St Matthew's Bloxam CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Matthew’s Bloxam CofE Primary School Webb Ellis Road, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 7AU

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

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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 10 and 11 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Leaders and staff have created a safe environment, where pupils can thrive. Pupils enjoy the variety of activities they can do at school. They appreciate the care and support they get from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations. They want pupils to fulfil their potential. They provide pupils with a wide range of learning experiences. This approach helps pupils to make good progress and to develop their talent and interests. The curriculum prepares pupils well for secondary education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well with each other and respect adults. They behave well around the school and in lessons. Pupils are clear about what bullying is and why it is wrong. They know that staff would be quick to intervene if it happened. Pupils trust the staff and know who they can talk to if they have concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that the school maintains strong links with the diverse community it serves. They organise workshops for parents where they can learn alongside their children. Parents appreciate how leaders and staff make them feel welcome. They value the inclusive ethos of the school.

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better?

Leaders have redesigned the curriculum to improve the quality of education. Learning is now well organised to ensure effective progress from Reception to the end of Year 6.

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better?

In Reception, staff focus on the development of children’s language, communication and social skills. Children learn key elements of early literacy and numeracy. They explore a range of topics that prepare them well for key stage 1. The curriculum in key stages 1 and 2 includes a wide range of subjects. By the end of Year 6, pupils have studied what they need to start secondary education with confidence.

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better?

Teaching is focused on ensuring that pupils can remember and apply what they learn. For example, in mathematics, pupils have regular opportunities to revisit important learning. They apply their knowledge well to solve problems. In geography, each unit starts with a ‘big question’ that focuses pupils’ attention on the most important things that they are going to be learning about. In physical education, teachers make sure that pupils apply skills they learned in previous lessons when they start new activities. In all the subjects that pupils study, teachers check pupils’ work during lessons to identify and correct misconceptions.

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better?

Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons. They enjoy the activities that teachers plan for them, work well with each other, and do not disrupt each other’s learning. 10 and 11 January 2023

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The disruption caused as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic combined with some staffing issues have delayed the development of some areas of the curriculum. Teaching and assessment practices are well established in mathematics, English and science. However, teachers are still developing approaches to teaching and to checking pupils’ progress over time in a few other subjects.

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From the start of Reception, staff make sure that all children have the teaching and support they need to learn to read well. Staff teach a well-established phonics scheme. In key stage 1, targeted support allows most pupils who risk falling behind to keep up with others. The few who struggle to keep up get extra help from well- trained staff to catch up. Support continues for pupils who still need it in key stage 2.

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Pupils have ample opportunities to develop their talents, interests and sense of responsibility. Some lessons and presentations in assemblies focus on diversity, the rule of law and democracy. Pupils learn about the need to respect other people’s beliefs and opinions. Trips, visits, and theme days provide memorable learning experiences. Lunchtime and after-school clubs offering activities like sports, cooking, art or music are well attended.

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Leaders and staff make sure that the school meets the needs of all the pupils. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works well with families and external agencies to identify pupils’ needs with precision. Staff adapt learning and other activities, as required, to ensure that pupils with SEND make effective progress and enjoy all aspects of school life.

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Leaders and staff work well as a team. Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload. Staff value leaders’ support.

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Governors have a clear vision of what the school needs to do to continue to improve. They are dedicated, knowledgeable and provide strong support to the leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All members of staff receive regular, up-to-date training. They are confident to identify and report issues that may affect pupils. Leaders follow up issues referred to them effectively. They work well with external agencies and families to protect pupils who may be at risk.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors have the required expertise to manage safe recruitment and to deal with safeguarding concerns about staff. 10 and 11 January 2023

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Staff teach pupils about a range of risks and how to keep safe. They make them aware of the danger they may be exposed to when using the internet and social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have a clear understanding of what they want the curriculum to look like in each subject. However, currently, there are inconsistencies in teaching and assessment in a few areas. Leaders need to ensure that the approaches to the curriculum, teaching and assessment that they have already designed are put in place consistently in all subjects, providing staff with support to do this where needed.

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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. 10 and 11 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256924 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of the governing body has been in post since September 2020.  The school is a Church of England school, within the diocese of Coventry. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in October 2015. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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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. The 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 headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), and the deputy headteacher, who is also the SENCo. 10 and 11 January 2023

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The lead inspector spoke with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and three other governors. The lead inspector also met with a local authority adviser.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, geography, physical education, and mathematics. 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.  The inspectors checked safeguarding arrangements and school records. The inspectors discussed safeguarding policies and case studies with the DSL. They talked to teachers and other staff about the safeguarding training they had received and how they put this training into practice.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime. The lead inspector talked to parents at the end of the school day.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the online

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inspection questionnaire, including written responses. They also considered responses from staff to the online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gill Turner Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 January 2023

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