Ashover Primary School

Inspection of Ashover Primary School Narrowleys Lane, Ashover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S45 0AU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 1 and 2 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ashover Primary is a welcoming school. Pupils enjoy being part of this happy and nurturing school community. Pupils care about each other. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils make sure that nobody is left out. New starters to the school said that they soon made lots of friends. Pupils try their best to uphold the school’s ‘ASPIRE’ values. They want to learn, and they work hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the rewards they receive for demonstrating the school values. Pupils behave well. They understand the importance of being kind to each other. Pupils show respect, and understand that others may be different to themselves. Pupils told the inspectors: ‘We are all different, but that is what makes us unique.’ Pupils said that bullying is rare. They know that unkind behaviour is unacceptable, and that staff deal with incidents quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to be ambitious. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about the wider world. They are proud of their fundraising events, sponsorship of children in Gambia and enterprise projects. Pupils hold many positions of responsibility. These include anti-stigma ambassadors, I-Vengers and anti-bullying ambassadors. Older pupils love running the school radio station. Pupils value being able to contribute to decisions made in school.

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects. They have planned the essential knowledge pupils need to learn. Teachers know what to teach, and when to teach it. Leaders plan what children need to know from early years through to Year 6. This helps to build pupils’ knowledge as they progress through the school. This is particularly strong in mathematics, science and history. In a few subjects, such as religious education (RE) and languages (French), plans are sequenced and implemented less well. This means that pupils do not know and remember as much as they could in these subjects. Not all pupils have an accurate understanding of different religions.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have high aspirations for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND are supported well. Leaders address pupils’ needs through precise teaching. Leaders are aware that the teaching of the curriculum is not always sufficiently ambitious for pupils who are more advanced in their learning. Some teachers do not always move pupils on in their learning quickly enough. Leaders are keen to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they can.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading across the school. Leaders draw on two schemes to support their teaching of phonics. They are migrating to using one consistent approach. This will help to improve pupils’ outcomes even further. Children learn phonics as soon as they start in the early years. Staff provide activities that help 1 and 2 March 2022

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pupils practise and develop their phonics knowledge. Teachers select books that are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Teachers also provide support for pupils who have fallen behind in phonics. Pupils’ attitudes to reading are positive. They enjoy reading a variety of books. Older pupils discuss their favourite books with enthusiasm. One pupil told the inspectors: ‘Reading transports you to a different world. It takes away all of your worries.’

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Children are safe and happy in the early years. The early years curriculum is well planned and well sequenced. Teachers prepare children well for the next stage of learning. For example, early knowledge of history is developed through learning about recent and local historical events. Shared books, stories and sounds introduce children to the beginning of their reading knowledge in the Nursery Year.

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Leaders are ambitious for their pupils. Pupils experience enrichment days to develop their future aspirations. They learn from educational visits, and from visiting speakers to the school who talk to them about their different careers. Pupils talk with pride about their ‘travel smart’ week to reduce their carbon footprint. Pupils learn how to manage money through their enterprise schemes.

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Pupils learn about rights and responsibilities, equality and diversity. Pupils are knowledgeable when discussing their support for local refugees. They show respect for difference and diversity. Pupils’ behaviour in school reflects their understanding of kindness and tolerance. They understand the harmful effects of name-calling and prejudice. Pupils know how to keep physically and mentally healthy. Pupils develop their talents through extra-curricular activities. These include learning musical instruments, taking part in sporting competitions and attending enrichment clubs.

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Governors have an in-depth knowledge of the school. They use this knowledge to support leaders. Staff enjoy working at the school. They are grateful for the consideration that leaders have for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders create a caring atmosphere where pupils feel at ease sharing worries with staff. Staff training is up to date and current. Leaders have recently invested in a new online reporting system. This has tightened procedures and ensures that nothing is missed. Leaders know their families well and work closely with them to provide the appropriate support if needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors thoroughly check the suitability of staff before they start working in the school.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum includes teaching pupils about risks in and outside of school, including when they are using the internet. 1 and 2 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, such as French and RE, leaders have not designed the curriculum to reflect pupils’ needs. This means that pupils do not learn as much as they could in these subjects. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that the curriculum is adapted and implemented effectively so that all pupils learn well.  Sometimes teachers do not carefully check what pupils have already learned and understood. As a result, pupils who are more advanced in their learning are sometimes held back, as they do not always have opportunities to move on. Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment more effectively so that lessons build on and extend all pupils’ learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 1 and 2 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211864 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 8 November 2007 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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.  During the inspection, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the school’s coordinator for the provision of pupils with SEND, the early years leader, curriculum subject leaders and teachers from across all year groups. Inspectors also met with members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority and to the leader of the alternative provider used by the school. 1 and 2 March 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils to talk about their learning across the curriculum.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, science and history. In each subject, inspectors met with subject leaders, teachers and pupils in all key stages. They visited lessons and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at leaders’ planning documentation and listened to a selection of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors reviewed school policies, procedures and records. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors also spoke to staff, governors and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  Inspectors considered 58 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 38 free-text

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comments. Inspectors met with staff and considered 27 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff Her Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 March 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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