Pippins School

Inspection of a good school: Pippins School Raymond Close, Rodney Way, Slough, Berkshire SL3 0PR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2022

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Outcome

Pippins School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils are proud to be a part of Pippins School. There is a strong community spirit where mutual respect and kindness to others are a priority. Staff want what is best for the pupils. Leaders have worked work hard to improve the school quickly. They have high expectations for all, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well and become self-confident.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils share warm and trusting relationships with staff, who deal with minor behaviour incidents quickly. As a result, bullying is extremely rare. Pupils value and celebrate each other’s differences. They enjoy sharing their beliefs and culture by cooking meals together and celebrating traditional dress on special days.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that well-being and learning are key priorities. They have made significant changes to the curriculum so that there is an interesting range of subjects and activities on offer. Children in the early years make a strong start and are well prepared to move on to their next stage of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop self-esteem and a sense of belonging through participation in school clubs and events. There is something on offer for all. For instance, the whole school community is keen to take part in the Mini London Marathon event to raise funds for a new computing suite. Many pupils demonstrate responsible citizenship by picking up litter at the local park.

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

New leaders have worked to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and well balanced. Plans are sequenced effectively so that pupils build on what they have learned before. Careful consideration is given to how learning in the early years will help children know and do more as they get older.

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

Subject leaders know their subjects well. They provide the expert training that teachers 13 and 14 September 2022

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need to ensure that activities are appropriate to help pupils progress. However, the newly implemented mathematics curriculum is not yet fully adapted to meet the needs of all pupils with SEND. Leaders have made this a key priority to improve. Pupils with SEND are identified accurately and quickly. They are supported in their learning by well-trained staff.

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Teachers ensure that pupils revisit past work to help with new learning. Pupils demonstrate that they have a secure knowledge of topics they have previously learned. In mathematics, Year 6 pupils recall, with accuracy, the rules of rounding up and down, when rounding seven-digit numbers. In physical education, Year 4 pupils show how they can improve ball control skills by changing the position of their feet and posture.

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In the early years, activities are well chosen to support learning and development. Children in Reception show that they develop a strong understanding of early number by collecting the correct number of oranges to sell in a ‘shop’. Children in Nursery learn about capacity and volume at the water table. There are opportunities for children to develop balance and coordination on the exciting outdoor climbing equipment.

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Pupils in all key stages enjoy their learning. They listen respectfully and with interest to their teachers. Pupils want to achieve and know that there are high expectations for them to work hard. Children in the early years settle and learn school routines quickly.

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Children begin their phonics learning in Nursery and make an immediate start to reading in Reception. Staff are expertly trained to model sounds for pupils who are learning to read. They give them the support they need to keep up. Adults assess pupils’ progress regularly to ensure that they practise reading the most appropriate books. Pupils who find it more difficult to read know which strategies to use to read words that are unfamiliar. Reading is well loved by pupils in all year groups. They say that they ‘read whenever there is a spare moment’.

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Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils develop the necessary skills to prepare them for life in the future. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is enriched by visits from the police and fire brigade. Children are taught how to keep themselves healthy. Children in the early years are rewarded for good tooth brushing by the oral health team. Pupils develop an understanding of democracy through voting for the school council. Members of the eco council take responsibility for ensuring that others recycle carefully and reduce energy waste. Pupils are enthusiastic about the variety of clubs such as dance, cookery and gardening that are on offer. Many pupils, including the most disadvantaged, take part.

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There have been many recent changes to the governing body and senior leadership team at the school. Despite this, the newly appointed headteacher, and senior leaders, have implemented important changes to the curriculum. These have had a rapid and positive impact across the school. Governors acknowledge that further training and guidance are needed to strengthen the expertise of the new team. Staff feel very well supported by senior leaders, who they say are mindful of their workload. They value the high-quality training that they receive. 13 and 14 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Leaders ensure that appropriate training and procedures are in place to keep children safe. Staff have confidence in leaders to respond swiftly and appropriately when they are concerned about a pupil. Good use of external support is made to ensure that children and their families get the help that they might need. Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are made before appointing new staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are happy to talk to staff about their worries. They learn about personal safety, including e-safety, through the PSHE and computing curriculums.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There has been much change to the governing body in recent months. This means that some governors do not yet have the necessary expertise to carry out their roles effectively. Governors need to ensure that high-quality training is sought so that they are assured they are robust in holding leaders to account.  The newly implemented curriculum in mathematics has not yet been fully adapted for pupils with SEND. This means that lesson activities may not ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum as fully as they could. Leaders need to continue their work in reviewing and refining newly implemented curriculums, including in mathematics and the foundation subjects, to ensure that they are adapted and developed to fully meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011. 13 and 14 September 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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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. 13 and 14 September 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. This included meeting with subject leaders and talking with staff and pupils. The inspector also visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement. The inspector met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with the local authority associate director for education and inclusion and met with two members of the governing body, including the chair. 13 and 14 September 2022

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 The arrangements for safeguarding were reviewed by scrutinising records and through discussions with staff and pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and at other times of the day.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and a review of Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Zoë Harris, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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