Stockcross C.E. School

Inspection of a good school: Stockcross C.E. School Chapel Road, Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 8LD

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Outcome

Stockcross C.E. School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are valued at this caring school. Staff are attentive to pupils’ individual needs. Pupils feel happy and safe because of the guidance and support they receive. Pupils are kind and polite to one another and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils. The pupils are clear about what is expected from them. These aspirations are reinforced as pupils set about their work. Pupils achieve well. The school’s ambition for pupils to develop their wider personal skills is also high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They follow school rules and agree that staff are fair and approachable. Staff monitor pupils’ behaviour carefully. They are quick to reward and praise pupils. Pupils are attentive and keen to learn. They know that there is always someone to talk to if they have any concerns. Staff deal with bullying promptly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum which helps them gain more knowledge. They regularly take part in a range of activities and sports events which encourage them to be active and healthy. For example, all pupils can join a Scout group, learning many craft and outdoor skills.

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

Leaders have clear and ambitious expectations for pupils. In most subjects, leaders choose what they want pupils to learn carefully. This helps pupils to build on their learning as they move through the year groups. Pupils use what they have learned in one subject to help them understand other subjects in greater depth. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils’ learning is not as well organised, so pupils do not learn as much as they could.

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

Teachers’ use of assessment is effective, including in the early years. They use information about pupils’ achievement to make sure that the work that they set for pupils 15 February 2022

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is challenging. This helps pupils to achieve well across the curriculum. Leaders use what pupils know to identify how subjects may be taught more effectively.

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Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school, and they have a positive reading experience in the early years. In the Reception class, staff use a wide variety of approaches to help children remember the sounds that letters make. Staff, including in the early years, are well trained and have the expertise to ensure that pupils develop their phonics knowledge steadily. The clear structure and sequence of learning enables children to quickly learn how to decode words. This means that they can tackle new and unfamiliar words confidently and accurately. Pupils read books which are well matched to their phonics knowledge. They then build on their learning to develop into confident and fluent readers. Teachers develop individual strategies to support pupils who find reading hard. Those who struggle with reading are given additional opportunities and support to read. This helps pupils to catch up.

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Pupils move safely and sensibly around the school. They are kind and thoughtful to each other and to staff. Staff have positive relationships with pupils.

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Leaders take great care to ensure that pupils’ wider development is effective. Pupils join in additional activities enthusiastically. They visit museums and places of interest, such as centres of worship, to build their knowledge of the wider world. Teachers develop pupils’ physical health by helping them to understand how to eat and live healthily. Staff encourage participation in sport. Pupils develop a good awareness of what it means to be a global citizen. They show curiosity about world issues and a respect for cultural and religious differences. The school’s provision supports their broader development well.

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Staff know pupils very well and identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Leaders take swift action to provide the right support for pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs are met well and they learn confidently alongside their classmates. Support staff offer additional and effective catch-up sessions. Staff use individual learning plans and specialists, including for speech and language therapy, to support pupils with more complex needs. Pupils with SEND learn well.

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Staff feel supported in managing their workload. They appreciate the willingness of the leadership team to seek, listen to and act on their views. Staff report that leaders care about their well-being and that they feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed effective systems to keep pupils safe. Leaders complete appropriate recruitment checks on the suitability of adults who work in the school. Staff are well trained. They know how to recognise if a child may be at risk and understand what to do if they have concerns about a pupil’s welfare. When necessary, leaders work with external partners to provide support for pupils and their families. 15 February 2022

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Leaders have made sure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn about positive relationships, keeping healthy and the importance of being safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, such as computing, leaders have not organised knowledge effectively enough and in sufficient depth. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they could. Leaders need to make sure that the organisation of knowledge is 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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2012.

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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. 15 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211451 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Acting executive headteacher Lynne Valentine

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 December 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  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 two years. The last inspection of this type took place in May 2017.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and five governors, including the chair of governors. A telephone conversation was held with a local authority officer and a representative from the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject 15 February 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised records and safeguarding documentation, including the single central record.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff, including the special educational needs coordinator, teachers and teaching assistants, to consider staff’s workload and safeguarding. Inspectors considered the views of staff from the 14 staff who responded to Ofsted’s confidential questionnaire.  Inspectors took account of the 38 responses to the confidential Ofsted parental questionnaire, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also reviewed the 45 responses to Ofsted’s confidential pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mineza Maher Ofsted Inspector 15 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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