Alderman Jacobs School

Inspection of a good school: Alderman Jacobs School Drybread Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE7 1XJ

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Outcome

Alderman Jacobs School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Alderman Jacobs School is a warm and happy place where pupils enjoy their learning. All aspects of school life reflect the school’s values of energy for life, learning and the environment. Pupils share strong relationships with each other and adults. Pupils are kind to each other, and bullying is very rare. They are confident that staff will sort out any worries. Pupils can share any worries through ‘worry monsters’, as well as by speaking to an adult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They listen carefully to each other and adults. A few pupils sometimes find it hard to manage their emotions. Skilled adults support them effectively. Some pupils attend a nurture unit run by the school. This provides a calming environment in which to learn for those who need this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value their learning and talk about this with confidence. They appreciate the opportunities leaders provide to broaden their interests and take on responsibilities. These include play leaders, eco-warriors, members of the school council and reading buddies. Year 6 pupils enjoy running the school tuck shop. Pupils also enjoy a broad range of after- school and lunchtime clubs as well as visits.

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

Leaders have skilfully constructed an ambitious curriculum. Leaders’ curriculum plans link to the school’s values, such as identity and diversity. Leaders ensure teachers have appropriate training. This helps teachers to plan and deliver effective learning activities in most subjects. Staff working with pupils have good subject knowledge. They introduce new subject vocabulary clearly.

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

In most subjects, teachers check pupils’ understanding of new concepts regularly. They provide appropriate opportunities for pupils to review what they have learned. This helps pupils to remember important subject knowledge. In a few subjects, this is less established. Teachers do not always spot where pupils’ understanding is less secure. This 2 and 3 March 2023

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means that teachers do not always identify precisely what pupils need to learn next or spend more time learning.

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Subject leaders know how well teachers are delivering the planned curriculum. They identify any areas that need improvement. Leaders are continually refining the curriculum.

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Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. Their chosen reading scheme builds systematically on pupils’ phonic knowledge. All adults are skilled at teaching phonics. Children in pre-school learn to identify different sounds, such as those they hear in nature. In Reception, children build on this and soon learn new sounds and words. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know, so they can practise these. Adults regularly check how well pupils are reading. They put in extra help for any who are falling behind. Consequently, most pupils quickly become confident readers. They read more complex books as they move through school. Pupils talk excitedly about their favourite books and authors.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Starting in the early years, leaders are quick to identify pupils’ needs. Teachers adapt the curriculum so that pupils experience success. Skilled adults deliver carefully planned, personalised support for pupils with SEND who need this. They know the pupils very well. Relationships are strong and caring. Leaders draw on advice from external professionals to help them meet the needs of pupils with the highest levels of SEND.

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Pupils behave well in class and when moving around the school. This is because they learn from pre-school upwards what adults expect of them. Leaders have chosen a therapeutic approach to support behaviour. Adults use consistent language when they talk to pupils about their behaviour. Pupils understand this approach and say they like it. If any pupil’s attention starts to wane, adults are quick to refocus them. Pupils then respond appropriately. Pupils listen well and are eager to learn. They take pride in their work. During breaktimes and at lunchtime, pupils play happily together.

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Leaders have ensured that the wider curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. They provide many enriching extra-curricular experiences. These help pupils to learn about themselves and the wider world. Pupils develop their resilience, talents and interests through a range of clubs and activities. These include residential visits. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures. They are tolerant and respectful of others.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They are well supported. Leaders take account of staff workload when introducing changes. Staff appreciate the high-quality training and support leaders provide. This helps them to continually develop their practice.

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Trustees know the school well. They make regular checks to see the impact of leaders’ work. They support and challenge school leaders effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 and 3 March 2023

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Leaders have established a strong culture of vigilance. All staff are well trained and understand how to report a concern. Adults know pupils well and understand the signs that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. Leaders provide timely support to pupils and their families when concerns are raised. This includes working closely with external agencies when necessary.

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Thorough checks are made on staff, visitors and volunteers. Trustees maintain a clear oversight of safeguarding to ensure that leaders are doing all they can to keep pupils safe.

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The curriculum ensures that pupils learn how to stay safe at school, at home and when working online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, such as art, assessment practices are not as fully developed as in others. In these subjects, teachers do not always identify the next steps in learning as precisely as they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers know exactly how well pupils are learning in these subjects and use this to inform their planning.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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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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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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 and 3 March 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-size primary school.  A pre-school for children aged three and four is provided on site and managed by those responsible for governance. They also oversee before- and after-school provision.  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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art to evaluate the quality of education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, considered curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. Other aspects of the curriculum were also scrutinised to provide further evidence for the quality of education.  Inspectors observed some younger pupils read to staff and talked to them about their 2 and 3 March 2023

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reading. They also spoke to older pupils about reading.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the site. They met with groups of pupils to seek their views of the school. They also spoke to pupils informally in class, around the school and during breaktimes. Inspectors also spoke with staff about their workload and well-being and pupils’ behaviour.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised the single central record and reviewed safeguarding paperwork and systems. Inspectors spoke with leaders, teachers, support staff, members of the trust board and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and early years leader. The lead inspector met with members of the trust board, including the chair. Additionally, the lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the school adviser.

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including curriculum plans and school development plans.  Inspectors considered the views of parents. An inspector spoke with parents at the end of the school day. Inspectors considered 66 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and 65 free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the views of staff There were no responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Joan Beale, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Dawes Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 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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