Spooner Row Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Spooner Row Primary School Station Road, Spooner Row, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 9JR

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Outcome

Spooner Row Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Spooner Row Primary School are keen to learn. They are very well behaved and highly attentive in class. Pupils feel that their teachers know them well and encourage and support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have quality teaching to learn the basics in subjects such as reading and mathematics. Pupils feel that teachers make learning interesting in the wider curriculum through the activities that bring their learning to life, such as trying out various Stone Age tools.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel part of the school community. They work together in class as ‘buddies’, helping each other with their learning. At playtimes, pupils enjoy using the wide range of equipment. They like both the quiet spaces and inventing their own ball games to play with friends on the main playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is very little bullying or unpleasant behaviour. When there is, leaders work closely with parents and pupils to resolve issues and ensure that pupils’ experience of school is a good one.

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

Teachers have a comprehensive knowledge of what pupils can and can’t do in subjects such as English and mathematics. They use this to help plan learning that meets the needs of the pupils well. Staff adapt activities where needed in order to meet the needs of pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND access the complete curriculum and take a full part in school life.

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

When teaching early reading, staff teach precise strategies for pupils to be able to decode and blend sounds together. As a result, most pupils quickly become fluent readers. They enjoy reading. There are some books in the school that are extremely popular, and pupils 28 September 2021

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are keen to be next to read them. Teachers read to pupils daily. The youngest children enjoy joining in with familiar stories.

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Children in the early years settle quickly into school routines. The curriculum is well planned so that children develop in all areas of their learning and are well prepared to move into Year 1. The curriculum offers lots of opportunities for children to develop curiosity and teamwork skills. Children excitedly told inspectors about how they investigated clues to tell them who might have pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall.

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Some subjects are very well planned out, for example English, mathematics and physical education. In these curriculum plans, it is clear what pupils will learn and when. Teachers use these plans effectively in order to deliver the curriculum so that pupils can access these subjects productively. However, some subjects in the foundation curriculum are not yet planned out in enough detail to make it clear what knowledge, skills and vocabulary should be learned as pupils progress through the school. In these subjects, leaders are still working to train staff to deliver this curriculum as well as they do in other areas.

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Leaders value and invest in pupils’ wider educational experience beyond the classroom. Pupils experience a range of after-school clubs and extra-curricular opportunities. For example, pupils go on day and residential trips and talk enthusiastically about the adventurous activities that they get to enjoy.

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Behaviour is of a high standard. Teachers expect pupils to be attentive and to work hard, and they do. Pupils are polite and kind to each other. Where there are incidents of poor behaviour, these are dealt with in a consistent and effective way, and support is given to pupils to rectify any poor behaviours.

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There have been recent changes in senior leadership. Leaders from the multi-academy trust supported the deputy headteacher (now head of school) to lead the school through the COVID-19 pandemic period. A new executive headteacher started very recently. This senior team has begun a programme of training for teachers to refresh and develop their practice.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that members of the local governing board have not been able to be as involved in school life as before. Some governors have not yet had the opportunities to develop their roles fully to support and challenge at a strategic level in order to inform the work of the trustees.

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In discussion with senior leaders, the inspectors agreed that the quality of the curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding concerns are dealt with effectively. Staff have a good understanding of the risks that pupils may face. 28 September 2021

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Pupils spoken to feel safe and know that they can talk to an adult if they are worried about anything. They are taught about keeping themselves safe, for example online. They are accepting of differences between different people and lifestyles.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some foundation subjects is not as precisely planned as it is in English and mathematics. In these subjects, pupils are not able to build learning on what has come before as effectively as they could do. Leaders need to ensure that these subjects give teachers sufficient understanding about the precise subject knowledge and vocabulary that they should teach and when. It is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied.  Some members of the local governing board have not been able to be develop their roles due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they do not always provide the strategic support and challenge that is needed. The multi-academy trust needs to ensure that this level of governance is effective.

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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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school of the same name to be good in July 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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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 . 28 September 2021

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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 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200447 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Sasha Furze (Executive headteacher) Bryony Best (Head of school) Website www.spoonerrowprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  It opened as an academy in May 2017. It is part of the Enrich Learning multi-academy trust.  The school shares an executive headteacher with Kenninghall Primary School, which is part of the same multi-academy trust.  A separately registered and inspected pre-school is located on the school site. Staff from this pre-school run a breakfast club in the school hall and an after-school club in their building for pupils from the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors spoke to the executive headteacher, head of school and other members of staff. They also met with the chief executive officer and representatives of the governing body. 28 September 2021

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 Inspectors did deep dives in reading, mathematics and physical education. As part of these, they spoke to leaders, visited lessons, scrutinised work and spoke to teachers and pupils.  They also looked at curriculum plans for other subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, they looked at the single central record, sampled safeguarding files and reviewed the curriculum. Inspectors spoke to staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered the 22 responses to the Ofsted parents’ survey.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham Her Majesty’s Inspector 28 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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