Purley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Purley CofE Primary School Purley Village, Purley-on-Thames, Reading, Berkshire RG8 8AF

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Outcome

Purley CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this caring school. The school is a calm and cheerful place where pupils are kind and thoughtful to each other. Staff meet pupils’ personal needs well. Pupils feel listened to and well supported. Consequently, they really like coming to school. One pupil said, ‘Everyone is caring’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils for their behaviour and academic success. As a result, pupils are polite and courteous and try hard to do what is right. They achieve well in a wide range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are respectful of their peers and adults during lessons and playtimes. Pupils say that when bullying does happen or there are any friendship problems, staff resolve things quickly, fairly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans a range of clubs and enrichment activities to develop pupils’ wider interests. Pupils enjoy these opportunities, especially when trying something new, such as going on a night walk in search of owls.

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum. Pupils learn well in many subjects. Subject leaders ensure that learning in most curriculum areas is ordered well to help pupils build up knowledge and remember what they have been taught. Pupils have a secure understanding of what they are learning about. However, in a few subjects, pupils’ learning is not as well planned. This is because the curriculum plans do not make clear what leaders want pupils to know and in what order.

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

Staff use information about pupils’ achievement well to inform the planning of their lessons. Leaders make sure that staff receive carefully considered support to set work for pupils that is at the right level. Teachers revisit learning when necessary. This means that pupils have a secure understanding before moving on to something new. 23 November 2021

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Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils learn to read well from the time they join Reception. In the early years, staff focus on developing children’s early communication and language. Teachers and support staff across the school have received training in the teaching of phonics. Teachers assess pupils’ phonics and reading skills accurately. This helps staff to ensure that pupils read books that match their phonics understanding. Plans are adjusted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables these pupils to achieve well in reading. Staff develop pupils’ vocabulary and understanding of what words mean. This helps pupils to learn in other areas of the curriculum successfully. Pupils throughout the school enjoy books and listening to their teachers read. Story times are regular features of the school day.

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School leaders have set simple school rules. Pupils uphold them without being prompted. Children in the early years and throughout the school are kind to each other. Pupils’ positive attitudes to school begin from a young age. Children in early years are extremely enthusiastic about their learning. Older pupils say that they like learning and the subjects they are taught.

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Staff have high aspirations for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND are supported well. Their needs are addressed through the precise allocation of staff and physical resources. In the early years, there is an appropriate balance between children being supported and them working by themselves. Leaders work with the staff team and outside agencies to make sure pupils’ needs are met fully, including by specialists where appropriate. Parents of pupils with SEND are included in many aspects of their child’s education.

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Leaders have planned the curriculum for personal, social and health education methodically. This enables pupils to develop an understanding of themselves, others and the wider world. Pupils understand the importance of rules and the need for respect. They enjoy the extra opportunities that the school provides, including the sports clubs that encourage many pupils to be healthy. Pupils are proud to assist staff with technology as ‘mini-techs’. Other pupils serve as school councillors and ‘eco warriors’.

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Staff are positive about working at the school. They say that leaders help them to manage their workload successfully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the school’s safeguarding culture is strong. Staff are well trained and know how to report concerns they may have about pupils.

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Safeguarding

The leadership team maintains a strong focus on the needs of pupils and their families. Leaders work closely with external agencies to keep pupils safe and get help for vulnerable pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors thoroughly check the suitability of staff before they are employed. 23 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, such as history, leaders have not sequenced knowledge effectively. This means that pupils do not learn new knowledge as well as they could. Leaders need to make the sequencing of knowledge consistently strong in all subjects.

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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 school to be good in December 2016.

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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 .

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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. 23 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10210232 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England Primary school.  The school’s next section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools is due in the next eight years. The last inspection of this type took place recently in October 2021.  The school currently uses one alternative provision.

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, a senior leader, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with six governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also had a telephone call with the diocesan representative and a representative from the local authority. 23 November 2021

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 Inspectors spoke with teachers and support staff to discuss workload, well-being and safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with different groups of pupils about their learning, safety and behaviour.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding.  The inspectors spoke with parents informally and considered 25 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also considered correspondence sent to the inspection team, alongside other evidence.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam Ofsted Inspector 23 November 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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