Dunnington CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Dunnington C of E Primary School Dunnington, Alcester, Warwickshire B49 5NT

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Dunnington Primary. It is a friendly and welcoming school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Current leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils generally work hard to meet these expectations and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff agree that current leaders have addressed poor behaviour that was previously disrupting learning for some pupils. There is still some work to do to ensure that every pupil is equally engaged in their work. Pupils cooperate in class and care for each other on the playground. In the early years, children play and learn happily together. Adults deal with bullying effectively and pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the Dunnington values of caring, believing and succeeding. They are proud to wear their values badges that are awarded following nominations by their classmates. Pupils have opportunities to become library champions, school councillors and house captains. These roles help pupils understand how to be responsible. Pupils can attend clubs such as art club, sporting clubs and Christian club. Older pupils take part in residential trips. They learn to understand and respect other faiths and cultures. These experiences broaden their interests and ensure they are ready for the next stage of their education.

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

Current leaders have quickly established a clear and accurate view of the school. Parents and carers and staff have confidence in their leadership and recognise recent improvements. Leaders have plans for further school improvement and are ambitious for all pupils. 2 March 2023

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Leaders have established a clear, sequenced curriculum that outlines what pupils should learn and when. This starts from the early years and ensures that new learning builds on what pupils already know. For example, in mathematics in Reception, children learn to use the term ‘half’. They confidently explain that in order to halve the food for two monsters, they have to check that each monster has an equal amount. In key stage 1, pupils find halves and quarters of shapes and numbers. This knowledge builds and progresses over time so that the oldest pupils are able to complete calculations using more complex fractions. This meaningful progression supports pupils to be ready for mathematics in secondary school.

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Leaders’ plans to monitor how well pupils learn in some subjects were interrupted while they focused on improving behaviour and safety. Some staff and subject leaders are new to their roles. They have not had opportunities to check how well pupils are learning. This means leaders do not yet know how well the planned curriculum and assessments are working.

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Teachers present subject matter clearly. They ensure that pupils build knowledge, such as map skills in geography, from Reception to Year 6. Teachers use questioning to check what pupils know. Teachers use this information to adapt their teaching so that pupils with gaps in their learning can catch up. This includes adapting tasks to make sure that pupils with SEND achieve well. Staff are quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. The curriculum is equally ambitious for these pupils as it is for others.

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Staff encourage a love of reading in pupils from the very start of Reception. The youngest children vote each day to select the books that teachers read to them. Children in early years begin learning to read as soon as they start school. Staff ensure that pupils learn sounds every day. Pupils read from books that match the sounds they know. However, there is some variability in how well staff deliver some aspects of the early reading curriculum. Leaders are aware that they need to check more carefully how well pupils are learning new sounds.

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Current leaders have set clear routines and expectations for behaviour. This has improved pupils’ conduct and learning at school. Many pupils confirm that they can now concentrate better on their learning. However, not all staff follow leaders’ expectations for dealing with low-level disruption and disengagement in classrooms. Adults do not always insist that all pupils fully engage in lessons. This means that a few pupils are not always focused on learning.

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There have been some significant recent changes on the school’s governing body. New governors are enthusiastic and committed. However, they recognise that they need training to build their capacity to fully support leaders to continue to improve the school.

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Staff are positive and proud to work at the school. Adults care about the pupils. They recognise recent improvements at the school and know that there is further work to do. They say they are ‘up for the challenge’ and excited about this. They feel well supported by leaders who are considerate of their well-being and workload. 2 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils’ well-being and safety is a priority. They are diligent in ensuring that pupils are safe. All staff receive effective training in safeguarding. This means they know how to identify signs that a pupil may be at risk. Staff take prompt action in response to any concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make robust checks on new staff or volunteers when they join the school. Staff have built positive relationships with pupils and families and offer effective pastoral support when required. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand what to do if they have any worries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ high expectations of behaviour and learning in classrooms are not always met. A few pupils sometimes lack engagement in lessons, which can affect the learning of others. Leaders should ensure their expectations of behaviour and learning are consistently understood and applied by staff so that behaviour throughout the school day reflects their high ambitions.  Some leaders have not yet had the opportunity to fully evaluate their curriculum or area of responsibility to identify how well pupils are building new knowledge over time. As a result, subject leaders do not have all the information they need to contribute fully to further curriculum improvements. Leaders should continue their work to develop subject leadership so that all subjects and areas of the school’s work are equally developed, monitored and embedded.  Some governors are new to their roles and do not have a secure understanding of all

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

aspects of governance. They do not yet have the expertise to fully challenge and support leaders to improve the school. Governors should ensure that they receive training to build their capacity to fully support and challenge leaders.

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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. 2 March 2023

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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.

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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 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Monica Gamble (interim headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Coventry. The school’s most recent section 48 church school inspection was in October 2017.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The substantive headteacher was not in school at the time of the inspection. The interim headteacher took up post in November 2022.  A new chair of governors was appointed in September 2022.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 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 early reading, mathematics and geography. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 2 March 2023

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 The inspectors had meetings with the interim headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead and representatives of the governing body. The lead inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors examined a range of school documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey. The inspector spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read to a

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familiar adult. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from across the school.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson His Majesty’s Inspector 2 March 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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