Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Sonia Hegan Dry Drayton CofE (C) Primary School Park Street Dry Drayton Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB23 8DA

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(C) Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 11 May 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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(C) Primary School

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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(C) Primary School

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the 2020-21 COVID- 19 (coronavirus) pandemic. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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(C) Primary School

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

The school should take further action to ensure that:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 leaders develop the curriculum in music, and information and communication technology (ICT) so that new learning builds upon what pupils already know and can do  teachers follow the school’s procedures for assessing pupils’ work in the foundation subjects consistently  leaders make accurate judgements about the quality of provision at the school, and that governors support and challenge leaders to pursue further improvements.

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Context

A new headteacher was appointed to the school in January 2020. Approximately two thirds of the staff have joined the school since the previous inspection. Two governors share the responsibility for chairing the governing body. Three new members have joined the governing body. No governors have left.

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Main findings

The school is on a journey of improvement. At the previous inspection, the school had been through a period of turbulence due to staffing issues. It now has stability. Leaders and governors have been proactive in their efforts to address the areas for improvement.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection, leaders have set higher expectations for staff and pupils. Subject leaders are now more effective in their roles. They take responsibility for the quality of education in their subject areas. Leaders have developed systems to check how well pupils are learning what they need to in the different subjects that they study. Subject leaders are engaging with training. This is helping to improve their knowledge. The quality of education is improving as a result.

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Main findings

Since the last inspection, leaders have focused on improving the curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics. Leaders in most subjects have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and be able to do. Subject leaders have identified the most important knowledge in their subject areas for pupils to learn. Pupils’ new learning typically builds upon what they already know. Curriculum plans for music and computing are new. They include skills progression information. Leaders are reviewing the plans to ensure that the order in which they teach knowledge is correct.

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Main findings

At the previous inspection, pupils had too few opportunities to practise and extend their writing skills in different subject areas. Leaders now insist on high expectations for writing in English and in other subjects. Staff encourage pupils to use subject specific language accurately, and to use the right style of writing for each subject. Pupils get the opportunity to write at length in English and in other subjects. This allows them to develop their answers and ideas fully. Teachers assessment of pupils’ English and mathematics work makes clear what pupils can and cannot remember and do. Teachers then plan work for pupils that helps them to build on what they already know, or that fills any gaps in their knowledge or understanding. In other subjects, teachers are developing the same rigour, in order to have a precise understanding of what pupils have learned and how secure their knowledge is.

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Main findings

Since the previous inspection, teachers have focused on embedding reasoning skills in mathematics lessons across the different year groups. Staff have benefitted from extra training on reasoning skills. This has focused on how to bring reasoning into pupils’ daily maths lessons. Pupils can use their mathematics knowledge to help them tackle tasks that involve problem-solving and reasoning.

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Main findings

Governors visit the school when they are able to. Governors bring a range of appropriate skills and experience to the school. There is a strong approach to governor training. The governing body continues to raise the level of challenge it provides to leaders. Covid-19 restrictions have limited governors opportunities to be in school. Governors have conducted online meetings with leaders. Governors need to monitor the impact of the work that subject leaders are doing to meet the aims set out in the school’s improvement plans.

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Additional support

The school continues to make effective use of the extensive support provided by the local authority. The new school improvement adviser provides a healthy balance of support and challenge.

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Additional support

Senior and subject leaders value their work with those in other local schools to share effective ideas and techniques.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with the headteacher, leaders, pupils, staff, governors, and a representative of the local authority to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

I visited lessons, reviewed a range of documentation, including your evaluation of the quality of aspects of the school’s provision, minutes of meetings of the governing body, and the school’s improvement plans. I reviewed 40 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey and the 19 written responses. I considered the responses of 11 staff to an Ofsted survey.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the two co-chairs of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Ely, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Cambridgeshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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