Cookley Sebright Primary School

Inspection of Cookley Sebright Primary School 16 Lea Lane, Cookley, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY10 3TA

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 28 and 29 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents praise the caring environment provided at Cookley Sebright School. Pupils are happy and confident in school and enjoy positive relationships with staff. Pupils benefit from the many opportunities to be active through events such as the ‘mini marathon’ challenge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff are committed to helping pupils experience a curriculum based on the values ‘enjoy, discover, achieve’. They want pupils to ‘be happy, feel valued and experience success’. However, some curriculum planning is not organised well enough. Some teachers do not consider what pupils have learned previously before planning their new learning. This means that some pupils, especially the most able, do not make as much progress as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about, and understand, what bullying is. Pupils are generally friendly and kind to one another but say that sometimes bullying does happen. However, pupils also say that staff listen to them and deal with any problems that arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave very well. They listen carefully and show respect to staff. However, this is not always the case. A small number of pupils can be silly and overly boisterous. Some teachers do not deal with issues well enough, which occasionally leads to learning being disrupted.

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better?

On their appointment in 2018, the headteacher and deputy headteacher quickly concluded that there were significant weaknesses in the school. They immediately took the necessary actions needed to stem the decline in pupils’ outcomes, many of which have begun to have an impact. They have clear and suitable plans for what needs to happen next, but these plans have not been fully implemented.

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better?

Subject leaders have not been given the time or training to develop their leadership skills fully. Consequently, they have not refined and developed the curriculum in their subjects or checked how well it is being taught. Curriculum planning does not have enough detail to enable teachers to have a precise understanding of what knowledge and skills need to be taught and in what order. Some teachers are highly effective at identifying what pupils have learned previously and then planning to build on this learning well. Pupils in these year groups make strong progress. However, pupils in other year groups do not make as much progress because teachers do not base learning on what pupils know and can do. This is especially so for the most able pupils who often spend too much time on learning things they already know.

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better?

Leaders recently introduced a new phonics and reading programme. They provided staff with training and support to deliver the programme and have ensured that a wide range of high-quality books are available for pupils to read. The strong focus on reading for pleasure has successfully developed pupils’ love of reading. The 28 and 29 September 2021

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additional reading sessions for pupils who have fallen behind in their reading are helping them to catch up well. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) helps them to make strong progress. However, the quality of phonics and reading teaching is variable across the school. Some staff’s expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. This means some pupils do not make as much progress as they should.

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Leaders, particularly the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), have ensured that the school is fully inclusive of all pupils with SEND. The skilled additional support that pupils with SEND receive helps many to make strong progress. This is a particular strength of the school.

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Children in the early years get off to a flying start. They develop their independence skills quickly, such as going to the toilet and washing their hands without support. Right at the start of Nursery, children learn to sit and socialise, taking turns and listening to one another. However, some staff’s expectations of what children can do are too low. They do not build on children’s prior learning well enough. By the end of the Reception Year, not enough children reach the standards they should.

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Pupils enjoy coming to school and benefit from a stimulating learning environment. Wider opportunities, such as outdoor learning and sporting activities, contribute well to their personal development. However, opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of diversity and differences are more limited. Consequently, pupils do not have much understanding of other faiths and cultures.

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There is a very nurturing ethos across the school. The majority of pupils show care, empathy and respect towards their peers and adults. However, this is not always the case. Occasionally, some pupils are overly boisterous and silly. Teachers do not always address this behaviour, so it continues. This interferes with other pupils’ learning. While pupils are tolerant of this occasional inappropriate behaviour, they do not like it.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff make sure that safeguarding pupils is prioritised. They report concerns quickly and leaders make sure they investigate all the concerns. Staff work closely with a range of agencies so that pupils have the right support to keep them as safe as possible. Leaders always check that new staff do not pose any risks to the pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, especially when using technology and the internet. When staff identify a potential risk that pupils may face, they adapt the personal, social, health and economic curriculum so that pupils learn how to protect themselves if needed. 28 and 29 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have introduced new reading and phonics programmes. However, they have not checked how well the programmes are being taught. Some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. This slows pupils’ progress in reading. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. They should provide staff with further support and training so that the teaching of reading is effective in all classes to enable all pupils to make strong progress.  There is curriculum planning in place for all subjects. However, the planning does not set out the key knowledge and skills that need to be learned in each year group well enough. Some teachers do not pay due regard to the planning that is in place. Consequently, pupils are not building on their prior learning as well as they should. Leaders should refine and develop the curriculum planning so that it sets out exactly what knowledge and skills must be taught, and in what order, in

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

every year group. This will enable pupils, especially the most able, to make strong progress in all subjects.  In the early years, some staff’s expectations of what children can achieve are too low. Leaders need to review and develop the early years provision, including making sure that all staff have the highest expectations of what children can achieve. This will enable children to reach the standards they should by the end of the Reception Year.  Subject leaders have not received the time and support they need to carry out their roles effectively. Senior leaders should provide subject leaders with training and time to enable them to develop their leadership skills. This will enable them to identify and implement the actions needed to improve the quality of education in their subjects.  Some staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They do not consistently challenge some low-level disruption which, on occasion,

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

interferes with other pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and challenge any inappropriate behaviour so that there is no disruption to learning.  Pupils have limited understanding of fundamental British values, particularly an understanding of other faiths and cultures. Leaders and teachers should provide more opportunities for pupils to learn about and experience different cultures and faiths so that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 28 and 29 September 2021

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

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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. 28 and 29 September 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.cookleysebright.co.uk Date of previous inspection 12 July 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  There is a before- and after-school care provision that is managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy head teacher (who is also the SENCo), the English, mathematics, art and science leaders, other subject leaders and the early years leader. Inspectors also met with class teachers and teaching assistants. The lead inspector met with two members of the governing body.  The lead inspector had a telephone call with a representative of the local authority. 28 and 29 September 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, science and art. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum planning and spoke to leaders about their subjects. They conducted joint lesson visits with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, spoke to pupils about their work and wider school experiences and looked at a range of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of safeguarding information, including the school’s safeguarding policy, spoke to staff and pupils about safeguarding and looked at how pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. The lead inspector spoke to the safeguarding leader about the reporting and recording of any safeguarding incidents.  Inspectors took account of the 48 free-text comments, the 47 responses on Ofsted Parent View and the comments of parents spoken to at school. There were no responses to the pupil or staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Potter Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 September 2021

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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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