Egglescliffe Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Egglescliffe Church of England Primary School Butts Lane, Egglescliffe, Stockton-on-Tees TS16 9BT

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Egglescliffe Church of England Primary School. Relationships between teachers and pupils are strong. All teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils learn in a calm and purposeful environment without interruptions. Pupils describe incidents of bullying as incredibly rare. Pupils say that they should treat people as they would like to be treated themselves. When disagreements happen, pupils say that teachers sort it out quickly. All pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ view of their teachers is positive. Pupils said, ‘We love our teachers.’ Parents also hold positive views of the school. One parent, echoing the views of many, told the inspector, ‘The school provides a great environment which supports pupils’ academic and social development.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Recent changes to the curriculum have raised the expectations of what pupils can achieve. Leaders ensure that the curriculum gives pupils plenty of opportunities to learn about important issues, such as diversity and equality.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils hold several roles in school. Older pupils are strong behavioural role models and some are ‘buddies’ to younger children. Pupils spoke with pride about their sports leader roles and how this role encourages other pupils to play together. Democratically elected positions such as house captains and school councillors allow pupils to contribute to the life of the school.

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

Recent changes to leadership have brought a renewed focus on developing the curriculum. Leaders have been supported effectively by the trust to make improvements to the school. This means, despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, the pace of change has been rapid. This has led to significant improvements in subjects such as reading and mathematics in a short space of time. All staff speak highly of the way in 12 and 13 January 2022

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which leaders have managed this period of change while having regard for the workload pressures on them.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority. All staff have received the training that they need to deliver leaders’ chosen phonics programme. As a result, teachers have good phonic knowledge. They model sounds accurately and pick up on pupils’ misunderstandings quickly. Pupils in the early stages of learning to read access books that are matched to the sounds that they already know. This helps them develop confidence and fluency at an early age. Pupils who struggle with their phonics get the extra help that they need to catch up. Older pupils say that they enjoy the books that they read. Throughout the school, books are carefully chosen to promote diversity and difference. At the time of the inspection, pupils in Year 6 were reading a book which explored issues in Syria. This develops pupils’ understanding of the importance of fundamental British values, such as democracy and individual liberty.

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Children in the early years are taught phonics as soon as they start school. Teachers help pupils to learn their letter sounds as they learn through play. In the Nursery, pupils were encouraged to pronounce the letters of the fruits that they were adding to a shopping list.

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The mathematics curriculum builds on what pupils have learned before. Regular opportunities for pupils to recap their learning help them to remember what they have been taught. This is helping pupils to become skilful mathematicians. Leaders use assessments to check on what pupils have remembered. In the early years, children follow the same mathematics programme. Leaders provide plenty of opportunities for children to count and recognise numbers. In the Reception class, a group of children were measuring their feet using cubes while others counted out buttons to go on their gingerbread person.

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In some wider curriculum subjects, such as art, the curriculum is carefully sequenced. However, in geography, where the curriculum plans are newer, this is not the case. While pupils speak with enthusiasm about their geography lessons, curriculum plans do not build on what pupils have learned before with enough precision. Assessments in subjects other than English and mathematics are not sharp enough to determine what pupils know and can do. Assessments do not reflect the taught curriculum with enough accuracy.

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Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Support plans are clear in setting out what extra help and resources pupils need. As a result, pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Nurture groups provide support for pupils who have social and emotional needs.

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Pupils benefit from a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. These include yoga, street dance and gardening. Leaders work with charities and outside agencies to promote pupils’ mental health and well-being. The prayer space in school gives pupils the time that they need to reflect on their beliefs. This is open to pupils of all faiths. The personal, social and health education curriculum helps pupils to understand about issues such as global warming and healthy relationships. 12 and 13 January 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the necessary checks are made on adults who work with children. Staff have received the training that they need to keep pupils safe. Adults are aware of the issues within the community that could affect pupils. All staff know whom to report their concerns to and systems are in place so that this can be done quickly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils are taught how to stay safe online. Visits by the police and the road safety team have taught pupils about how to keep themselves safe outside of school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders follow up pupil absences quickly.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, such as geography, the curriculum does not build with enough precision on what pupils already know. Newly written, whole-school curriculum overviews for geography are incomplete and so leaders do not know if the full breadth of the geography curriculum is being taught. Leaders need to revisit their wider curriculum design to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills are carefully sequenced and that no gaps in curriculum coverage remain. It is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about, and are making the necessary amendments.  In the wider curriculum, for example in art and in design and technology, assessments do not check on the full breadth of what pupils have been taught. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not being checked in enough detail. Teachers do not have the full picture of pupils’ knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Leaders

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should ensure that assessments, in subjects other than English and mathematics, accurately capture pupils’ understanding of what has been taught.

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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 predecessor school, Egglescliffe Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, to be good in November 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 .

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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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Egglescliffe Church of England Primary School is a voluntary-controlled school. It is part of the Diocese of Durham.  The school joined the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust in November 2017.  At the time of the inspection, the headteacher had recently joined the school and there was an acting deputy headteacher in place.  The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2019.  The school is smaller than average.  The proportion of pupils in receipt of additional funding through the pupil premium grant is below national averages.  The number of pupils with SEND at the school is also lower than national averages.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 12 and 13 January 2022

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, acting deputy headteacher and early years leader. Meetings were held with the special education needs coordinator.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. The inspector met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked to pupils and teachers.  The inspector also reviewed leaders’ wider curriculum plans in art, design and technology and Spanish.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult and visited reading and phonics lessons in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.  The inspector spoke with a selection of parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector met with the chief executive of the trust and a representative from the

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Information about this inspection

diocese. Meetings were held with five members of the academy council, including the chair.  The inspector reviewed the 63 responses that were received through Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, as well as the 43 free-text responses. The inspector reviewed the 19 responses received through the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and lunchtimes.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s safeguarding documentation and discussed behaviour with the headteacher.

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Inspection team

Chris Pearce, 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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