Dunston St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dunston St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Back Lane, Dunston, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN4 2EH

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Outcome

Dunston St Peter’s Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, governors and staff are proud of their small and community-focused school. They have ensured that lessons focus on encouraging pupils to be aspirational, to consider their own well-being and to understand society. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Pupils behave well. They focus on their learning and are attentive in their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are not worried about bullying. Should pupils have concerns, they know to share them with staff. Pupils talk positively about their relationships with staff. Every adult knows every child well. One pupil, typical of many, said that they like coming to the school because they ‘trust the adults’ who work there. Parents and carers talked at the school gates about the positive and nurturing environment in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of clubs and trips. They comment enthusiastically about gardening club, book club and cooking club. Pupils grow and then cook food, using the school’s allotment. They take part in sporting activities, such as football. Pupils enjoy educational visits to Lincoln Castle and the Galleries of Justice in Nottingham. They take part in annual charity events, such as ‘Rudy’s Run’.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. They have identified what pupils will learn and when. Before studying a topic, teachers share with pupils the important knowledge they should remember. This helps pupils to focus on and recall this knowledge. Many pupils have a secure understanding of the subjects they study. In the early years, staff work well with children to develop their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge.

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

Most staff share important knowledge with pupils clearly and at an appropriate pace. Some teachers check pupils’ understanding thoroughly. Others do not always ensure that they regularly identify pupils’ misconceptions. On occasion, teachers’ subject knowledge is 2 February 2023

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not as secure as it could be. Some teachers do not consistently select the best activities to help pupils learn the planned curriculum. Leaders have identified this as a priority. Staff talk about the training they have accessed in relation to effective teaching strategies. This work is beginning to have an impact. The work in pupils’ books often demonstrates that the curriculum and teaching are ambitious.

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Leaders have adopted a phonics programme, which pupils follow from the beginning of the early years. All staff have received training to deliver this programme. As a result, staff use consistent strategies to help pupils to learn how to read. Pupils who need extra support are quickly identified. Staff provide these pupils with bespoke support daily. Pupils enjoy reading. Older pupils talk at length about the plots of the books they read in school, and how these books connect with their learning in English and geography lessons.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) study the same curriculum as their peers. Staff identify these pupils’ needs promptly. Leaders have created pupil passports to ensure that staff have the information they need to adapt their teaching for pupils with SEND. For example, staff support pupils with SEND, and any other pupils who require it, to understand key terms and ideas before they encounter them for the first time in lessons. This helps these pupils to develop their knowledge at a similar rate to their peers.

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Pupils are polite and confident. They talk maturely with visitors. They interact positively with one another. Staff work hard to provide pupils with effective support when they need help to manage their behaviour. Pupils behave well in classrooms and during social times.

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Leaders have adopted a well-sequenced personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme. Pupils learn about topics including healthy lifestyles and celebrating difference. They have opportunities to take part in events which foster pride in the local area, such as the Lincolnshire Show. Pupils learn about the wider world.

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Pupils have excellent knowledge of protected characteristics and British values. They learn about democracy by voting for the book they would like to read as a class. They know to accept other pupils’ choices, particularly if the winning book is not one for which they voted. Pupils know that discrimination in relation to protected characteristics is illegal.

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Leaders are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff acknowledge the hard work they have completed in relation to the curriculum. They value this work. They are positive about opportunities to develop their professional knowledge. Governors know and fulfil their statutory duties. They engage with training to develop the knowledge they need to hold leaders to account. 2 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take a focused and reflective approach to safeguarding. They know pupils and their families well. Staff know how to report concerns. There is a culture of professional curiosity. Leaders take timely action to safeguard pupils. They keep detailed records of safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work effectively with wider agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. In PSHE lessons, pupils learn about a range of topics, including healthy relationships. Leaders arrange for external agencies to provide safety sessions. These sessions focus on internet safety, road safety and substance abuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not consistently check all pupils’ understanding thoroughly. As a result, they miss some pupils’ misconceptions and do not always match activities to what pupils actually know. Leaders should ensure that teachers know how best to identify what pupils do and do not know, and know how to use this information to inform what they teach next and how they teach it.  On occasion, teachers lack the necessary subject knowledge to enable them to deliver the curriculum effectively. When this is the case, teachers do not set activities that link in a meaningful way with what pupils have done or learned previously. This can prevent pupils from connecting what they are learning with what they have learned before, so limiting their chances to build their understanding over time.

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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 2012. 2 February 2023

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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. 2 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in July 2017.  This school is part of the Spires Federation.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 carried out deep dives in: reading, mathematics and geography. As part of deep dive activities, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, 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 listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a known adult. 2 February 2023

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 Inspectors met with those responsible for provision for pupils with SEND, personal development, behaviour and attendance.  To evaluate the school’s safeguarding practice, inspectors reviewed the single central record and relevant safeguarding documentation. Inspectors met with leaders and members of staff to discuss safeguarding procedures.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body.  Inspectors spoke with staff about workload and well-being and considered responses to the Ofsted survey for school staff.  Inspectors also considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Matthew Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Halcro His Majesty’s Inspector 2 February 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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