Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary School Church End, Great Rollright, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire OX7 5SA

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Outcome

Great Rollright Church of England (Aided) Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Great Rollright is a caring school where everyone is appreciated. Pupils like the way they are taught and that everyone is equal. Pupil voice is important. Pupils play an active role in making decisions about the school. The eco-committee and school council meet regularly to plan events and activities. Pupils are encouraged to make choices about their learning. For example, in early years, the children vote daily for their class story book.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils love learning and their attitudes to learning are positive. They enjoy lessons that make them think and appreciate when teachers challenge them. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to attend clubs and to go on trips that help them to learn more.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and respectful and they understand the importance of good behaviour. They are courteous towards each other and have good manners. In early years, children cooperate very well during paired reading sessions. They know how to take turns. Pupils are happy, feel safe and enjoy coming to school. They say that bullying does not happen often. When it does, adults deal with it swiftly.

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

The curriculum is well planned and ambitious for all pupils. Leaders are clear about the knowledge they want pupils to learn. They make sure that staff plan opportunities for pupils to remember important knowledge. This includes for pupils who join the school mid-year. These pupils receive additional support when required. This helps most pupils to achieve well in a broad range of subjects. However, in some foundation subjects, leaders have not defined clearly enough the key subject knowledge they want younger pupils to learn. This means that these children do not always learn as much as they could. 31 January 2023

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Pupils achieve well because staff think carefully about how pupils learn best. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They explain concepts to pupils well and guide them through their work. In some subjects, teachers provide useful physical resources to help pupils understand. This attention to detail means that the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are met. Most teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. For example, fluency checks are used at the beginning of each mathematics lessons. Pupils value these checks as they help them improve.

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Reading is a priority. Pupils enjoy reading. They know that reading is important. This starts in the early years where teaching is consistent and highly effective. All staff are well trained to teach phonics. As a result, pupils use the tools that help them learn the different sounds with confidence. Teachers use assessment well to ensure that pupils keep up. They are skilful when supporting pupils who need extra support to keep up. As a result, nearly all pupils learn to read well.

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Teachers choose books for pupils to read that support the wider curriculum. Pupils are able to make links in their learning and are eager to talk about the books they are reading in class, the author visits and the school library. Older pupils take responsibility to recommend books they enjoy to younger pupils.

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Leaders have made sure there are a wide range of experiences for all pupils, ensuring no one is left out. Teachers plan trips out into the local community to bring the curriculum to life. Older pupils all learn to play a musical instrument. All pupils enjoy the visits to the orchestra and opera. Pupils also have the opportunity to visit local secondary schools to take part in special subject days. Older pupils said this helps them get ready for their next steps.

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Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer for their broader development. They are taught the importance of democracy from the start. All pupils vote for their school council representatives. Older pupils take on a range of responsibilities, including school librarians, sports captains and ‘anti-bullying ambassadors’. At lunchtime, older pupils lead all pupils in stretching exercises to get them ready for learning in the afternoon. The younger pupils aspire to these roles.

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The eco-committee plays an important role in the school. Pupils work together to create an action plan for the school environment each year. They focus on their priorities and understand how their actions can lead to improvements in school.

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Leaders ensure that all staff feel supported and have opportunities for development. Staff recognise the school’s positive culture and vision and the role they play in it. They feel appreciated and included in decision-making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 31 January 2023

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Staff know their children and families well. All staff understand the clear systems in place to identify pupils who need support. Leaders are swift to respond to concerns. They involve outside agencies and communicate regularly with parents about the support available in school.

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Leaders provide regular safeguarding training for all staff and ensure that their knowledge is kept up to date. Systems for recruitment are robust. Governors check regularly that the school’s safeguarding procedures are sound.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They can explain how to have positive relationships with each other and how to be safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not defined clearly enough the key subject knowledge they want younger pupils to learn. As a result, pupils cannot talk about what they are learning. Leaders must make sure that the knowledge they want pupils to learn for each subject is refined and defined clearly.

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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 March 2013.

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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. 31 January 2023

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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. 31 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241721 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 20 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Oxford. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school took place in December 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due to take place in the next academic year.  Pupils are currently taught in mixed-age year groups for part of the day.

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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 held meetings with the headteacher and staff. The lead inspector met with two governors, including the chair of governors. She also had phone calls with a representative of the Diocese of Oxford and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at some samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector heard pupils 31 January 2023

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read to a known adult. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school during lessons, at lunch and at breaktimes. The inspectors also met with groups of pupils to gather their views about the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors spoke with staff and pupils and considered a wide range of records and documents. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the school’s safeguarding arrangements and consider information about the recruitment of staff.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff through the online surveys and by meeting with them.  Inspectors took account of parents’ views through the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and through parents’ free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Charlotte Wilson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew Ofsted Inspector 31 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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