Orsett Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Orsett Church of England Primary School School Lane, Orsett, Grays, Essex RM16 3JR

p.1

Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.1

Outcome

Orsett Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enthuse about how much they enjoy attending the school. They speak with pride about what they learn, whether it is about grammar, atmospheric pressure, or abstract artists.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils praise the safe and happy community they are a part of. If one pupil gets upset, others group around them showing kindness and support. Pupils say bullying is rare. They describe how well staff have resolved occasional past instances of unkindness.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons is purposeful. Pupils are highly motivated to learn. Pupils, including in early years, understand leaders’ expectations. Children in Reception Year learn to concentrate. They also develop independence.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about difference. For example, they discuss different kinds of families. They say it helps them to understand others and be kinder as a result.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience many opportunities for personal development. In the past, they enjoyed a range of trips, but the pandemic has limited these. Instead, pupils have visited the local area to enrich what they learn in class. Pupils value the opportunities they get to lead. For instance, they apply for roles in the ‘Pupil Parliament’. As a result, pupils develop into confident young people who are ready for secondary school.

p.1

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to receive a high-quality education. In particular, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong, effective support. Staff are well trained to help them. Teachers and leaders collaborate effectively to develop well-devised plans for these pupils. As a result, pupils, including pupils with SEND, learn what they need to succeed. 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.1

2

Leaders have put in place a well-considered curriculum. In most areas of the curriculum, they identify the most important knowledge pupils should learn. Leaders ensure new content builds on past learning. They specify what pupils must know to be ready for their next stage, whether key stage 1, 2 or secondary school. As a result, pupils’ knowledge grows progressively over time.

p.2

2

In a few subjects, such as geography, while the curriculum is well designed overall, there are some aspects of learning leaders have planned less precisely. An example of this is subject-specific vocabulary, which pupils do not learn in a coherent way. This means that, in some instances, pupils build up their knowledge less quickly than they might.

p.2

2

Teachers implement the curriculum well. They have good subject knowledge. Teachers address misconceptions. When pupils fall behind, leaders ensure they get extra help to catch up. Pupils’ books and conversations show that, in the vast majority of cases, they understand and remember what they have learned. They can use their knowledge in different situations and contexts. For example, pupils apply their mathematical knowledge of measurement to evaluate shapes in famous works of art. While this is the case, there are a few aspects of delivering the curriculum in which teachers are less well trained. They sometimes do not check learning effectively enough. As a result, on occasions, teachers do not adapt what they teach as well as they might so that pupils understand what they are learning.

p.2

2

Leaders prioritise reading. They plan early reading well. Pupils build up their phonics knowledge from the moment they start school. Staff are confident in teaching phonics. They carefully match the books pupils read to the sounds they know. As a result, pupils quickly learn to read with fluency, including pupils with SEND. Pupils learn not just to understand what they read, but also to love books. Older pupils talk with delight about the wide range of books they read.

p.2

2

Parents praise the recent changes in the school. Leaders have introduced actions that staff and pupils understand and put into practice. Because staff are consulted well, they do not feel any extra workload is a problem. Staff say they are proud to work at the school.

p.2

2

Governors are confident in their roles. They have the skills they need to be effective. For example, their review showed they could support leaders’ work on the curriculum and for pupils with SEND more effectively. Governors then monitored leaders’ work in these areas. They challenged leaders to make important improvements. Governors have worked closely with the trust to support the transition of the new headteacher. Leaders work with the trust well to improve the school’s provision, such as through the training and support of subject leaders.

p.2

2

In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that training for teachers in some aspects of curriculum delivery, and further mapping of knowledge in some subjects, may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders and staff are well trained to keep pupils safe, such as in identifying concerns. Safeguarding records are clear and thorough. When leaders need to refer cases to agencies, they do so promptly. Leaders are tenacious in overcoming obstacles to ensure pupils are safe. This includes getting help for pupils with SEND and the most vulnerable.

p.3

Safeguarding

The curriculum supports pupils well about how to stay safe. For example, they demonstrate secure knowledge about staying safe online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders do not identify the knowledge pupils should learn precisely enough. As a result, pupils do not build up some aspects of knowledge, such as subject-specific vocabulary, as well as they might. Leaders should ensure their curriculum plans are more specific in identifying what should be taught and when.  In some cases, teachers do not check learning well enough, so they then can adapt the next learning to build effectively on what pupils already know. Because of this, pupils sometimes do not understand what they are learning. Leaders should provide training for teachers so that they know how to assess pupils’ learning effectively before they move on to new learning.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Orsett Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, to be good on 21 November 2012. 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.3

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.

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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10200443 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2021.  The school has a Christian character and was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 on 3 April 2019.  There is a lower-than-average proportion of pupils who access free school meals at the school.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

p.5

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 that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector held meetings with senior leaders, other leaders, staff, pupils, and those responsible for governance.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and geography, to evaluate the quality of education. The inspector carried out meetings with subject leaders, visited lessons, and held discussions with staff and pupils. The inspector also 30 November and 1 December 2021

p.5

6

looked at pupils’ work, which in early reading took the form of listening to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  As part of the evaluation of the school’s safeguarding processes, the inspector reviewed the school’s single central record, and met with the designated safeguarding lead.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self- evaluation form and improvement plan, curriculum plans and school policies.  The inspector reviewed the 29 responses that were submitted by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and also considered the 20 free-text responses from parents. The inspector also considered 13 responses to the Ofsted staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

p.6

Inspection team

Charlie Fordham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 30 November and 1 December 2021

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