Yeoford Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Yeoford Community Primary School Station Road, Yeoford, Crediton, Devon EX17 5HZ

p.1

Outcome

Yeoford Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Yeoford Community Primary School is a small, happy school. It is a place where everyone is valued and cared for. Staff build close relationships with pupils and their families. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, typical of many, said of the staff, ‘They go above and beyond for the pupils.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils. Well-trained staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables all pupils to follow the full curriculum.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in class. They listen carefully to their teachers and work hard. Pupils are polite and respectful. Bullying is rare, and pupils know that staff will listen carefully if they do raise a concern. As a result, pupils feel safe at school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values emphasise doing well academically while growing as individuals. This includes learning to look after each other. Pupils demonstrate this in how they interact positively with others. There are plenty of activities to develop pupils’ interests and talents beyond the school day. Pupils enjoy being part of school sports teams and value outdoor activities as part of residential trips. Leaders also ensure that pupils learn about different cultures.

p.1

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

Leaders have put in place a broad and engaging curriculum, running from early years to Year 6. The curriculum is well thought through and ambitious for all pupils. Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly. Leaders and staff work well with a range of professionals to make sure these pupils receive the help they need to succeed. Leaders are clear about the most essential knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember. Therefore, pupils build up their expertise in each subject through a sequence of logical steps. 9 June 2022

p.1

2

In some subjects, such as mathematics, teachers regularly check what pupils know and understand. This helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills over time securely. However, teachers do not check pupils’ learning effectively enough in some other subjects. In these subjects, staff do not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding quickly enough.

p.2

2

Leaders have made reading a key priority. They have put in place a well-organised programme for teaching phonics. Teachers carefully plan which sounds pupils should learn and when. From the moment pupils join the school, they learn to read in a systematic way. The daily phonics sessions are highly structured. Pupils use their decoding skills well to sound out unfamiliar words. Teachers check regularly to make sure that pupils are keeping up. Pupils who fall behind receive additional support until they catch up.

p.2

2

Pupils read regularly in lessons and in their own time. They enjoy talking about the books they read. Pupils also make links between what they are learning in phonics lessons and other subjects. For example, a pupil in Year 2 excitedly linked the story he was reading in a phonics lesson to his knowledge of King Henry VIII. Pupils and parents understand the school’s system of reading books so that they match pupils’ reading abilities.

p.2

2

Outside the classroom, pupils have access to a wide range of clubs and activities. Many pupils raise funds for charity. Leaders ensure pupils learn about mental health and well- being. Some pupils also take part in sporting and musical events with local schools.

p.2

2

Pupils behave positively throughout the day. They listen well to the adults looking after them and are polite and friendly. This means that learning is rarely disrupted. The school is a calm and orderly place in which to play and learn. Strong relationships between staff and pupils are evident. Older pupils show care and respect for younger pupils.

p.2

2

Representatives of the multi-academy trust and school governors know the school well. Staff receive regular training and have positive relationships with leaders. Leaders take account of staff’s workload. Staff feel valued and are overwhelmingly positive about the professional support they receive.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure staff receive regular training. Consequently, staff have a clear understanding of procedures for keeping pupils safe. All staff are vigilant and well placed to recognise the signs that a pupil may be at risk of abuse. When staff raise a concern, the safeguarding team diligently follows it up. Recruitment processes show due regard to safeguarding.

p.2

Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils know who to speak to if they have any worries and are confident they will get any help they need. 9 June 2022

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not check on pupils’ learning effectively. In these subjects, teachers do not clearly understand whether pupils have acquired the essential knowledge needed for future learning. Leaders must ensure assessment systems are aligned closely with the curriculum so that pupils’ misconceptions are identified quickly. Leaders then need to ensure that this approach is consistently implemented and embedded.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Yeoford Community Primary School, to be good in May 2016.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

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 .

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 9 June 2022

p.3

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.4

Information about this school

 The school joined the Link Academy Trust in March 2018.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not use alternative provision.

p.4

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 held discussions with the headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead, senior leaders from the trust and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. 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.  Inspectors made checks on the school’s records for safeguarding and staff’s recruitment and spoke to staff about the school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils. 9 June 2022

p.4

5

 Inspectors took account of the views of parents through the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. This included free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the outcomes of the staff and pupil surveys.

p.5

Inspection team

Mark Burgess, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.5

Inspection team

Sally Hannaford Ofsted Inspector 9 June 2022

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6