St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers High Street, Langton Matravers, Swanage, Dorset BH19 3HB

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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 enjoy attending this small, inclusive school. Everyone knows each other. This helps create a strong family feel and sense of togetherness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A range of activities broaden pupils’ horizons well. Many pupils learn a musical instrument. Exciting school visits bring learning to life. Highlights for many include visiting a local theatre to hear the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra or attending residential visits. Pupils particularly like French. They enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular clubs that develop their interests and talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are lots of opportunities for pupils to develop teamwork and leadership skills. For example, sports captains take their responsibilities to support younger pupils at sports day seriously. Pupils like the school rewards and feel a sense of pride when either they or their classmates are ‘star of the week’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nonetheless, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not consistently high. Some pupils do not learn as much as they could. At times, there is low-level disruption in lessons when learning does not meet pupils’ needs well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the strong care and emotional support they receive. For example, on the rare occasion that bullying happens, pupils are confident adults sort it out properly.

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

Leaders, including governors, are applying previous advice from the local authority and the Diocese of Salisbury well. As a result, leaders are building their capacity and the 5 July 2022

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school is improving after a dip in its performance. The acting headteacher is having a positive impact. Nonetheless, governors know that it is a priority to secure permanent leadership.

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Leaders’ work to increase the consistency in the implementation of school policies and to upgrade the curriculum are paying off. For example, a well-thought-out curriculum is enabling pupils to know and remember a lot in history in key stage 2. However, some staff’s subject knowledge is not fully secure in some other subjects or phases.

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Leaders have improved the key stage 2 reading curriculum this year. As a result, by the time most pupils leave school they read well and demonstrate a strong understanding of what they read. However, there is not a precise enough focus on developing younger pupils’ communication, language and vocabulary. Staff are implementing a new phonics programme. Pupils who are at the early stages of reading, including those who need to catch up, receive extra support. However, some pupils read books that do not build on what they already know. This is holding some pupils back.

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Teaching does not always build on what pupils already know, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some units of work do not allow pupils to practise and deepen their skills and knowledge. Pupils’ misconceptions can go unaddressed, particularly in mathematics.

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Many pupils behave well at social times. However, when pupils’ conduct falls short of leaders’ expectations, some staff do not pick this up.

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The programme that aims to increase pupils’ understanding of the world around them is still evolving. Leaders are developing the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn more about protected characteristics. Other aspects of the curriculum are more secure. For example, pupils learn a lot about democracy and parliament. They develop a strong sense of what is right and wrong.

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Leaders are considerate of staff workload. Staff value this. They say that the acting headteacher has been instrumental in bringing staff, pupils, parents and carers and the community together.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that ensuring all staff have strong subject knowledge and using assessment well to implement ambitious subject curriculums, including in the early years, may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ re-employment checks to establish the suitability of staff to work with children are robust. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. As a result, they have a deep understanding of risks and vulnerabilities pupils may face. They are astute in spotting when pupils may be at risk of harm and follow the school’s reporting procedures well. 5 July 2022

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Leaders follow up concerns swiftly. They work determinedly with external agencies to keep pupils safe. Governors assure themselves that the culture of safeguarding is secure.

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Pupils feel safe in school. The curriculum teaches them about local risks. For example, visits from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) teach pupils about water safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ work to develop the use of assessment is not yet complete. Some teaching misses out important steps. Sequences of work are not demanding enough over time. Leaders must ensure that teaching sequences build firmly on what pupils already know and need to know over time, so that all pupils are well-prepared for their next stage.  Leaders are only midway through their work to improve the reading and mathematics curriculums. Teaching does not meet some pupils’ needs well enough, including in the early years. This slows pupils’ learning down. Leaders should ensure that all staff have strong subject knowledge in the teaching of reading and mathematics so that all pupils can learn well.  Not all staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. At times, some pupils’ behaviour and conduct falls short of leaders’ expectations. Leaders need to ensure that all staff model the routines and expectations they expect pupils to follow

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

consistently, particularly in the early years.  All senior leaders are in temporary roles. While the school is improving, after a dip in its performance, a sustainable leadership structure needs to be built. Governance needs to secure permanent leadership arrangements for the school.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2011. 5 July 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 July 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stgeorgeslangton.dorset.sch.uk

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Date of previous inspection

7 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average primary school.  There is currently interim leadership in place. The substantive deputy headteacher is currently the part-time acting headteacher. For the remaining time, the acting deputy headteacher steps up into the role as acting headteacher.  The school is receiving support from Dorset local authority and the Diocese of Salisbury while interim leadership is in place.  The pre-school operating within the school was not included in this inspection. It is separately registered with Ofsted.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 July 2022

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 Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders and other school staff and examined a range of documents, including the school’s action plans.  An inspector met with five representatives of the governing body and one representative of Dorset local authority. She also held telephone conversations with the chair of the governing body and a representative from the Diocese of Salisbury.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and history. 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 considered samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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 Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys alongside responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also met with parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Tregellas Ofsted Inspector 5 July 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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