Coningsby St Michael's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Coningsby St Michael’s Church of England Primary School School Lane, Coningsby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 4SJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 28 and 29 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and welcoming at this school. They enjoy attending and have an enthusiasm for learning. As one pupil said, ‘This school has a special energy.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils. There are positive relationships between teachers and pupils. Older pupils look out for the younger ones. Children in the early years benefit from the attention they receive from adults. Pupils feel safe and happy in this caring environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The support the school provides for service children is a strength. Leaders ensure that they regularly check on these pupils. They communicate with parents and carers who might be abroad, including emailing photographs of their children. Pupils benefit from sharing school experiences, such as sports day, with parents who cannot be there in person. Workshops for ‘little troopers’ and a ‘military kids club’ also help support and celebrate these pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have an opportunity to develop their ability to work in a team and build resilience through a planned outdoor curriculum. They undertake much of this in the ‘magical mystical garden’. This is an area of the school dedicated to outdoor learning and is home to the school goats ‘Jammy’ and ‘Dodger’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what bullying is. They are confident in reporting anything that they would consider to be bullying as they know staff will deal with it very quickly.

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better?

Leaders have strengthened the quality of education. They have given subject leaders time to ensure that each subject is well planned across every year group. Subject leaders have ensured that teachers understand the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember in each subject. The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. This enables them to present the most important knowledge to pupils clearly so that they understand it. Leaders have made sure there are lots of opportunities for professional development so teachers become better at helping pupils learn. Leaders check that teachers use agreed approaches to deliver the curriculum. For example, teachers give immediate attention to the pupils who need it most. This particularly supports pupils with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) to achieve.

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better?

Teachers do not use assessment consistently. In some subjects, teachers check that pupils have remembered the most important knowledge before they move on. In other subjects, teachers do not check precisely enough what pupils know, leaving some with gaps in their knowledge. 28 and 29 June 2022

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All classroom staff are trained to teach pupils to read using a consistent approach. Children start to learn the sounds that letters make as soon as they begin in Reception. The early start and consistent approach enable pupils to become better and more fluent readers. Teachers assess pupils’ ability to read regularly. When they discover that a pupil is struggling, they swiftly intervene and provide help to ensure that these pupils keep up with everyone else. Pupils said that they love reading. Some of them buy the books that they have enjoyed reading in class. Pupils can explain how class readers, such as ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’, allow them to develop morally and be more aware of social issues.

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Leaders have ensured there is an emphasis on communication and personal and social development in the early years. Teachers focus on making sure that children use and understand identified vocabulary. Manners, respect and being polite are all modelled. Children in the early years are well prepared for key stage 1.

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The behaviour in lessons and around the school is calm. Teachers support pupils at the beginning of the day if they need more time to settle. Staff work with pupils to improve their behaviour or help them express their emotions so that the pupils can focus on learning. Teachers nominate ‘superstars’ and ‘values champions’ every week. Pupils are proud to receive this recognition in the Friday celebration assembly.

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Pastoral support for pupils is strong. Pupils know that ‘the nest’ is a safe place where they can talk to a grown-up about how they are feeling. Pupils enjoy attending a wide range of clubs. This includes specific clubs at lunchtime for pupils who cannot attend after school.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and the majority are of the opinion that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Leaders do not yet communicate well enough with all parents about the positive work that is taking place to support pupils at this school.

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Leaders from the trust work in partnership with school leaders to further improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. All staff fully understand what they must do when they have a concern about a pupil’s safety or welfare. They bring these to the attention of the designated safeguarding leads.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain up-to-date records of safeguarding concerns and the actions taken to safeguard pupils. They work closely with external agencies to support the most vulnerable pupils and families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils all know they can talk to teachers or pastoral staff if they have a worry or a problem. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Governors and trust executives monitor and regularly check the school’s safeguarding procedures.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, there is not yet a consistent approach to how teachers assess what pupils know and remember. Some pupils are left with gaps in their knowledge as a result. Leaders should ensure that there is an effective approach to assessment in each subject that enables teachers to check what pupils have learned and fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Some parents feel that leaders do not keep them informed well enough about how their children are doing or issues they have raised. Leaders need to ensure that they keep parents up to date with information about the work they are doing and the support they are giving pupils.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Headteacher Stephanie Liley (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust.  A new executive principal and new head of school have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The religious character of the school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in June 2015.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science, physical education and computing. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the 28 and 29 June 2022

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curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Reception and key stages 1 and 2 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also visited a range of lessons in other subjects. For these subjects, they checked the work pupils had produced, looked at subject plans and spoke to pupils.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, the use of the pupil premium funding, and the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from key stages 1 and 2.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and child protection officer to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. He reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation

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and improvement plan.  The lead inspector met with a group of non-teaching staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the local council board, including the chair.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the trust, including the deputy chief executive officer.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Moore Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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