Sytchampton Endowed Primary School

Inspection of Sytchampton Endowed Primary School Sytchampton, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire DY13 9SX

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school where they feel safe and well cared for. Staff know pupils well and relationships are exceptionally positive throughout the school. Pupils have ‘trusted adults’ in school who help them with any problems or worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning and are enthusiastic about the current topics they are studying. However, pupils are not learning well enough in some subjects, including reading and writing. Leaders are taking the right action to further improve the education that pupils experience. The changes they have introduced are having a positive impact for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the rules and one summed up the views of others by saying that pupils at the school are ‘respectful, kind and caring’. Bullying is rare and if it does happen adults deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend a variety of clubs. They say the clubs including craft, sports, cooking and drama are good fun. Older pupils are proud of their extra responsibilities. These include being a play leader, school councillor, well-being leader or a buddy for younger pupils. A favourite annual event is the ‘apprentice project’. Pupils work together to raise money for charities of their choice.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad, interesting curriculum that is carefully sequenced. They have provided training for staff in most subjects. This includes new approaches to how pupils are taught to read and write. This work is at an early stage of implementation. In some subjects, including reading and writing, pupils are not learning well enough. For example, some pupils do not use what they are taught about spelling and punctuation in their writing in subjects across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders want all pupils to read with fluency and to develop a love for reading. Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme to support pupils at the early stages of learning to read. There is some variability in how this programme is delivered. Sometimes learning is not adapted well enough to meet the needs of pupils who find reading difficult. Also, books given to some pupils to practise reading do not match the sounds they know. These pupils do not read confidently. Children in the early years have a better experience so they are learning to read well.

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better?

Leaders have decided upon the knowledge that all pupils should learn. This supports teachers to know what they need to teach. Teachers use assessment information well to plan next steps in learning. In some subjects, including mathematics, pupils learn well and make strong progress. Leaders know that pupils do not always 29 and 30 November 2022

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remember what they have learned in the past in other subjects. This means that some gaps in pupils’ learning are not being addressed as well as they could. This limits the progress that pupils can make in some subjects.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) experience the curriculum alongside their peers. Leaders have made lots of changes to how pupils with SEND are supported. They have introduced a new system of identifying additional needs and strategies to meet the needs of individual pupils. Leaders know that there is more to do to ensure that they are checking the impact of this support to ensure that pupils with SEND achieve as well as they should.

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Children in the early years get off to a great start. They are well supported by the adults who work with them. Adults ensure that there is a strong focus on language development. They plan activities that children enjoy in the well-resourced environment. Adults and parents work in successful partnership to support children’s learning and development.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps and future lives. They know the importance of physical and mental health and they gain an understanding of why everyone should look after the environment. Pupils at Sytchampton are respectful of differences and enjoy finding out about cultures and religions different from their own.

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Governors have high expectations for the school and want the best for staff and pupils. They know what is going well and what needs to get better. They provide effective support and challenge for leaders.

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Staff feel well supported and hold the headteacher in high regard. Staff told inspectors that they work hard but are not expected to complete unnecessary tasks. Parents are positive about the work of school leaders and have noticed the changes that are improving the quality of education at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive training so that they can identify any signs that a pupil’s welfare or well-being is at risk. Staff know how to report any concerns they have about pupils and say that leaders respond quickly. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know not to share personal information online and about the risks that strangers may pose. Older pupils know what a safe relationship should feel like and where to get help if someone makes them feel uncomfortable. 29 and 30 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils find it difficult to remember what they have previously learned in some subjects. This limits pupils’ opportunities to connect prior learning to new learning in order to deepen their understanding. Leaders should evaluate how effective opportunities to revisit and embed learning are so that pupils know, remember and can do more in all subjects across the curriculum.  Some pupils are not writing well enough in subjects across the curriculum. As a result, pupils are not making strong progress in their writing. Leaders should continue with their work to consider how effectively the new writing scheme is being implemented so that the teaching of writing is consistently effective across the school.  Phonics is not taught well enough to pupils who are struggling to learn to read. Teachers do not always ensure that learning is well matched to pupils’ needs or that books are matched well enough to the sounds that pupils know. Leaders

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should ensure that phonics lessons more effectively take account of the needs of all pupils, and that reading books are matched to the sounds pupils know.

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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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242273 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Information about this school

 The school is supported by the Lloyds Foundation. This is a charitable organisation that also supports another local school.  This is a smaller than average primary school. With the exception of Reception class, all classes are mixed year groups.  The school is not currently using any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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 continuing impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 November 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of staff. The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each of these, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and a wide range of safeguarding files. They spoke to the designated safeguarding leader, staff, pupils and parents.  Inspectors considered the responses, including written responses, to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire. They also took account of the responses to the pupil survey and the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Evans, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Wilcock Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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