Sedbergh Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Sedbergh Primary School Long Lane, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5AL

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Children in the Nursery class know where to find all of their favourite books and toys each day. Older pupils like playing with their friends outside in the school’s beautiful hillside setting. Pupils said that their school is a friendly place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers expect pupils to work hard. Pupils try hard to live up to these expectations. Pupils usually remember what they have learned. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects. This is because leaders have not thought carefully enough about the important knowledge that pupils should gain.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in school. They move around in a calm and sensible way. Pupils are polite and show respect to staff, to visitors and to each other. Pupils are confident that if bullying did occur, staff would put a stop to it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the activities that the school provides for their personal development. For example, pupils experience kayaking on Windermere and take part in cross-country running. The school is a safe and happy place for pupils. They trust staff to take good care of them. Pupils know who to turn to if ever they have any worries.

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

Leaders have planned a curriculum for pupils that is ambitious and covers a broad range of subjects. They have decided what they want pupils to have achieved by the end of each year group and by the time they leave the school.

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

In some subjects, such as mathematics and reading, leaders have thought carefully about the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Subject leaders have made sure that content is ordered logically, from early years to Year 6. This means that teachers know what knowledge to teach pupils and the order in which to teach it. Pupils build up 12 and 13 January 2022

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their knowledge securely over time in these subjects. However, this is not the case for other subjects. Leaders of these subjects have had limited training. The curriculum content is not as well organised. Teachers are less certain about the knowledge that pupils need to gain. This means that, at times, pupils do not learn everything that they should in these subjects.

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Pupils in all classes show a love of reading. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the early years. They learn new letters and sounds each day and keep practising the ones that they already know. Teachers make sure that the words in reading books contain the letters and sounds that the pupils have already learned. This means that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), read with success and develop confidence. Older pupils are avid readers. They enjoy the wide range of texts that their teachers provide. They talked with enthusiasm about their favourite books and authors.

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Teachers check to make sure that pupils are keeping up. Pupils have opportunities to go back to their earlier learning and to deepen their understanding. For example, in history, pupils in Year 5 revisited their learning about chronology, which helped them to remember the timeline of ancient civilisations. In Year 2, pupils learned more about addition when they looked for equal and unequal sets of objects. This practice helps pupils to deepen their knowledge and apply it in new ways.

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Pupils work hard in class. They listen carefully to their teachers and try not to disturb each other by chatting. This sensible behaviour helps everyone to get on with their learning.

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Leaders and staff work together to identify pupils who may have SEND. They work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to make sure that these pupils receive help if they need it. Sometimes, leaders and teachers have not thought carefully enough about the smaller steps of learning that these pupils need to take. This makes it difficult for teachers and leaders to check that this group of pupils is learning successfully.

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Governors are mindful of the staff’s workload and well-being. Governors consider these important issues when they make decisions about the school. They ask leaders for a range of important information, for example about the curriculum and about safeguarding. This information helps governors to know what the school does well and where things need to improve.

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Pupils participate in a wide range of activities beyond the normal school day. For example, they take part in community events and raise funds for charitable causes. They enjoy after-school clubs such as multi-sports and gardening. Pupils experience democracy when they vote for members of the school council, and through visits to the Houses of Parliament. They learn about a range of faiths and cultures. This helps them to appreciate diversity in modern Britain. All of these activities support pupils’ personal development.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that geography, art and design, design technology and computing may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 12 and 13 January 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training in a range of safeguarding matters. They know how to recognise signs of abuse or neglect in pupils. Leaders make sure that all staff know how to report any concerns they have about a pupil’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have good relationships with parents and with a range of agencies, such as the local authority safeguarding hub. This enables them to get extra help for families who need it.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know how to use the internet safely, and know about the dangers of sharing personal information.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most foundation subjects, the curriculum structures do not provide enough information about the smaller components of learning that pupils need to learn. This means that teachers are unclear about what to teach, and pupils are not able to build on what they know. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for subjects other than English and mathematics enables teachers to plan learning that allows pupils to know and remember more.  Leaders of foundation subjects have had little training to help them carry out their roles. This impedes their ability to organise the curriculum well in their subjects and to check that it is having the impact that they intend across all year groups. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the necessary skills and expertise so that they can influence the curriculum in their areas of responsibility.  The information provided for staff working with pupils with SEND is not consistently clear.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

This makes it difficult for adults to provide activities that support pupils to make the small steps of learning that they need to take. Leaders should ensure that adults understand the steps that pupils with SEND need to take in order to progress through the curriculum.

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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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10204403 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 27 and 28 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher was appointed to the school on 4 January 2022.  Since the last inspection, a new governing body, including a new chair of governors, has been appointed.  The school uses no 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult. 12 and 13 January 2022

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 The inspector also looked at curriculum planning and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.  The inspector spoke to pupils about school life. She also talked to a few parents at the school gate. The inspector took into account the responses to Ofsted Parent View and to the staff and pupil questionnaires.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, curriculum and subject leaders and governors. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils in order to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 January 2022

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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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