Uley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Uley Church of England Primary School Woodstock Terrace, Uley, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5SW

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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?

Pupils experience a broad curriculum at Uley Church of England Primary School. Adults encourage and praise pupils, which motivates them to learn. Pupils take part in discussions with interest and enthusiasm. They love chatting about what they are learning. However, the curriculum that pupils receive is not ambitious enough in some subjects. Pupils do not gain all the knowledge they need in every subject. Some pupils do not learn to read swiftly because there are weaknesses in the implementation of the school’s reading curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Uley Primary School is a warm and welcoming place. Staff and pupils commit to the school’s values, ‘Live, learn and flourish’, which are woven through all that the school does. Pupils are proud of their school and attend regularly. They are well mannered and friendly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff develop supportive relationships with pupils. Pupils feel safe. Adults look after them well. Pupils know that they can turn to adults if they are upset or have problems. Pupils understand what is expected of them. Pupils behave well. They explain their understanding of bullying and are confident that staff do not tolerate this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are very happy with the school. They appreciate the caring and supportive staff.

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

Leaders, staff and governors work well together. They are committed to providing pupils with a range of interesting educational experiences. Staff care deeply about pupils, and pastoral support for pupils is strong. Leaders provide extra support for pupils with special 5 April 2022

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educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps these pupils to concentrate on their work and to learn the same curriculum as others.

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In some subjects, such as mathematics, the curriculum is well planned and coherently sequenced. Teachers carefully explain what they want pupils to learn. This ensures that pupils are well supported to develop and consolidate their knowledge and skills. For example, children in early years count and add eggs when learning number bonds to 10. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 explore the lines of symmetry in shapes. Pupils know that making ‘marvellous mistakes’ helps them to learn.

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However, some subject curriculums are underdeveloped. This is because leaders have not sharply identified the building blocks of knowledge that pupils must learn, in what order and by when. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve their full potential.

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The school’s assessment processes are not fully effective. The school’s curriculum does not routinely identify precisely what pupils must know and remember over time. This restricts the extent to which staff can check what pupils understand and can do. Consequently, leaders are not able to assure themselves that pupils are progressing through the school’s curriculum well.

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Leaders aspire to develop pupils’ love of reading. Pupils regularly practise reading and choose from a wide range of books. Pupils enjoy listening to stories such as ‘James and the giant peach’ and ‘Carnival of the animals’. Nonetheless, there are weaknesses in the teaching of early reading. Teachers’ subject knowledge of phonics is not sufficiently strong. As a result, some pupils do not learn accurate pronunciation, and this hinders their ability to decode the sounds that letters represent. This sets some pupils back. Some pupils do not gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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The school provides valuable opportunities to support pupils’ wider development. For example, pupils understand the importance of being a good friend and become ‘buddies’ to support other pupils. Pupils take on positions of responsibility when they become members of the school council. Pupils learn about, and thoughtfully discuss, topical issues, such as the war in Ukraine.

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Pupils enjoy social activities, such as inviting parents into school for an Easter breakfast. Older pupils take part in a range of activities, such as climbing, when they visit South Wales.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide timely support for pupils who may be at risk. They do not hesitate to seek specialist help when required. Leaders maintain thorough records of their actions. They routinely review these, to check that these are having a positive impact. 5 April 2022

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The school makes the necessary checks to ensure that the adults whom it employs are safe to work with children. Staff are provided with updates to training. They know how to report concerns when these arise.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, including when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The phonics curriculum is not sufficiently strong. Staff’s subject knowledge is not consistently secure. Pupils are not supported well enough to build the necessary knowledge and skills to become confident, accurate and fluent readers. Leaders must ensure that staff are able to teach phonics effectively, so that pupils build secure knowledge and skills in reading.  The curriculum in some subjects is not planned with sufficient rigour. This is because leaders are not clear about precisely what pupils must learn, and by when. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders must swiftly improve the design of the curriculum in these subjects, so that they clearly identify, and coherently sequence, the building blocks of knowledge that pupils must learn, so that pupils develop the depth of knowledge they should.  In some subjects, the school’s systems for assessing and evaluating the curriculum are

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

underdeveloped. Leaders and teachers are hindered from checking how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum. Leaders must give teachers clear guidance about how and what to assess, so that they can thoroughly monitor and evaluate how well pupils learn the intended curriculum.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2012. 5 April 2022

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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. 5 April 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

8 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school. Its most recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place in October 2017.

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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 consideration in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held several meetings with the headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also held meetings with a senior teacher.  An inspector met with four governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body.  An inspector had a phone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited 5 April 2022

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a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector also held a discussion with the headteacher and subject leader to review curriculum plans and pupils’ work in science.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views of the school. The lead inspector reviewed 16 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, along with 11 additional free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey or staff survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Simons Ofsted Inspector 5 April 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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