Etwall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Etwall Primary School Egginton Road, Etwall, Derby, Derbyshire DE65 6NB

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Outcome

Etwall Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop strong positive relationships with the staff at this school. They are confident and polite. Teachers remind pupils to ‘be safe, be respectful and be ready to learn’. Pupils rise to these expectations. They feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils take on roles which allow them to demonstrate leadership and responsibility. For example, ‘I-vengers’ promote internet safety and anti-stigma ambassadors promote mental well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils believe bullying is rare. There are occasional fall outs between pupils, but staff sort this out quickly. Pupils know what bullying is. They know it is wrong and they know staff take it seriously. Teachers are aware that pupils will sometimes make bad choices. Teachers encourage pupils to put things right when this occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years benefit from a well-led and planned provision. Children are eager and excited about the new things they will learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The overwhelming majority of parents and carers would recommend the school. Parents recognise the support that staff give to their children. One parent’s comment, which summed up the views of many parents, was, ‘This is a wonderful school that we are proud to have in our village.’

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum has breadth and covers the national curriculum. Leaders have broken down the aims and larger concepts of each subject into the essential knowledge pupils should know. Subject leaders have organised this essential knowledge logically. They have also listed the key vocabulary for each subject and each topic. This helps teachers teach the subject in an effective sequence using the correct terminology. It also allows pupils to build on what they have learned previously. 7 and 8 February 2023 Teachers have a good level of subject knowledge for most of the subjects they teach. They use this well to teach the curriculum. However, not all teachers have been well- enough trained in some subjects. When this is the case teaching is not as effective as it could be.

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

Teachers use appropriate activities to help pupils learn and remember more. This is particularly strong in some subjects. For example, in mathematics teachers encourage pupils to recall prior learning. Teachers introduce new concepts in a way that helps pupils make links with what they already know. Teachers check carefully that pupils understand new concepts before they move on. They re-enforce key terminology, such as equivalence, numerator and denominator, as they teach. This helps pupils gain a depth of knowledge. On occasions, in some subjects this rigour is not as evident. When this is the case, pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge that is set out in the curriculum.

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

Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well in lessons. Pupils with SEND learn the full curriculum. Leaders and teachers work together to identify pupils’ needs. Teachers adapt resources so that pupils with SEND can access the same learning as other pupils.

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

The early reading curriculum allows pupils to become fluent readers. Leaders have prioritised reading. All staff are early reading experts and use a highly consistent approach to teach the alphabet code to pupils. The books that pupils read are matched closely to the sounds that pupils know. This allows them to practise and become more confident readers. Assessment is ongoing and teachers intervene quickly when pupils fall behind so that they keep up with the reading programme. Older pupils enjoy reading too. They read widely and often and continue to develop a love of reading.

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

Children in the Reception Year are well prepared for the next stage. Staff plan activities that engage and develop children’s understanding across all the areas of learning. Children enjoy the daily ‘dough disco’ session. This helps them develop their fine motor skills. Activities that adults set out have a clear educational purpose. Adults guide children through the activities skilfully so they learn through play.

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

The curriculum goes beyond the academic. Pupils learn about staying safe, different types of families and staying healthy. Day trips and residential trips have been re-introduced. Each month the reverend from the local church delivers assemblies. This helps pupils develop spiritually. Books in the reading spine expose pupils to the diversity of modern Britain. Pupils also benefit from a forest school provision.

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

Pupils behave well. They know the school’s rules. In lessons, pupils show enthusiasm and positive attitudes to learning.

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

Leaders have made many changes to improve the school further. They have taken staff with them on this journey. Staff feel well supported. They believe leaders consider their workload and well-being. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders engage external agencies swiftly when they believe a pupil may be at risk of harm. They maintain detailed records of concerns and actions to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Teachers know how to recognise the signs that a pupil might not be safe. Leaders have trained all staff well, so they know exactly how to respond to safeguarding concerns. Staff are vigilant and record and report anything that could be out of the ordinary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know there is a trusted adult to talk to if they have a worry. They know this person will listen and help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not have the skills and knowledge they need to teach some of the foundation subjects effectively. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should when teachers’ subject knowledge is not as secure as it could be. Leaders must ensure that all teachers gain the subject-specific knowledge they need to teach the foundation subjects effectively.  On occasions, pupils do not get the depth of knowledge that is set out in some subjects. The work given to them does not consistently allow them to achieve this. Leaders should ensure that all teachers across all subjects give pupils work that allows them to gain the depth of knowledge that is set out in the curriculum.

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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 October 2012. 7 and 8 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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227868 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Jennifer Mitchell

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in January 2020.  The school does not make use of 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 lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in key stages 1 and 2 reading to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector scrutinised the work pupils had produced for a range of other subjects. 7 and 8 February 2023  The lead inspector met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, and the early years foundation stage.  The lead inspector met with groups of pupils from key stages 1 and 2.  The lead inspector met with the safeguarding leaders to discuss the actions taken to

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Information about this inspection

keep pupils safe. He reviewed a range of documents related to safeguarding, including the school’s single central record.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan.  The lead inspector met with members of the local governing board.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 2023 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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