St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Oxford

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Oxford London Road, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 9ED

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Outcome

St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Oxford continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are immensely happy in this inclusive place. Leaders have high expectations. Their motto, ‘Everyone is Different. Everyone is Special’, weaves flawlessly into everyday routines. Pupils understand how it helps them to be compassionate and considerate citizens. They feel safe and say that bullying is rare. Pupils trust that staff will deal with any issues straight away. As one Year 5 pupil said, ‘We respect ourselves and treat everyone just how we would want to be treated.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through an exciting menu of after-school activities, such as judo, hockey, yoga, lacrosse, art and orchestra clubs, pupils gleefully pursue their interests and hobbies. They learn to play musical instruments such as the violin, saxophone, piano and the gamelan. Pupils showcase their creative talents by organising concerts for their families or performing in the community. The church, which is close by, is a much-valued part of school life. Pupils relish their regular visits, particularly at special celebrations throughout the year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Younger pupils love their forest school. They told the inspector that it is important and teaches them valuable skills such as teamwork and problem-solving. Pupils enjoy taking on roles such as being a librarian, part of the Green Team or a member of the school council.

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

Governors and leaders are ambitious for all staff and pupils to fulfil their potential and succeed. Staff are extremely proud to work at St Andrew’s. They feel greatly supported by leaders and governors in managing their workload. Governors visit the school regularly. They provide challenge and support in equal measure. Leaders and governors know what needs to improve further in the quality of education. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Pupils broaden their horizons through a wealth of well-considered experiences and opportunities. For instance, they work with scientists, musicians, artists and authors to find out about different jobs. Pupils take a keen interest in current affairs. They hold thoughtful debates on themes such as equality in sports, refugees, and the ethics of advertising. Pupils really understand how to look after their health and mental well-being. They know what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils respect others’ religious beliefs and traditions. Trips to different places of worship provide valuable opportunities for pupils to learn about and reflect on important aspects of life in modern Britain.

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Leaders focus sharply on making sure that the quality of education is high. Together with their well-motivated and capable team, they have designed a creative and interesting curriculum. For instance, pupils build a broader appreciation of different topics by visiting art galleries and the theatre. They learn about their local heritage and go on trips to the Mini factory and the Ashmolean Museum. Overall, leaders have set out what pupils should learn step by step in all year groups. In a small number of subjects, such as history, leaders are revising the curriculum. This is because, sometimes, teachers do not plan work that helps pupils develop a deep understanding of the important knowledge they need to learn. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in all their work.

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Staff identify any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. When appropriate, leaders engage with specialist agencies to help ensure that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Leaders foster pupils’ love of reading well. The school library and classrooms are stocked with a vibrant selection of texts. These encourage pupils to discover and enjoy a diverse range of literature. Older pupils speak with confidence about why reading is important. Children are enthusiastic about the stories staff share and recommend. Pupils read books that contain the sounds they are taught. However, sometimes, staff do not make sure that pupils learn the correct sounds for letters. As a result, some of the youngest pupils have gaps in their phonic knowledge and do not learn to read quickly enough.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure there is a strong safeguarding culture. They provide staff with up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff are adept at identifying any signs of concern and reporting them swiftly. Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to ensure that any vulnerable pupils and their families receive the help they need. Leaders maintain accurate and thorough records which show evidence of timely action being taken where concerns have been raised. Pupils learn and know how to keep themselves safe in the real and online world.

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 In some subjects, the revised curriculum in not yet fully embedded. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in all their work. Leaders need to continue to embed the revised curriculum and make sure that all teachers are well trained to implement this effectively.  Occasionally, the quality of phonics teaching is inconsistent. As a result, some of the youngest pupils do not learn to read quickly and fluently. Leaders should make sure that all staff teach phonics effectively.

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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 November 2012.

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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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Darren McFarland

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up their posts in September 2022.  This school is a voluntary controlled Church of England school. The most recent Section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in November 2017.  The school does not currently 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. 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, senior leaders, staff and pupils. She met with governors, including the chair. The inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative from the Diocese of Oxford and the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, and looked at a sample of 7 and 8 February 2023

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pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in design technology.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector checked the single central record of recruitment checks and talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding. She also talked to a range of staff and some pupils informally, including during social times.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupils’ survey. She also met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally during social times and in lessons.  The inspector considered the responses to the confidential staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views on the school.  The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the additional free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 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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