Camestone School

Inspection of a good school: Camestone School Jowitt Avenue, Kempston, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 8NW

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Outcome

Camestone School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Camestone School. They demonstrate the school values in the way they behave and treat one another. Pupils are polite, making sure that everyone is made to feel welcome. At break times, pupils play kindly together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), live up to leaders’ high expectations. They understand how new learning builds on what they learned before. Pupils have a positive approach to challenging work. They use the teachers’ feedback and help from their peers to diligently correct mistakes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoyed taking part in the different clubs and activities that were available before the COVID-19 pandemic began. These clubs are slowly returning. Some pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as being school councillors or play leaders. Pupils gain a lot from the school trips, which add to what they learn in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils trust staff to notice if they are upset or worried. They know staff will help them if they have any problems. Pupils are confident that if bullying or falling out were to occur, staff would sort it out quickly. As a result, they feel safe in school.

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

Leaders have carefully considered the curriculum and have high aspirations for all pupils. Curriculum plans in most subjects set out what pupils should learn. Many teachers use these to plan well-sequenced lessons. These build on what pupils have learned before. Pupils revisit and rehearse important knowledge before they move on to new learning. Teachers introduce and repeat the vocabulary they want pupils to use. Teachers regularly check that pupils understand the concepts being taught and address any misconceptions.

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

Most curriculum leaders have expertise in the subject they lead. Some leaders have had less opportunity to check the effectiveness of curriculum delivery. These leaders have not addressed some teachers lacking the required subject knowledge. These teachers find it 21 and 22 September 2022

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challenging to teach some subjects confidently and clearly. They miss opportunities to help pupils link learning across the curriculum. Therefore, some pupils’ knowledge of what they should know is not as strong as it should be.

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Pupils with SEND learn and achieve well alongside their peers. This is because teachers adapt the curriculum effectively to meet pupils’ individual needs. Leaders work closely with staff and parents. Together they ensure that pupils with SEND receive the right support at an early stage.

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Leaders have put in place a clear phonics and reading programme. Most staff have received comprehensive training to ensure that the delivery of the phonics programme is effective. Children in the early years begin learning the sounds letters make as soon as they start school. By the time they are in Year 1, pupils use their knowledge to read words of increasing complexity. They read books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. As they grow older, pupils read widely and often. There is time set aside for classes to enjoy a book together. This broadens pupils’ knowledge of different authors and stories. A few pupils require extra support with their reading. This is planned carefully to help the pupils learn the sounds in words they need to know, so they may read with increasing confidence.

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Classrooms are calm, purposeful places where pupils learn without disruption. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are friendly, polite and understand what is expected of them. Pupils are taught the school’s values and to respect differences and other opinions.

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Leaders continue to evaluate and extend how they cater for pupils’ wider development. Pupils’ understanding of democracy is enhanced through the school council elections and guest speakers who work in government. There are also opportunities for pupils to learn about healthy eating, and the personal, social and health education curriculum helps them to develop respect for one another and for different faiths.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive and morale is high. Leaders communicate clearly. Therefore, staff understand the benefit of any changes to the curriculum or school systems. Staff receive a workload that is manageable. As a result, they enjoy working at the school.

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Governors are well informed. They understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors assure themselves that leaders’ actions are making a positive difference to the quality of education for all pupils. They make good use of external partners’ assessments of the school to quality assure the work of leaders. Governors provide appropriate support and challenge. This ensures they fulfil their statutory duties. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Governors check that safeguarding systems work well. Staff receive regular training to increase their knowledge.. They act fast to identify and report concerns about pupils. Leaders follow these up without delay. Leaders know pupils and their families well. Therefore, they share helpful insights with external agencies. Together they ensure vulnerable families receive timely support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to stay safe online. They know the dangers associated with accessing unsuitable computer games or social media. Pupils know that if they have concerns, online or offline, they must tell an adult they trust.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ successful development of curriculum leadership is not yet fully embedded in all subjects. Some curriculum leaders lack rigour in how they identify areas that need to improve in the subject they oversee. As a result, some teachers and support staff lack the subject and pedagogical knowledge to maximise pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. Leaders should maintain and build on recent curriculum improvements by ensuring that all curriculum leaders have the training and support they need to fulfil their roles.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Camestone Lower School, to be good in April 2017. 21 and 22 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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241648 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 and 27 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Camestone School converted to become a primary school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Camestone Lower School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  School leaders do not currently make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, two assistant headteachers, the SEND coordinator, two governors, and representatives from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at 21 and 22 September 2022

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samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to a sample of pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a member of staff.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met the designated safeguarding lead and the safeguarding team, and reviewed documents and records, including the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks.  The inspector also reviewed other school documentation, including policies and development plans.  To gather the views of pupils, the inspector spoke to groups of pupils, including in lessons and at breaktime. The inspector also took account of the 108 responses to the pupil survey.  To gather the views of parents, the inspector spoke to some parents and reviewed the 68 responses and 33 free-text responses submitted to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.  To gather the views of staff, the inspector spoke to several staff. The inspector also took account of the 45 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Simon Eardley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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