Eccleston CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Eccleston CofE Primary School Eaton Road, Eccleston, Chester, Cheshire CH4 9HD

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Outcome

Eccleston CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming and friendly village school. Leaders, governors and staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils said that they feel happy, safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Year 6 pupils enjoy acting as monitors to help younger pupils feel safe and secure during social times. Older pupils also act as reading ambassadors. This supports a love of reading and learning across all subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils achieve well. Added to this, pupils behave well in lessons and during less structured times. Pupils said that if bullying happened, staff would quickly sort out any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils enjoyed taking part in a variety of extra-curricular opportunities. These included clubs such as performing arts and archery. They also benefited from a range of visits that enrich the curriculum. These opportunities are now being reintroduced.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers reported that the school is a ‘special place’. They said that staff know pupils well. Parents appreciate the care that staff show towards their children. Everyone feels valued.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious and organised appropriately from the Reception class to Year 6. The curriculum identifies what pupils will learn and when this content should be delivered.

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

Teachers have strong subject expertise. They deliver curriculums well in most subjects. For example, in mathematics, teachers select suitable resources and activities that help pupils to remember the curriculum over time. Teachers check pupils’ understanding in 14 June 2022

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lessons. Teachers and staff provide support to address any gaps in pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils progress well through the planned curriculum.

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Leaders monitor how well teachers deliver curriculums, and how well pupils achieve, in most subjects. However, in a very small number of subjects, leaders’ checks on the delivery of the curriculums are not as effective. This means that leaders and governors are not as clear about how well teachers deliver curriculums, or how well pupils remember the intended content.

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Leaders promote reading well through the effective reading curriculum. Alongside this, they inspire a love of reading across the school. This starts when children enter the Reception class. Those pupils who need help to catch up in phonics and reading receive effective support from well-trained staff. As a result, most pupils become confident, fluent readers.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly and effectively. Teachers use a range of useful information that helps to ensure that pupils with SEND can easily access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils enjoy electing their peers to an active school council. The school council supports a range of worthwhile projects in school. For example, this group of pupils run an enterprise project to raise funds to support the environment. Leaders provide educational visits, such as trips to museums and theatres, to support pupils’ learning and broaden their horizons.

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Pupils, and children in the Reception class, behave well in lessons and around school. Staff have high expectations of pupils in all aspects of school life. Pupils know this and take full responsibility for their actions. As a result, low-level disruption is rare.

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Staff told inspectors that their workload is considered carefully by leaders. They appreciate the support that they receive from senior leaders and governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. This ensures that they can identify any signs that may indicate that pupils may be at risk of harm or neglect. Leaders and staff record any concerns in detail. They act quickly to help protect pupils. Leaders work with other agencies to ensure that pupils and their families keep safe, for example, from domestic violence.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they are taught about the dangers of the internet, drugs and alcohol. Pupils understand what to do if they have any concerns, for example due to internet cyber-bullying. 14 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ checks on the curriculum delivery in a small number of subjects is not as strong as it is in others. As a result, leaders and governors are not as well informed about how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum in these subjects. Leaders and governors should strengthen their approach to monitoring the subject curriculums to ensure that they are being implemented as intended.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 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 .

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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. 14 June 2022

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10226139 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Nayland Southorn

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School details

Website www.ecclestonprimary.cheshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school. It is part of the Diocese of Chester.  The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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, assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector held a telephone conversation with a local authority representative.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, 14 June 2022

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors considered safeguarding throughout the inspection. They held discussions with staff about the single central record. Inspectors considered: how the school identifies and follows up safeguarding concerns; record-keeping procedures; links with other supporting agencies and parents; records of safeguarding training undergone by staff and governors; arrangements for securing the building and managing visitors safely. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jon Ashley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Prince Ofsted Inspector 14 June 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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