Feering Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Feering Church of England Primary School Coggeshall Road, Feering, Colchester CO5 9QB

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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 5 and 6 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Feering Church of England Primary School. They enjoy break- and lunchtimes and play well together. Older pupils enjoy helping younger pupils during these times. Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. Well-trained staff support pupils to learn how to manage their feelings and emotions. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, pupils know that staff will help them to deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They work hard to achieve the high expectations leaders have of them. Pupils love reading. They like the diverse stories that teachers read to them. These stories also help pupils to develop their understanding of other cultures. Pupils understand the importance of treating people who are different from them fairly and equally. Pupils are respectful of adults and each other. They speak with pride about how everyone looks after each other at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many opportunities on offer to them. Trips and visitors help pupils to learn more about the topics they study. They enjoy going to clubs such as computing or brick construction club. Older pupils relish opportunities to be playground buddies and leaders of collective worship. These roles help pupils to learn about responsibility.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum in which the knowledge that pupils learn is clearly sequenced. This helps pupils to build on what they already know. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Children start learning to read as soon as they start in early years. Staff in early years regularly share books and stories so that children quickly learn to love them. Staff model high-quality language for children. Opportunities to sing and rhyme help children to further develop their vocabulary. Leaders have ensured that they have closely matched pupils’ reading books to the sounds that pupils know. This helps pupils to become more fluent readers. As pupils become fluent, teachers ensure that pupils understand what they are reading. Leaders have carefully selected stories and novels to promote a love of reading. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the books adults read to them and what they learn from them.

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better?

Staff are well trained to support and adapt learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND experience the same curriculum as all pupils. Staff use a range of strategies to ensure that pupils can access learning. Leaders check precisely how well all pupils with SEND are achieving. They use these checks to adapt the curriculum and identify additional support for these pupils. 5 and 6 October 2022

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Teachers routinely check what pupils have learned. Typically, they use these checks to adapt teaching appropriately. Leaders support staff with ways to help those pupils who have misconceptions or gaps in their learning. Occasionally, staff who are less experienced in their roles do not use their checks on what pupils already know and can do to adapt their teaching. This means that some pupils miss some opportunities to secure new, or to deepen existing, learning.

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Leaders have prioritised developing pupils’ speaking skills. Pupils have opportunities for public speaking and debate through philosophy sessions. Leaders have further enhanced this through the religious education (RE) curriculum. Leaders have carefully selected ‘big questions’ that prompt pupils to think and discuss their ideas in depth. Pupils are confident in doing this and show a clear appreciation of other views and beliefs.

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Leaders have carefully designed opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Pupils learn about people and families who are different from them. They learn about healthy relationships. Staff teach pupils about British values and why these are important. Older pupils understand what democracy is. This understanding is enhanced through a trip to Parliament for Year 6. Culturally diverse reading materials, the RE curriculum and the collective worship programme help pupils to learn about different cultures.

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Children in early years learn routines and independence as soon as they start school. Teachers plan a range of activities for children to experience all areas of learning in early years. This helps them to make a strong start to school. Staff share information effectively. Children are well supported and ready for learning as they move to Year 1.

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Trustees hold leaders to account effectively. They understand what the school does well and what could be improved further. Trustees ensure that leaders support staff with their workload and well-being. Leaders have worked hard to engage the parental community. Most parents and carers are positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all required pre-employment checks are completed thoroughly and recorded accurately. Staff have a secure understanding of how to identify concerns about pupils. They understand the process for reporting these concerns. Leaders keep detailed records of concerns raised. They engage with other professionals in a timely manner to get the support that pupils require.

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Safeguarding

Pupils understand how to keep safe. This includes when they are online. Pupils know to talk to adults in school if they have concerns or worries.

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Safeguarding

Trustees monitor and hold leaders to account for safeguarding procedures in the school. 5 and 6 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff who are less experienced in their roles do not use their checks on pupils’ understanding consistently well to adapt their teaching. This means that teachers sometimes do not identify when pupils need to embed new learning or deepen existing learning. Leaders must ensure that all staff use checks on pupils’ learning effectively to adapt their teaching and so help pupils to build effectively on what they already know and can do.

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How can I feed back my views?

You can use to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school, 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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of All Saints Academy Trust.  The executive headteacher joined the school in 2018.  The school’s most recent inspection of its religious character under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 was in 2017, and it will receive its next inspection within eight years of that date.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school runs its own after-school care for pupils.

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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 had 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. 5 and 6 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, physical education and RE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised safeguarding policies, the school’s record of background checks on adults at the school and a sample of child protection files. Inspectors also had discussions with trustees, leaders and staff about safeguarding practices at the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff, trustees and pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, attendance records, minutes of trust meetings, pupil records, school improvement plans and school policies.

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 There were 45 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, that were considered, alongside 33 free-text comments.  There were six responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors also spoke to pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.  There were 16 responses to the staff survey. Inspectors also spoke to staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Michael Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sharon Waldron His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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