book Day book vouchers.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate having someone to talk to in school if they are sad or worried. They say bullying is rare and that adults help them sort out any disagreements. Pupils are respectful and develop positive relationships. Pupils respond to high expectations which teachers have of them. Pupils are encouraged to be independent and to think for themselves.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are generally positive about the school. They appreciate the care their children receive because of the school’s caring approach. They would like to understand more about what their children are learning in school.

p.2

better?

Leaders have improved the quality of education since the previous inspection. This is reflected in the standards pupils now achieve at each stage of their education. Leaders have a clear vision for the school and are working hard to ensure that the school is ‘unique and nurturing where everyone belongs and thrives’. Leaders have created a culture of high expectations for pupils. This is helping pupils achieve well. The school’s curriculum is ambitious and well thought through. It helps pupils build on what they know and can already do.

p.2

better?

Leaders ensure that pupils develop a love of reading. Pupils are enthusiastic about the books they read and the texts teachers choose to read them in class. Very often books are linked to the topics they are studying. This enriches their experience across a full range of subjects. Leaders are continuing to develop the curriculum for mathematics, so that pupils become more fluent in their calculations and can apply their knowledge confidently in mathematical reasoning.

p.2

better?

Leaders have considered how to organise the teaching of subjects so that pupils complete units of work to a high standard before they move on to another school. For example, in religious education (RE) pupils learn about the beliefs and traditions of different religions. In art, pupils master techniques such as printing, painting and drawing and produce work that is of a very high quality. This helps make learning more memorable for pupils. Some aspects of the school’s wider curriculum, for 11–12 March 2020

p.2

3

example, history and music, are not yet fully developed. Leaders are aware that there is more work to be done to develop pupils’ subject-specific skills.

p.3

3

Leaders provide very well for pupils’ personal development. They recognise that pupils bring a rich set of experiences with them to the school. Pupils celebrate their differences and say this is part of the uniqueness of their school. ‘Life skills’ lessons help pupils make connections with the subjects they are learning through practical experiences. For example, pupils who are learning about the Great Fire of London made 17th century muffins in their ‘life skills’ cooking session.

p.3

3

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with teachers and support staff to ensure that the needs of individual pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. This is also in place for those pupils who need additional support because they have gaps in their learning and need to catch up quickly.

p.3

3

Governors are well-informed about the school. They closely check that leaders’ actions are making a positive difference to pupils’ achievement and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. The appropriate checks are made on all staff who work at the school. Leaders work hard to ensure that safeguarding is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Staff receive regular training. They know how to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff know what they should do if they have any concerns. Leaders take prompt and appropriate action. Safeguarding records are detailed and up to date. The school receives effective guidance and support from the local authority with respect to safeguarding.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum plans for some subjects, such as history and music, are not yet fully developed. Leaders need to ensure that the plans for these subjects are further developed so that pupils can develop their conceptual understanding and can apply their knowledge and skills across the full range of curriculum subjects.  Parents are not always clear about the school’s curriculum or what their children are experiencing in school. Leaders need to find ways to communicate this more clearly so that parents understand what their children are learning in school. 11–12 March 2020

p.3

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. 11–12 March 2020

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10121361 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October–1 November 2017

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  A large proportion of pupils join or leave the school during the school year.

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

 We held meetings with the headteacher; the deputy headteacher, who is also the SENCo; the leaders responsible for art, mathematics, reading and RE; the early years foundation stage leader; school support staff; pupils; the chair of governors and two other members of the governing body; and a representative of the local authority.  We carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and RE. We held discussions with leaders responsible for these subjects, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, and held discussions with teachers and pupils.  We met parents at the start of the school day. We considered the 18 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 14 free-text comments. We held discussions with pupils and with staff to gather their views of the school. We 11–12 March 2020

p.5

6

reviewed the information from surveys of staff and pupils that had been carried out by the school.  We considered a range of information to determine the effectiveness of safeguarding. We reviewed school policies, met with the designated safeguarding leader and spoke with pupils, parents, teachers and support staff. We reviewed the records of safeguarding checks that are carried out for adults working at the school. We considered the actions leaders take when pupils need extra support.  We evaluated a range of documentation, including the school’s summary of its own strengths and weaknesses, minutes from governing body meetings, school policies, and statutory information published on the school website.  We considered pupils’ behaviour and welfare at different times of the school day. We observed pupils during assembly, at playtimes and lunchtimes.

p.6

Inspection team

Katherine Douglas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

James Richards Ofsted Inspector 11–12 March 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