Eastington Primary School

Inspection of Eastington Primary School Churchend, Eastington, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3SB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well at this school. They respect each other and staff. They take pride in everything that they do. Pupils make a highly positive contribution to the life of the school. Pupils actively support the well-being of other pupils. Pupils in Year 6 support and play with younger pupils at breaktime. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They know that staff deal with it swiftly if it does occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations, and pupils follow them without question. As a result, this is a happy and harmonious school. Everyone feels part of a productive team.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders encourage pupils to eat healthily, do physical exercise and take care of their mental health. For example, on the day of the inspection, all key stage 2 pupils played in a tag rugby tournament. The after-school clubs available to pupils support leaders’ ambitions further. Pupils enjoy attending them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils understand their different stages of growth, and how they are affected by them. They have a mature understanding of equality and diversity. They know about protected characteristics within the Equality Act 2010. They understand fundamental British values, and why they are important.

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better?

Leaders have put in place a well-sequenced curriculum. They have thought carefully about how to manage this in the mixed-age classes. However, leaders have not paid close enough attention to teachers’ subject specialisms and expertise. At times, therefore, expectations of what pupils can achieve is not high enough.

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better?

Teachers use assessment well to check what pupils can remember following their learning. For example, they recap and ask questions frequently. They also make sure that pupils remember subject vocabulary, and what it means. Leaders, including governors, make sure that assessment is effective, without being burdensome for staff.

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better?

Reading is a success in the school. Staff have received training on how to deliver the new phonics scheme effectively. From Reception Year onwards, pupils learn phonic sounds, and use this knowledge to spell words accurately. In Reception, some children can already write simple sentences independently. Weaker readers use their phonic knowledge to sound out words, and become more confident readers as a result. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know, which helps them to practise efficiently. Pupils, throughout the school, enjoy going to the library. Staff advise pupils carefully about what to read, either at home or at school.

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better?

Leaders have made writing a priority following the COVID-19 pandemic. They focus on handwriting and on supporting pupils to build their stamina to write longer 6 and 7 December 2022

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pieces. Staff ensure that all pupils write legibly and apply punctuation and grammar correctly.

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The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This develops their knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know and can do with increasing fluency and independence. As a result, pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils learn as well as their peers.

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Pupils, from Reception Year onwards, consistently have very positive attitudes and commitment to their education. They show motivation and persistence in the face of difficulties. On the very rare occasion that any pupil struggles with this, leaders take intelligent, fair and effective action to support them. Consequently, pupils succeed in their education.

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Pupils are reflective, and staff encourage them to consider awe and wonder in the world around them. Pupils are invited to contribute their ideas about how behaviour is managed in both the classroom and the playground. This means that pupils behave very well and have a secure understanding of right from wrong, which starts in Reception. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum prepares pupils to be ready for their next steps in education successfully. Pupils demonstrate many traits that will make them effective citizens of the future.

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Governors support and challenge school leaders competently. They are rightly proud of the school and its achievements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Recruitment checks are secure and up to date.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received training on the latest aspects of the ‘Keeping children safe in education 2022’ statutory guidance. Leaders have considered ways to respond age- appropriately to Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when online and how to form healthy relationships with others.

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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, expectations of what pupils are capable of are not high enough. Where this is the case, pupils are not challenged sufficiently to develop their subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum, in all subjects, is suitably ambitious. 6 and 7 December 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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.eastingtonprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 March 2008

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any 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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair of governors, the vice-chair of governors and two other governors, the headteacher, staff and pupils. The lead inspector had a telephone call with the school improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, mathematics, history and science.  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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors looked at the single central record and discussed case studies of vulnerable pupils with the designated safeguarding lead. They spoke to staff and pupils about the training and education they had received about keeping safe.  Inspectors took account of the Ofsted survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sean McKeown 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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