Dunmore Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dunmore Primary School Northcourt Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 1NR

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Outcome

Dunmore Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are justly proud of their school. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They follow the positive examples that adults set for them. Pupils understand that each person is unique. They value each other’s strengths and support each other through difficulties. The headteacher and staff know every pupil well. They share a determination for the school to be as fully inclusive as possible. Parents and carers and pupils agree that the best thing about Dunmore is the strength of relationships between pupils and staff. Leaders have high expectations for pupils. Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. They say that bullying is rare, but that when it does happen, it is taken seriously by adults. The wide variety of experiences offered to pupils on the ‘Dunmore journey’ ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value their roles and responsibilities, for example in being able to help other pupils by becoming computer leaders. They enjoy taking part in the range of after-school clubs such as those for football, choir and orchestra. Parents are very happy with the way the school supports pupils’ academic achievement and nurtures their personal development.

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

Pupils study all national curriculum subjects. Leaders have ensured that subjects such as mathematics, English, physical education and music are very well planned. The curriculum in these subjects is successfully adapted to meet the needs of learners. The curriculum clearly identifies the key knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils are expected to know and remember.

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

Mathematics is a very popular subject in this school. This is because leaders are ambitious for pupils and their enthusiasm for mathematics is infectious. The mathematics curriculum is carefully sequenced and is precisely adapted to meet the needs of all learners. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They are keen to try new ideas that will further improve their teaching. Leaders have ensured that the teaching approaches they use in early mathematics, such as the use of practical equipment, are carried into key stage 2 to 1 and 2 February 2022

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support pupils’ learning. Past learning is consolidated to provide firm foundations for new learning. Teachers help pupils to build their knowledge in a logical order. For example, children in early years learn how to count objects, and regularly practise using numbers as they play. These activities prepare children well for mathematics lessons in Year 1. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding and quickly provide support when it is needed.

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However, in some other subjects, the curriculum is not as well planned or sequenced. It is not adapted as effectively to meet pupils’ needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have not identified the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils are expected to learn each year precisely enough. Leaders have plans to develop the curriculum further and are aware of the key issues and necessary actions.

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Early reading is taught well. Leaders have constructed a well-planned curriculum. This builds from an excellent start in Nursery, where children regularly explore sounds through music, rhymes and stories. Younger pupils have daily phonics lessons taught by well- trained staff. This allows pupils to quickly become fluent readers. Teachers frequently check that pupils understand what they are learning. This helps teachers to identify what pupils know and what they still need to learn. Teachers use this knowledge to ensure that all pupils get the level of support and challenge that they need. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy reading. They experience a wide range of books, authors and genres through the guided reading texts that are set for them.

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Highly trained staff ensure that pupils thrive in this nurturing and supportive environment. Teachers meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively in most lessons. However, leaders know that more work is needed to make sure that the curriculum is adapted well to meet pupils’ needs in all subjects.

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Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many pupils took part in a wide range of clubs and activities after school. Pupils and parents are pleased that these are beginning again. Pupils are proud to take on additional responsibilities, such as serving on the school council.

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Throughout the school, pupils behave sensibly and work with positive attitudes. Occasional incidents are well managed.

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The school is well led and managed. Staff say that leaders care about their well-being and are considerate of their workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a strong safeguarding culture. Staff are vigilant and use their knowledge of pupils to quickly identify any concerns about their welfare. They know to report these concerns immediately. Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and updates from experienced safeguarding leaders. Leaders are quick to act when they have a concern 1 and 2 February 2022

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about a pupil’s welfare. They involve other agencies when needed. They have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations. Pupils are taught about how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and almost all parents agree.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The wider curriculum, in subjects other than physical education and music, is not adapted to fully meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to revisit and consolidate their learning. As a result, pupils are not building their knowledge as well as they could. However, it is clear from leaders’ actions that they are in the process of bringing this about, and are making any necessary amendments in response to the pandemic. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders need to implement their plans to further refine the curriculum content and sequencing of knowledge and skills in the foundation subjects. They should ensure that the curriculum is adapted successfully to enable all pupils, including pupils with SEND, to develop their knowledge and skills well.

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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 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 January 2017.

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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 . 1 and 2 February 2022

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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. 1 and 2 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

16 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, reading and music. For each deep dive, she 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 sampled curriculum plans, spoke to leaders and sampled pupils’ work in some other subjects, including geography, French, physical education and religious education.  The inspector visited the early years provision. 1 and 2 February 2022

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 The inspector heard pupils read and visited phonics sessions and whole-class reading times.  The inspector met with representatives of the local governing body and held a discussion with a local authority representative.  The inspector met with senior leaders, including the headteacher and inclusion manager.  The inspector considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school improvement plan.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector considered the school’s relevant policies and records, scrutinised the single central record and checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff.

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Inspection team

Clare Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 February 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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