Ashleigh CofE Primary School

Inspection of Ashleigh CofE Primary School Bevan Road, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 8LJ

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 September 2022

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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 27 and 28 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Ashleigh CofE Primary School is a welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils are proud of their school. They speak positively about the school values of ‘respect’ and ‘service’. Pupils say the service award programme helps them to be good role models.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders create a safe and supportive environment. A large pastoral team welcome pupils to school. They help nervous pupils come to school on time and have a good start to their day. Trained staff work with pupils to talk about their mental health. Pupils learn resilience and confidence through the forest school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about responsibility by taking on leadership roles. For example, some pupils are members of the school council, some join the ethos team and others are trained as mental health ambassadors. Pupils develop their speaking skills through dining together. Year 5 pupils sit with younger pupils at the table and assist them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say bullying and unkind behaviour does not happen often. When it does, they are confident that staff will sort it out quickly. Pupils behave well. They respect each other.

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better?

Leaders have put reading at the centre of the school curriculum. As children arrive at Nursery, they are immersed in stories and traditional tales. This develops their language skills from the start and prepares them for the next steps in learning to read. From Nursery to key stage 2, teachers are consistent in their approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils learn their letters and sounds quickly. Their reading books are well matched to the sounds they are learning. Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully to identify those who need extra support. As pupils become fluent, the focus on reading continues through to Year 6.

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better?

With the support of the trust, leaders’ work to provide an ambitious curriculum has progressed well. The mathematics curriculum is set out in a sensible way for pupils to progress to the next steps of their learning. The wider curriculum is being systematically improved. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and check pupils’ learning through regular recall. Leaders continually review the curriculum in the early years to strengthen children’s knowledge. For example, local elderly residents visit the school to share their memories of toys, as pupils learn about the past and the present. The history curriculum is planned with ‘steppingstones’ to break down the learning. However, some parts of the wider curriculum are not yet as carefully planned.

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better?

Teachers regularly assess what pupils know. They identify what is needed and provide support for pupils. In subjects where the curriculum is introduced well, pupils understand what they need to do to get better. However, in some subjects, 27 and 28 September 2022

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leaders do not have the assessment information they need. This means they do not know how well pupils understand their learning.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Leaders identify the needs of pupils early. Consequently, teachers know the needs of their pupils and adapt the learning as it is needed. Nurture group and forest school are carefully timetabled to provide bespoke support for pupils. Leaders ensure this is part of the curriculum so that pupils continue to make progress.

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Leaders provide activities and trips that give pupils new experiences. Performing Shakespeare, residential trips, the choir and a visit to Wimbledon are some of the opportunities that help pupils to develop their talents. Pupils have a clear understanding of spirituality. They take time to reflect. Key stage 2 pupils debate and consider moral issues. Even so, leaders do not know how well pupils understand some aspects of the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. For example, pupils remember their learning about online safety but remember less about healthy relationships.

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Leaders support pupils to be respectful and think of others. Pupils are positive about their learning and behave well in lessons. Pupils understand the four ‘Rs’ and follow the expectations in the classroom. Nursery children use carpet time to learn to listen and to share. These routines are well established through the school.

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Governors and trustees share the aspirations of the leaders. Governors check the information they receive from leaders through visits to the school. Staff say leaders look after their well-being. Staff are proud to work at the school. They care greatly for the pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding team track pupils’ safety and well-being carefully. Staff have regular and up-to-date training. Leaders have clear systems in place to ensure pupils are safe. They make sure that school is a safe and calm place for pupils. Leaders work closely with external agencies. As a result, they respond quickly to provide support to families and pupils who need help.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. They know who they can speak to if they have any concerns. Pupils understand the risks of social media and how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some of the wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not precise enough to inform leaders about what pupils know. This means that, in some subjects, 27 and 28 September 2022

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leaders are not able to accurately monitor the quality of the curriculum and respond. Leaders need to ensure that assessment information can be used to inform the next stages of the curriculum and plan for pupils’ future learning.  Some aspects of pupils’ personal development are not well planned. As a result, pupils are not well prepared for some aspects of life. Leaders must ensure that the implementation of the PSHE curriculum is quality assured so that the impact on pupils’ learning is fully understood.

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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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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. 27 and 28 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241450 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in July 2018. It is part of Ventrus Multi Academy Trust. This is a multi-academy trust of primary and secondary schools across Devon. When its predecessor school, Ashleigh CofE (VC) Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.  Ashleigh Primary School is a church school. The school was judged to be good at the most recent section 48 inspection, carried out in January 2020.  The school has its own local governing board with delegated responsibilities.  The school has an on-site nursery provision managed by school leaders.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 27 and 28 September 2022

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 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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders, trustees and other school leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and

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the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Bray Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 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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