Collierley Nursery and Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Collierley Nursery and Primary School Front Street, Dipton, Stanley, County Durham DH9 9DJ

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Outcome

Collierley Nursery and Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and adults are positive throughout Collierley Nursery and Primary School. Pupils respond to the high expectations set by teachers and behave well. Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning and each other. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident adults will sort out any issues or concerns they may have. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff in the early years foundation stage create a welcoming environment. Children are keen to please their teachers. Routines are well established, and children know the structure of the day. Children benefit from the rich conversations they have with adults. Children independently access a wide variety of learning activities. They happily collect and share resources with others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders consult pupils about their interests and organise clubs to match these. Pupils enjoy after-school activities such as football, science and ‘OPAL’ (outdoor play and learning programme). Pupils plan the themed school discos. Many pupils attend the weekly homework club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have regular forest school sessions in the extensive school grounds. Through this, pupils learn more about nature and themselves. Pupils take part in residential trips to Northumberland and the Lake District.

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

Overall, the school’s curriculum is well planned and sequenced from the early years onwards. Learning builds in small steps over time with opportunities for pupils to recap on prior learning. In mathematics, pupils have good subject knowledge and can connect their learning. Pupils enjoy the online programs which help them recall multiplication facts quickly. Pupils are confident in completing reasoning and problem-solving activities. However, in English, leaders have not provided as much detail on the spelling content as in other curriculum areas. As a result, common spelling patterns and subject-specific words are misspelt, particularly in key stage 2. 18 October 2022

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Pupils learn to read through a well-sequenced, highly structured phonics programme. Staff deliver the scheme with consistency. The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils become fluent readers. For those pupils who find it difficult to read at home, leaders ensure they read more frequently in school. Reading interventions are in place for pupils who need additional support. To establish a love of reading, teachers read to pupils every day. Leaders have identified a wide range of high- quality texts for teachers to share with each year group. This encourages pupils to choose books by different authors.

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In lessons, teachers make accurate checks on how pupils are learning. They use this information to adapt teaching to help pupils learn the key subject knowledge. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, assessment of pupils’ knowledge at the end of topics is less strong. Sometimes, the activities teachers use do not match the curriculum content closely. These assessments do not provide staff with the precise knowledge they need to plan next steps in learning for pupils.

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The early years foundation stage is a bustling place in which to learn. Leaders have developed a well-planned and sequenced curriculum across all areas of learning. Early years staff skilfully support children to improve their communication and language skills. They encourage children to be independent. Children use free time well, focusing for long periods on their chosen activity.

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Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. Many pupils have complex needs that staff help them to overcome. Staff have the highest expectations for pupils with SEND. Individual plans for pupils are carefully written, and targets are broken down into small achievable steps. Leaders work tirelessly with external agencies and parents. Pupils have staff who understand them and who push them to do their very best.

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The curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Leaders are determined that pupils learn about the local community and further afield. Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences, including trips to the theatre, visiting museums and participating in sporting activities. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures from around the world. There are a variety of after-school clubs that help develop pupils’ interests and talents. Leaders do all that they can to improve attendance. Staff help pupils to understand that their behaviour can affect others. Pupils listen attentively in class and are courteous to each other and staff.

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The governing body is actively involved in monitoring school performance and has an excellent understanding of the school. It has the knowledge to appropriately challenge school leaders and hold them to account. The governing body’s high ambitions for pupils are at the heart of all the decisions it makes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils very well, which helps them to notice when pupils may be at risk of 18 October 2022

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harm. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have a concern. Leaders take any necessary action swiftly, including working with external agencies. Leaders provide regular, effective safeguarding training for all staff.

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Pupils learn how to identify risks, including when online. Visitors such as firefighters help pupils become more aware of everyday dangers.

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Leaders carry out the required checks on adults who work in the school. Governors assure themselves that safeguarding is effective. Pupils’ well-being and safety are priorities for everyone in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The spelling content in key stage 2 is not structured well enough, and some pupils do not link their phonics knowledge to spellings. This means some pupils spell common words incorrectly in their writing. Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to spelling throughout school, with opportunities to learn and apply spelling patterns.  In the wider curriculum, assessment activities do not always align with the taught curriculum. Some teachers do not have the full picture of pupils’ knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that assessments in the wider curriculum subjects accurately capture pupils’ understanding of key subject knowledge.

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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 April 2013.

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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. 18 October 2022

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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. 18 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative education provision.  A new deputy headteacher has recently joined the leadership team.

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator and representatives of the local governing body. The lead inspector met with the local authority education adviser who supports the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. 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. Inspectors also looked at curriculum documentation for these and other subjects. 18 October 2022

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 To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors scrutinised the single central record and reviewed safeguarding paperwork and systems. The inspectors spoke to leaders, teachers, support staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Mary Cook, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk His Majesty’s Inspector 18 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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