Scamblesby Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Scamblesby Church of England Primary School Old Main Road, Scamblesby, Louth, Lincolnshire LN11 9XG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Scamblesby is a happy school. Pupils like their learning. One pupil told inspectors, ‘We have so many amazing staff. They are always ready to offer their help.’ Pupils know that there is always a member of staff they can speak to if they are worried. They say that they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. They promote pupils’ well-being effectively. The school’s six values of ‘endeavour, respect, trust, wisdom, kindness and fairness’ are an integral part of this inclusive school. Pupils know and understand the values. They have positive attitudes towards their work and towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that bullying is not tolerated. They know that staff are quick to sort out any concerns for them. Pupils are polite and respectful. They behave well. Pupils are good at listening to the views of others. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, typical of many, said, ‘Children are at the heart of all decisions made at Scamblesby.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, leaders have identified the specific knowledge and understanding they want pupils to learn over time. However, this is not the case for all subjects. In some, it is not yet sufficiently clear what knowledge leaders expect pupils to learn and when.

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

Pupils like mathematics. Leaders have designed the curriculum in this subject well. Pupils build their understanding and skills progressively. They use and understand a wide range of mathematical vocabulary. For example, pupils use ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’ when describing an inequality between two whole numbers. Other pupils use the term ‘hundredths’ when describing the second digit to the right of the decimal point. Teachers 29 March 2022

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provide regular opportunities for pupils to see mathematics as meaningful. They want pupils to apply the knowledge and skills they learn to real-life situations. For example, pupils calculate the cost of buying a patio. Pupils enjoy this approach. They told inspectors, ‘You can use what you know to unlock what you don’t know.’ Teachers frequently check pupils’ learning. They are quick to provide support if pupils get stuck.

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The teaching of reading and phonics does not help all pupils to read with confidence and fluency. Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to teaching phonics. However, there has not been sufficient training to ensure consistency in how all staff teach phonics. Some staff do not pronounce sounds correctly. Not all staff ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds that pupils know well enough. Some pupils struggle to read unfamiliar words as they have too many gaps in their phonic knowledge. Those who struggle to read do not always receive the support they need to help them catch up. Some pupils told inspectors that they dislike reading.

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Subject leadership is underdeveloped. Subject leaders do not have a sharp enough insight into how successfully their subjects are taught. In many subjects, the curriculum is at an early stage of development. Subject leaders have ensured that what they intend pupils to learn in these subjects covers the requirements of the national curriculum. However, they have not identified precisely enough the key knowledge and skills pupils should gain as they move through the school. This means that teachers cannot check whether pupils remember the most important knowledge to build their understanding securely over time in these subjects.

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Leaders provide an engaging environment inside and outside the classroom in early years. Relationships are very positive between children and adults. There is a sharp focus on children’s communication and language. Children are confident in explaining their learning. For example, in mathematics, children are quick to identify halves when counting the dots on a toy ladybird’s back.

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Teachers are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They routinely assess pupils and check that these pupils receive the support they need to be able to access the full curriculum. Leaders communicate well with parents and external agencies.

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Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to be responsible. Pupils enjoy their roles as school councillors and subject champions. They like to help with the school’s work to promote recycling. Pupils know that staff value their views. Staff promote equality of opportunity and diversity very effectively. Pupils know how to eat healthily and keep fit.

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Leaders engage well with staff. They consider staff workload. Staff are very positive about the school’s leaders and the professional support from the local authority. Governors and representatives of the local authority know the school well. They understand the school’s strengths and what needs to improve.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that the curriculum may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 29 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They know whom to go to if they have a concern. They know that staff will take their concerns seriously.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils and their families well. They provide strong support to vulnerable pupils. Staff pass on concerns promptly. Record-keeping is detailed. Governors regularly check the school’s safeguarding procedures. Leaders ensure that they provide regular training for staff and governors. They check that staff know how to spot pupils at risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff are inconsistent in their implementation of the school’s phonics programme. Some staff do not pronounce sounds correctly. They have not been trained well enough to deliver the school’s phonics programme consistently. Pupils who struggle to read have reading books that are too challenging. They do not receive sufficient support to enable them to become confident readers. As a result, some pupils across the school struggle to read unfamiliar words and find it difficult to access the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the school’s phonics programme well, including by ensuring that reading books match the sounds that pupils already know, and by providing pupils who struggle to read with the support they need to enable them to read with greater confidence.  Curriculum leaders have not acquired the expertise to lead their subjects. This limits their ability to bring about improvements in their subjects, including through leading on

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

curriculum development. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the necessary knowledge and skills to lead their subject areas successfully and to improve the curriculum.  The key knowledge and content that pupils need to learn in some subjects are not sufficiently well planned and sequenced. Where this is the case, it is not yet fully clear what pupils should learn and by when in order to build their knowledge over time. Leaders should ensure that curriculum thinking for all subjects sets out the knowledge and skills, that all pupils, including those with SEND, from Reception through to Year 6, should know and by when.

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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. 29 March 2022

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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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This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 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. 29 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

10 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of governors took up his post in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, curriculum leaders, the leaders with responsibility for the provision for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and a sample of teaching and support staff.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 29 March 2022

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 Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans and documentation relating to attendance and behaviour.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. He considered the safeguarding policy, training records and examples of safeguarding concerns.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the responses to Ofsted’s free-text service. Inspectors also considered the responses to the staff survey and the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Damien Turrell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julian Scholefield Ofsted Inspector 29 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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