Fen Drayton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Fen Drayton Primary School Cootes Lane, Fen Drayton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 4SL

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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 at Fen Drayton are keen and enthusiastic learners. They are polite and respectful to each other and adults, and value their education. Pupils learn about people from different religions and cultures and say that ‘everyone is equal’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and break times are enjoyable experiences. Although bullying is rare, pupils say that adults will make sure that it stops, if it occurs. They are confident that adults will sort out any concerns they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children across the school enjoy reading. In Reception, children learn sounds that help them to read quickly. However, over time, some pupils who have fallen behind do not catch up and learn to read quickly enough. Pupils enjoy subjects such as physical education and art. They value the plentiful opportunities they have to take part in competitions and school trips.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak positively about their school. However, in some subjects, some pupils, including those with special educational needs (SEND), are not achieving as well as they could be.

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

Since her arrival, the headteacher has taken rapid action to improve the quality of education. Leaders have rightly prioritised improving the teaching of reading. Children in Reception now receive a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading, including systematic, synthetic, phonics, from the earliest stage of their education. Children learn their sounds quickly and those who need it receive support swiftly. However, this has not been the case previously. Some pupils further up the school have not had their reading needs prioritised and, subsequently, are still not fluent readers. 7 July 2022

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Staff are instilling a love and an enjoyment of reading for older pupils as well. Many pupils are inspired to read by visits from local authors and have access to good-quality texts in lessons and the school library. However, leaders and teachers have not focused closely enough on supporting pupils who have fallen behind in reading over time. There are too many older pupils, including pupils with SEND, who do not read well enough.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is improving. However, teachers are not yet checking well enough how pupils are achieving in some subjects. In some cases, leaders are not providing staff with specific strategies that identify how best to help pupils to access their learning.

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Leaders have planned their curriculum so that pupils are taught subjects through topics and themes. In some subjects, leaders’ plans show that they have identified some important knowledge they want pupils to learn. However, across subjects, leaders have not given enough thought to how they will develop pupils’ subject-specific vocabulary. Important vocabulary that pupils should know is not explicitly taught or linked to pupils’ prior learning. Pupils are not learning the vocabulary that they need to be successful in the curriculum.

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Too often, pupils are undertaking tasks or one-off pieces of work that are not part of a sequence of learning, and do not relate to what they have learned or are going to learn. Pupils are not sufficiently developing skills and building knowledge over the course of their time in primary school. Pupils are not developing an in-depth, rich understanding of some curriculum areas.

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Leaders ensure that their personal, social, health and economic education curriculum prepares pupils well for British society. Pupils value the schools ‘six Rs’, including values such as respect and responsibility. Pupils are interested in the world around them and can maturely express their views about events happening in the world today.

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Staff feel supported by the headteacher. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent’s view, echoed by many, is that, ‘The school has a wonderful family atmosphere, and it really feels as though the teachers know my children as individuals and have a genuine desire to see them progress and thrive’.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that provision for pupils with SEND, reading, and planning, delivery and monitoring of the curriculum, 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

Pupils’ welfare and social and emotional needs are a prime focus for leaders. Staff ensure that pupils, including the most vulnerable, are kept safe. Staff are quick to identify pupils who may be at risk. Leaders take action quickly so that the most vulnerable pupils get the 7 July 2022

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right support they need. Leaders carry out all the necessary employment checks on staff and safeguarding checks on visitors to the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although the teaching of reading is improving, there are still some older pupils who are not being well enough supported to catch up. This means that there are some pupils in Year 5 and 6 who are not able to read as fluently they should. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils who have fallen behind in reading, including those with SEND, receive timely and precise support to catch up quickly.  Leaders have not specified the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they want pupils to know in each subject. Leaders have not sequenced the learning so that pupils are being given opportunities to build on previous learning or practise skills in all subjects. Leaders need to make sure that plans are well sequenced for all subjects and knowledge and skills are defined for each. Leaders then need to support teachers to deliver all subject curriculums so that pupils’ learning builds as they move from

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Reception to Year 6.  Provision for pupils with SEND is not supporting them well enough to access the curriculum effectively. Adults are not using effective strategies to support pupils. Some pupils are not getting the support to achieve as well as they should. Leaders need to make sure teachers receive guidance to be able to identify what support pupils need, to check how well pupils are learning, and to plan and intervene appropriately to support these pupils.

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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 May 2017. 7 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. 7 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241654 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 Ruth Dunleavy-Routh

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in January 2021.  The school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  Most classes are mixed. There are two year groups in every class except Reception.

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, and teachers responsible for leading curriculum subjects. The lead inspector held a meeting with three members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors took account of a wide range of information, including the school’s improvement plans and records of safeguarding concerns. School policies, documents and records relating to safeguarding, including the single central record. 7 July 2022

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors also reviewed attendance and other information provided by school leaders.  Inspectors took account of 15 responses to the Ofsted staff survey and 38 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey. They also took into account the views of parents expressed in 43 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey and 28 responses to Parent View free-text. An inspector spoke with several parents at the beginning of the day.  The subjects covered in depth as part of this inspection were English, including early reading, mathematics and history. In each subject, inspectors spoke with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sharon Waldron Her Majesty's Inspector 7 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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