Evergreen Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Evergreen Primary School Warwick Road, Bishop Auckland DL14 6LS

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Outcome

Evergreen Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Evergreen Primary School. Staff have extremely detailed knowledge of each pupil and have developed strong, caring relationships with them. Pupils rise to the high expectations that adults have for them. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They move around the school calmly and with great respect. Pupils and staff show great care for each other. Bullying is rare. Records show that when it does happen, staff act quickly to stop it. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils trust the adults who work with them, and feel that they can always go to an adult if they need support with a concern. Staff skilfully support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who find communication difficult are well supported in their interactions with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have SEND. School leaders have designed five pathways, which reflect the very different needs of the pupils. This helps teachers to plan teaching and learning to best meet the needs of the pupils.

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

Leaders know pupils extremely well. They are acutely aware that pupils have a wide range of specific needs. Some of these pupils are provided with a highly specialised curriculum. This reflects leaders’ focus that all pupils should ‘inspire, enjoy and achieve’. Leaders ensure that advice from therapists and other professionals is understood by staff and forms part of the pupils’ specialised curriculum offer.

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

Leaders have ensured that the school’s curriculum makes clear what individual pupils must know and be able to do in all subjects. Leaders have planned this learning carefully so that it is taught in a way which helps pupils to build up knowledge and skills over time. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Staff make skilful adaptations to the curriculum for pupils who have more complex needs. For example, in music lessons, the school has a full body-sized drum so that pupils can lie on it and feel the vibrations of sounds. In science, pupils with sensory needs experience the solar system through a sensory room light display. In physical development sessions, equipment and resources are used in creative ways to ensure that all pupils experience the fullest learning opportunities.

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For the majority of the pupils in school, the curriculum is implemented effectively. However, for a small number of the highest attaining pupils, the curriculum is not yet adapted enough. This means that some pupils are not consistently taught at a level which helps them to move forward in their learning. Leaders are now focusing on the further adaptations to the curriculum needed to help these pupils make more progress through the curriculum.

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Leaders and staff promote pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils enjoy the enrichment activities offered by the school. For instance, veterans visit the school to speak to pupils to develop their understanding of why we mark Remembrance Day. Pupils take part in music festivals and Makaton singing events. Pupils take part in mini police sessions, where they work with police officers to conduct traffic surveys and discuss road safety. Pupils and families appreciate the hairdresser coming to school to help with the personal care of pupils who find visiting a hairdresser distressing.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive for their workload and well-being. Governors support the school well and provide effective challenge to leaders. Leaders continually consider the ways in which they can move the school forward for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders ensure that the required checks are carried out when recruiting new staff. Training and induction records are carefully maintained and managed. All staff have regular and relevant training on how to keep pupils safe. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Leaders know pupils, families and the community well. Staff engage appropriately with outside agencies to provide help and support for pupils when needed. Adults plan activities to help pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe that are relevant to the specific needs of pupils and the potential risks they may face.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For a small number of higher attaining pupils, the curriculum is not delivered as well as it could be. This means that some pupils do not make as much progress through the curriculum as they could. Leaders need to complete their review of adaptations to the curriculum to ensure that staff consistently meet the needs of all pupils. 6 and 7 December 2022

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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 January 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.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Head of school

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

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation of schools.  The pupils are grouped into pathways which reflect their level of SEND. Pupils are able to move between the pathways on their journey through the school.  The school does not use alternative education providers.

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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 executive headteacher, the head of school, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors also met with a number of members of the governing body and the school improvement partner.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and physical development. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, 6 and 7 December 2022

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looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of work and other evidence of the educational experience of the pupils.  Inspectors visited pupils across the school, including children in the early years foundation stage.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record, which includes recruitment checks made on staff.  The views of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey were considered. The responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, were also taken into account. Inspectors spoke to pupils in school.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Barton Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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