Epping Primary School

Inspection of Epping Primary School Coronation Hill, Epping, Essex CM16 5DU

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 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 Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Epping Primary School and are proud of their school. They talk eagerly about the different ways their teachers make learning interesting. They like the many trips and visitors to the school that enhance the curriculum. There are high expectations for pupils’ academic work. Pupils work hard as a result and aim to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy reading. The school has a wide and interesting selection of books for them to choose from. Pupils appreciate their weekly visits to the well-stocked library.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about the opportunities available for physical activity and participation in sporting competitions. They enjoy the wide range of activities on offer at playtimes. Pupils like celebrating each others’ success, for example in the weekly assemblies where they applaud those who have been given certificates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. When it does happen, pupils are sure that the adults sort things out quickly. Most pupils are very well behaved. Pupils’ learning is rarely disturbed by the behaviour of others. Children in Reception settle very quickly into school life.

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better?

Leaders have thoughtfully planned the curriculum in each subject. Curriculum plans set out the knowledge that pupils should learn in a logical order. Teachers ensure pupils can ably use resources that support their learning. This helps pupils to learn and remember more over time. Staff have benefitted from subject-specific training, and this is reflected in the good quality of education provided. Some subject leaders are new to their roles. They are less confident in what their subject looks like across the school and so are less able to support colleagues where needed.

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better?

Leaders introduced a new approach to teaching phonics in January 2022. This is mostly used consistently across classes. Leaders have reviewed the way that older pupils choose reading books to ensure they are more precisely matched to their reading stage. However, there are occasions where texts used in class and books pupils read are not as closely linked to pupils’ reading knowledge as leaders expect.

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better?

Staff are developing the use of exciting activities to interest pupils in writing. There is a high focus on correct grammar and spelling. This means that as pupils move through the school, they become confident readers and writers, producing high- quality writing in different curriculum subjects.

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better?

The staff team are highly committed to meeting the needs of all pupils, which is appreciated by parents. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life. Teachers ably adapt learning to enable pupils with SEND to learn what they need to make progress. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Teachers check on understanding, both while pupils are working and after they have finished. This helps pupils identify the strengths of their own work and what they need to improve on next time.

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Pupils are very well behaved. There is very little disruption to learning. They listen attentively and work hard. Routines and expectations are taught clearly right from the start of Reception.

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Pupils have a good understanding of the school’s values. They show these in the way they behave towards others. Pupils say that no one ever gets left out and that anyone would be welcome in their school. They learn about a wide range of different ways of life and cultures. The curriculum is further enhanced by a range of after-school clubs.

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Members of the senior leadership team work as a close group, with a shared vision. Staff, including early career teachers, feel valued and supported. Governors know the school well. Staff and governors work together at the start of the year to review what has gone before and give all staff a shared understanding of what needs to happen next.

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Leaders are aware of where the school needs to improve. For example, some parents feel communication could be stronger. As part of improving this, governors have a working group focused on parental engagement, and the school has introduced a replacement system to improve communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and able to identify pupils who might be at risk of harm. They ensure that those pupils get the help they need quickly. Leaders work closely with parents and outside agencies as needed.

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Safeguarding

All appropriate checks are made on members of staff to ensure they are suitable to work in school. These checks are accurately recorded. Safeguarding policies and practices follow the latest published guidance.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both online and when out and about. They are knowledgeable and have a good understanding of the risks they face when using online games.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Across the school, there are some differences in the implementation of how leaders expect reading to be practised. This means that when this is the case, pupils do not get good-quality rehearsal of the sounds they know. Leaders need 21 and 22 September 2022

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to make sure that the recently introduced phonics programme is embedded throughout the whole school approach to teaching English.  Some subject leaders are new to their role and/or have had limited opportunities due to the pandemic to work with colleagues. As a result, they do not know what their subject looks like through the school and how effectively it is taught. Senior leaders need to ensure that subject leaders have the time and guidance to develop their roles further and support teachers to implement the planned curriculum effectively.

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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school does not use any alternative provision.  A separately run and registered provider runs breakfast and after-school care on the premises.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff. They met with representatives of the governing body. They spoke to the local authority school effectiveness partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education, art and design and geography. For each of these, inspectors 21 and 22 September 2022

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discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at plans and visited some lessons in other curriculum subjects.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and a wide range of safeguarding files. They spoke to leaders (including the designated safeguarding leads), staff, pupils and parents.  Inspectors considered the 38 responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They took the 54 responses to the pupil survey, and the 29 responses to the staff survey, into account.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan 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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