Shaw CE Primary School

Inspection of Shaw CE Primary School Corsham Road, Shaw, Melksham SN12 8EQ

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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 Requires Improvement

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What is it like to attend this school?

Shaw School is a calm and orderly place where pupils learn well. The relationships between staff and pupils are warm and encouraging. Pupils are respectful and polite towards one another. They talk excitedly of the Christian and school values that support and guide them in their day. Leaders and staff share a passion for every pupil to do as well as they can, both socially and academically.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff promote pupils’ health and mental well-being well, including for those with complex needs. Pupils feel valued. Staff listen to them in a climate of respect and compassion. Pupils know adults will help them if they have any worries. Pupils play well together at social times. They feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy sports and use the playground ‘scrap store’ to devise games. Bullying is rare. If bullying happens, pupils are confident that staff will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well and they do. There is little disruption to learning. Many parents and carers praise the passion and dedication of staff. They said staff make the school 'inclusive and welcoming’. 2 and 3 November 2022

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better?

From the start of Reception Year, children begin to understand phonics. Teachers have strong subject knowledge because they receive regular training. They use assessments well to identify pupils who need extra help. In Years 1 and 2, pupils who are at risk of falling behind receive timely support to keep up.

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better?

Staff match pupils’ early reading books to the sounds they know. They make efforts to promote reading for pleasure. Staff introduce pupils to new authors and exciting books. Teachers know what pupils need to learn next in reading. They check that pupils learn and understand new vocabulary. In key stage 2, pupils learn how to analyse the high-quality books teachers read with them.

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better?

Leaders and teachers have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn through the curriculum. Subject plans are clearly sequenced. Leaders have thought about how they deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. Pupils confidently recall what they know in some subjects. For example, in physical education, they build on what pupils have learned in the early years to develop concepts, such as moving into space.

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better?

Assessment is in the early stages of development in some other subjects. Not every subject leader has a detailed understanding of how well pupils learn the curriculum from Reception to Year 6.

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better?

Pupils learn what they should in mathematics. Teachers challenge pupils to apply their knowledge to solving problems. Pupils are diligent and enjoy their lessons. Sometimes, pupils’ work is not set out as leaders expect. Some pupils do not take care recording their work, which leads to inaccuracy in pupils’ calculations.

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better?

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. Staff make sure that pupils receive the right support. For example, in mathematics, all teachers break learning into smaller and more manageable steps to help pupils. Leaders use support from local experts when necessary to develop pupils’ early language and communication skills.

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better?

Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of moral and social issues. As a result, pupils do not judge others and have a clear sense of right from wrong. Older pupils say they are confident to challenge forms of discrimination. They learn about physical and mental health and what makes a positive relationship. Pupils learn about different identities and cultures. The school promotes fundamental British values well alongside its school values. Pupils’ comments included: ‘The school helps us to be good adults.’ 2 and 3 November 2022

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Leaders track pupils’ attendance with care. They follow up on any issues. Pupils come to school regularly. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, in and out of school and online.

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Governors are ambitious for the school's future. They are developing their understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to do next. Staff are a cohesive team. They say leaders are considerate of their well-being. Leaders are using new approaches to share workload.

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Trust leaders and governors provide challenge and support to the school and commit to engaging well with parents. Many parents support the recent changes to staff and leaders. Most recognise they are having a positive effect.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep pupils safe. Staff know how to report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders keep thorough records to enable them to track these.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with a range of agencies when pupils and families need help. Well- thought-out decisions mean families get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

The appropriate checks are in place to ensure staff are suitable to work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects in the wider curriculum, leaders do not assess what pupils know and what they need to learn next. Subject leaders should check pupils’ understanding of their subjects to assure themselves of the quality of learning over time.  School leaders’ expectations about the care pupils take in their work are not met consistently. As a result, some pupils do not record their work effectively in, for example, mathematics. This limits pupils’ ability to calculate accurately, which leads to errors in their work. Leaders must ensure that teachers have clear expectations of how work is set out. 2 and 3 November 2022

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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. 2 and 3 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241605 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

 Shaw Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School converted to become an academy in April 2015. When its predecessor school, Shaw Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was graded requires improvement.  There have been significant staff and leadership changes since the school became an academy. There is an interim headteacher in post from September 2022.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school uses two registered 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.

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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 has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 2 and 3 November 2022

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 Inspectors met with the interim headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant principals, the director of primary education, the chief executive officer, special educational needs coordinator and three representatives of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects, including music and history.  Inspectors listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered 53 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Hilary Goddard Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 November 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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