Little Eaton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Little Eaton Primary School Alfreton Road, Little Eaton, Derby, Derbyshire DE21 5AB

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 December 2022

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Outcome

Little Eaton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, friendly school where everyone is welcome. Pupils are well-mannered, courteous and respectful. Lessons are calm and orderly. This helps pupils to concentrate on their learning. Parents and carers appreciate the strong sense of community the school promotes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the way the school’s ‘PRIDE’ values are celebrated in assemblies. They live out the school rules, recognising how these will help them in school and beyond. Pupils feel safe, knowing that any rare instances of bullying will be dealt with quickly. They know that they can share their worries and concerns with ‘Safety Bear’ and that these will be taken seriously by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited by the wider opportunities they receive. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can take part in a variety of clubs, including sports, music and chess. The youngest children merrily sing songs from their Nativity performance. Others learn to take risks in forest school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their teachers. They appreciate the way adults in school help them when they find things tricky. However, some pupils have gaps in their understanding because leaders have not yet checked how well the curriculum is being delivered.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils in school. They want them to have the best start to their education. They have carefully considered what they want pupils to learn. For example, in art and design, leaders link the artists pupils will study to the knowledge they will learn. For example, in Year 2, pupils consider the work of L.S. Lowry as they develop their knowledge of drawing. In a few subjects, leaders continue to refine and adapt the curriculum so the small steps of knowledge are clearly defined. 14 and 15 December 2022

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Teachers have received training to help them to understand how to deliver the school’s curriculum. For example, leaders support staff in how to use equipment and visual images to develop pupils’ mathematical understanding. Occasionally, in lessons, teachers do not give sufficient priority to the key knowledge they are teaching. Some subject leaders do not have the expertise to make checks to ensure that the curriculum is being delivered as intended. This hinders pupils from making meaningful links in their understanding.

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Teachers use regular ‘flashbacks’ to help pupils remember their previous learning. They encourage pupils to use accurate vocabulary in their explanations. In English and mathematics, teachers make accurate checks on what pupils know and can remember in the curriculum. This is not reflected in other subjects. Leaders have not developed effective approaches to checking what pupils have learned in the wider curriculum. This means teachers cannot make accurate checks on what pupils know and remember.

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Leaders are determined that pupils with SEND will receive the same curriculum as their peers. Staff provide pupils with additional equipment and support to ensure that any barriers to learning are removed.

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Leaders have recently adopted a new early reading programme. All staff have received training to help them understand how to deliver it. Pupils receive reading books that are well matched to their reading development. Pupils enjoy reading. They share many books, including those written by authors who visit the school.

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Children in the early years develop their social skills well. Caring and supportive relationships are established with children and their families. Children use their understanding of writing and mathematics through their play. For example, some children make bus tickets, carefully counting the number of passengers, as part of their role play. Teachers continue to develop the learning environment to enable children to use their ideas and solve problems.

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The ‘positive play’ room is used to support pupils’ well-being. Pupils know this is a safe place where they can talk to adults about their worries and concerns. Adults help pupils to understand their emotions through the ‘zones of regulation’. Staff skilfully support pupils with specific behavioural needs.

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Pupils recognise that everyone is different, but all equal. They understand how rules and laws keep us safe. Pupils know that everyone has rights, including children. Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to learn about different groups in society.

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Governors want the best for all pupils in school. They ensure they check on the information they receive from leaders. Staff appreciate the way leaders manage their workload and well-being. 14 and 15 December 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand the school’s safeguarding procedures. They pass on all concerns about pupils’ welfare promptly, no matter how small. Leaders ensure that they know their families and community well. They work with other agencies to ensure that the right support is in place for pupils. Leaders carry out the essential recruitment checks for adults who work in the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They understand how to stay safe online and understand how to report any concerns they may have.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders do not have the expertise to make checks on their area of responsibility. They do not know what is working well and what needs to be developed. This hinders pupils’ ability to learn the curriculum in a coherent and meaningful way. Leaders must ensure all subject leaders have the knowledge and expertise to check that the curriculum is delivered as intended so that pupils know and remember more of a subject.  Assessment in the foundation subjects is in its infancy. This does not help teachers to accurately check what pupils know or identify the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should develop assessment systems for all subjects so teachers can make checks on how well the school’s curriculum is being remembered by pupils.

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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 June 2013. 14 and 15 December 2022

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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. 14 and 15 December 2022

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School details

Website www.littleeaton.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in January 2020.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and members of the governing body. The inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector 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.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and around school. She sampled some behaviour records and plans. 14 and 15 December 2022

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 The inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans and governing body minutes.  The inspector met with leaders responsible for safeguarding in school. She considered the school’s safeguarding procedures and training records and spoke to staff about their understanding of how to report concerns.  The inspector considered the views given in Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for parents and carers.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 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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