Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School Temple Sowerby, Penrith, Cumbria CA10 1RZ

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Outcome

Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a strong sense of community in this small and welcoming school. They treat each other with kindness. Pupils, including children in the early years, benefit from caring relationships with staff. Parents appreciate the strong support that staff provide. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to their concerns and worries. Bullying is rare, and leaders deal well with any incidents that do occur. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and appreciate the high expectations that staff set for them. Pupils cooperate well with each other and work hard in lessons. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities. These help pupils develop a sense of connection to their local community and an understanding of the wider world. For example, pupils fundraise for a range of charities and contribute to their local food bank. They enjoy regular visits to places of local historical and geographical interest. Pupils also learn about different religious festivals and take part in international projects. They recently talked with an African author and discussed the different ways of life in other countries.

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

Leaders and governors have transformed the overall design of the curriculum. The curriculum is broad and ambitious. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the important information that they want pupils to know and the order in which they should learn it.

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

In most subjects, teachers deliver the curriculum well. They benefit from the training and support that they receive to develop their subject expertise. However, on occasion, leaders’ assessment systems do not enable teachers to find out precisely what pupils have 19 January 2023

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remembered and understood. This means that teachers cannot then devise learning which builds as well as it could on what pupils already know and can do.

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders and teachers are adept at quickly identifying pupils’ needs. They secure early support and expert help for pupils with SEND when needed. Leaders provide teachers with helpful information. They support teachers to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. This ensures that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers and achieve well.

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Leaders place a strong emphasis on reading from the early years to Year 6. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often, both in and out of school. They enthusiastically take part in reading challenges and enjoy regular trips to the local library. Leaders have successfully introduced a new phonics programme. This is taught from the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff are well trained and they deliver this new programme with confidence. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. Pupils who fall behind receive effective support to help them to catch up. As a result, most pupils become confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils can get on with their work in lessons without any distractions. Leaders establish effective routines right from the start in the early years. Pupils treat each other with respect. They show consideration through thoughtful actions and behaviour. Older pupils take good care of younger children. If any conflict arises, leaders support pupils to talk to each other and restore positive relationships.

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Leaders have deliberately planned and extended the opportunities that pupils have to develop themselves beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils are encouraged to be active citizens in the community by raising money for local charities. They also take part in the ‘Cumbria Climate Change Summit’. At this event, they debate climate action and sustainability. As part of a local sports partnership, pupils access healthy activities such as horse riding and cross-country running. In addition, pupils speak with pride about their positions of responsibility, for example as house leaders and digital monitors.

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Staff feel valued. They appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their well-being. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the time and support that they receive so they can carry out their roles effectively. Governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge for leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. Staff are clear about the procedures for reporting concerns. There is a culture of care and vigilance in the school.

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Safeguarding

Staff forge strong relationships with pupils. They know pupils and their families well. This helps staff to identify any potential concerns. Leaders make timely and appropriate 19 January 2023

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referrals to external agencies when needed. Consequently, pupils and their families can access the help and support that they need.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum includes important information about how pupils can keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn about internet safety and road safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders’ assessment systems do not enable teachers to identify what pupils have learned and remembered. This means that sometimes teachers do not help pupils to build upon their prior learning as well as they could. Leaders should refine their assessment systems so that teachers can clearly identify and address the gaps in pupils’ long-term knowledge.

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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 2014.

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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. 19 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of governors and several other new governors have recently been appointed to the governing body.  School leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  This Church of England school is in the Diocese of Carlisle. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in July 2019.

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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 headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and a range of staff. The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each 19 January 2023

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deep dive, they met 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 lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from a range of year groups. Inspectors also observed and spoke to pupils at social times.  Inspectors considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. The lead inspector spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils. They spoke with staff to understand how they keep children safe.  Inspectors also spoke with staff to discuss leaders’ support for them.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Lobodzinski Ofsted Inspector 19 January 2023

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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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