St Andrew's Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew’s Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School Chester Street, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 3NX

p.1

Outcome

St Andrew’s Benn CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

To be at this school is to be a valued member of a truly inclusive family; a family that cares and wants the very best for everyone in it. Pupils make strong progress from the start because leaders and staff are highly ambitious for them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and find their lessons interesting. They take delight in sharing what they have been learning. For example, older pupils enthusiastically shared facts about the population of London being greater than New York City. Adults help all pupils talk with confidence in English as well as their home language.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful, use good manners and take account of other people’s feelings. Pupils say that it is hard to find any bullying here. Staff are skilled in helping pupils who fall out or who struggle to make the right choices. The school’s Christian values are deeply embedded.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are aspirational for their pupils. They provide a range of experiences to help pupils learn about the world beyond Rugby. Pupils participate in a ‘curiosity conference’ or become tour guides in Stratford-Upon-Avon. They enjoy learning to play the trumpet, participate in an origami club or grow things in the school garden.

p.1

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

The curriculum has been developed extensively since the last inspection. Leaders, including subject leaders, think carefully about the curriculum choices they make. In the early years, for example, the curriculum has been really well thought out and constructed. There is a deep sense of learning in everything the pupils do from the moment they join the school. Leaders know that some pupils find it hard to remember long term what they have been taught. This is especially so after the national lockdowns. In many subjects there is a 1 and 2 February 2022

p.1

2

clear sequence of what pupils will learn and when they will learn it. This helps pupils remember and build their knowledge step by step. Other subjects, including geography, are still being developed to ensure that pupils build on what they already know and can do. Leaders are already beginning to refine these areas of the curriculum to help pupils become more successful in their learning.

p.2

2

Leaders want all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to make good progress. They provide training to help teachers improve their classroom practice. This, with support from subject leaders, is helping teachers deepen their subject knowledge. The special educational needs coordinator is determined to remove the barriers some pupils with SEND have. However, in some subjects learning is not yet sufficiently well adapted to support all pupils effectively with their learning.

p.2

2

There is a strong reading culture in the school. Most pupils read confidently and fluently. Pupils of all ages talk about their class author and favourite books. They love receiving a book of their own each year on their birthday. The new phonics programme is helping more pupils read at an earlier stage. Adults have been well trained and teach pupils with confidence. There is rigour and consistency in the way that reading is taught.

p.2

2

Beyond phonics there is a clear focus on teaching vocabulary and comprehension skills. All staff model new words and ensure that pupils say them correctly and use them in context. Pupils become increasingly articulate as they move through the school. This is a strength of the school. Leaders’ determination to ensure that pupils develop the skills and confidence to make their thoughts and opinions known is realised.

p.2

2

Pupils get a really good start to school. The sense of purpose and learning behind every activity in the early years is clear to see. Pupils are eager to learn because staff use every opportunity in the environment well to stimulate curiosity. Pupils gain a wealth of knowledge. They take delight in sharing what they know. For example, they count to five or retell the story of ‘Q-Pootle 5.’ Pupils learn well together. They concentrate hard and do not give up easily.

p.2

2

Pupils’ behaviour is good. There is a calm, caring ethos and relationships between pupils and with staff are strong. Kindness, honesty and forgiveness are shown by all. Leaders, staff and governors model these qualities constantly. Pupils quickly learn how to be responsible citizens.

p.2

2

Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for their pupils. They actively promote pupils’ wider development. They ensure that trips, sporting and musical events widen pupils’ experiences and raise aspirations. Parents and carers feel valued and part of the family atmosphere. They know that their children are nurtured, supported and challenged every single day.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 and 2 February 2022

p.2

3

Pupils thrive because all staff care about them and their families. Staff work together to keep pupils safe. Leaders check staff are safe to work with pupils and train them well. They follow the most up-to-date guidance on safeguarding. Members of the designated safeguarding team are quick to take action whenever a concern is raised. They provide early help and work effectively with external agencies to support the whole family.

p.3

3

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and what makes a good friend. From an early age, pupils learn how to say no and tell an adult when they feel uncomfortable about something.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are working on the curriculum but have not yet made clear the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in all subjects. This slows pupils’ progress in some subjects and makes it harder for them to remember long term what they have been taught. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum for each subject so that the key knowledge that pupils need to know is set out in the order in which they need to learn it.  Staff do not always consider how best to teach each subject so that all pupils, including those with SEND, can access the learning easily. This means that some pupils do not quickly secure new ideas and knowledge. Leaders should help and support staff to know how they can adapt learning appropriately to support all pupils effectively. Leaders have plans in place to develop subject-specific pedagogy.

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 school to be good in December 2016.

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. 1 and 2 February 2022

p.3

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

4

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. 1 and 2 February 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10205184 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 13–14 December 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school received its last section 48 inspection of church schools on 22 October 2015. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  This school does not use any alternative provision.

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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, members of staff and a member of the office team. The inspector held a meeting virtually with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography were carried out. For each deep dive, these included discussions about the curriculum with subject leaders, visits to 1 and 2 February 2022

p.5

6

lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work. The inspector also met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects and listened to pupils read.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and the school website. Minutes of governing body meetings were also checked.  When inspecting safeguarding, the inspector considered the school’s procedures for recruiting staff, the quality of staff training and the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe.  The inspector spoke to parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection. The inspector considered responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire.  The inspector considered the responses to the staff surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 February 2022

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