Asfordby Hill Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Asfordby Hill Primary School Melton Road, Asfordby Hill, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE14 3QX

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Outcome

Asfordby Hill Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that they know families well so that they can help pupils make the best out of their time at Asfordby Hill. They put pupils at the heart of all their decisions. Pupils and staff are proud of their school. Parents and carers value the school’s family centred approach. A typical parental comment was, ‘This school always goes above and beyond.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attitudes reflect the school’s rainbow values of enthusiasm, understanding others, self-control, perseverance, gratitude, curiosity and optimism. Pupils are polite and respectful towards each other and adults. Leaders ensure that all pupils are included in all parts of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say that teachers help them understand other people’s viewpoints if they have a disagreement. Pupils know who will help them if they are worried or concerned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get lots of opportunities to try new things. They enjoy a range of music, art and sports clubs. Pupils are entered into competitions and the school has won several sports awards. Leaders ensure that pupils who show talent in music receive the help they need. COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions have limited the clubs the school offers. Leaders plan to ensure the full range of opportunities are available once restrictions are removed.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Throughout the pandemic, leaders have maintained a clear focus on providing all pupils with a broad and well-planned curriculum. Pupils say they are encouraged to challenge themselves and to do the best they can.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The mathematics curriculum is well led and planned. Curriculum plans set out the important knowledge pupils should gain, from early years to Year 6. Recently, leaders have focused on making sure pupils can recall facts quickly to help solve problems. Staff 29–30 June 2021 in the early years ensure that they focus on early language development so that pupils are ready for the curriculum in Year 1.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are determined to develop pupils’ love of reading. Teachers read daily stories to pupils. Leaders have ensured that all adults in school understand how to teach early reading. They make regular checks to ensure that pupils remember sounds to help them to read. However, teachers are not using a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. This means some pupils at the early stages of reading do not learn to read quickly. Some books are not well matched to pupils’ needs.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are reviewing the curriculum in some subjects. Some curriculum training for staff has been delayed due to COVID-19. Leaders of history and art have considered the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Curriculum plans in these subjects show how pupils will revisit key knowledge to help them remember more. They have also considered how different subjects are linked to what pupils learn to help pupils have a better understanding of a subject. For example, in history, year 5 pupils talked about how what they had learned in geography helped them to compare how the United Kingdom and Greece were invaded. However, these plans are not yet complete.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Some curriculum plans do not include the knowledge children in the early years need to learn. Leaders have not ensured that teachers have the expertise in some subjects to help pupils in key stages 1 and 2 remember important information they have learned. When this is the case, pupils do not remember what they have learned as well as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel that the school helps their children to develop. Leaders ensure that they make adaptations to help pupils with SEND thrive in school and prepare them for life beyond. Parents appreciate the work that school leaders do to help their children. One parent commented how leaders had given her child ‘a voice’ and ‘helped to give her a chance in life’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and governors place a high priority on monitoring staff’s workload and well-being. For example, teachers felt that using an online system to record pupils’ work had a positive impact on their workload and on the quality of pupils’ work. Staff described school leaders’ focus on well-being as ‘refreshing.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders make links with local community groups to support pupils’ understanding of the world. They have developed a sensory garden after fundraising in the local community. Leaders help pupils consider how they can improve their local community by running projects that will improve their environment. For example, pupils voted to train first-aiders in the local community and purchase a defibrillator with funds they raised.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that curriculum development and the teaching of early reading may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29–30 June 2021 Strong relationships with parents and carers help leaders to identify and deal with concerns promptly. Leaders and governors know about different types of risks, including those which have become more prominent as a result of COVID-19. They use this knowledge to plan opportunities in the curriculum that help pupils understand how to stay physically, emotionally and mentally healthy. Pupils have opportunities in the curriculum to learn about healthy relationships.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the steps they need to take to record and identify any concerns about pupils. Pupils know who to approach if they are worried about themselves or their friends.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not implemented a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading. Some pupils do not get books that match sounds they have learned. Pupils who need extra help in learning to read do not always get enough practice in lessons. As a result, some pupils do not become fluent readers as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that the programme for teaching early reading helps all pupils to become confident, accurate readers.  In some subjects, leaders have not identified the knowledge children in the early years should learn. They have not ensured that teachers of key stages 1 and 2 have the necessary knowledge to help them support pupils to learn and remember the important knowledge in the wider curriculum. When this is the case, children and pupils are not able to know and remember more over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the necessary knowledge of the subjects they teach in the wider curriculum and of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

what pupils should learn and when across all years.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 24 May 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

29–30 June 2021 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 here.

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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. 29–30 June 2021

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School details

Website www.asfordbyhill.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24 May 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and assistant headteacher have been appointed. Four new governors have been appointed.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and curriculum leaders. A meeting was held with the chair of governors and other members of the governing body.  The inspector looked closely at the quality of education in early reading, mathematics and history. This involved speaking with leaders, staff and pupils, visiting lessons, reviewing curriculum plans and sampling pupils’ work.  The inspector examined a wide range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour and governance. The inspector considered information about pupils’ achievement from published information. 29–30 June 2021  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school, including

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector Seconded Inspector 29–30 June 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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