Paddox Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Paddox Primary School Fareham Avenue, Rugby, Warwickshire CV22 5HS

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Outcome

Paddox Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Paddox Primary School is a caring and welcoming learning community. Pupils come from many diverse backgrounds and faiths, but all are fully included in school life. At playtimes and in lessons, pupils follow leaders’ high expectations. Pupils play happily, work hard and achieve well. All the classes are named after trees. Collectively, they make for a diverse but happy forest.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind, polite and well behaved. They have good relationships with staff and other pupils. They enjoy learning and show positive attitudes to their work. Good behaviour begins in the early years. Children learn to cooperate and listen to adults from the outset. As they move through the school, pupils follow the school rules of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff care about them and provide good support when they need it. A high proportion of pupils, parents and staff agree that pupils are safe at school. Inspection evidence also shows that leaders take bullying very seriously. They act swiftly to address it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of experiences and extra-curricular activities that the school provides. These include school performances, residential visits, forest school, mindfulness club and many different sports activities.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well planned and sequenced in most subjects. Teachers have received training to deliver the planned curriculum. They systematically revisit previous learning. At the start of lessons, teachers ‘boomerang’ back to prior key content to help pupils embed their learning. ‘Pit stop’ questions are also used in lessons to check what pupils know and remember. These checks are most effective where leaders have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary pupils need. However, this is not yet the case across all subjects, or in areas of learning in the early years. This 28 and 29 March 2023 means that teachers cannot accurately check how well pupils’ learning builds over time in these subjects.

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

Children in the early years enjoy the interesting activities teachers plan. Staff have created a well-resourced, nurturing environment where children can flourish. The teaching of early reading and mathematics is successful. It provides the foundations for later learning. Staff pay close attention to developing children’s language, physical and personal skills.

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

Reading is a strength at this school and pupils achieve well. Leaders seek exciting and creative ways to promote a love of reading. Visiting authors, library visits and inviting reading areas all encourage pupils to enjoy literature. Leaders understand the importance of reading. They have successfully introduced a new approach to teaching early reading and writing. This includes investing in high-quality books that are phonics based. This allows pupils to practise what they learn in lessons. Staff provide extra help and lessons for pupils who struggle to read. This is helping them to catch up quickly.

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

Pupils with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well cared for and educated in Brambles, the onsite resource unit. Skilled staff provide effective support for these pupils. Other pupils with SEND receive appropriate work in daily lessons in classrooms. However, leaders do not ensure that the targets set for these pupils are precise and measurable. Leaders do not review these carefully enough or modify them where needed. This reduces the progress these pupils make.

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

Leaders are aware that absence is too high. They have worked hard to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent. There is evidence of improvement for some individuals. However, it remains the case that too many pupils continue to miss vital lessons. This is particularly the case for children in the early years and pupils with SEND.

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

Pupils learn about different cultures and religions through the curriculum. They understand the importance of treating everyone equally and that discrimination of any kind is wrong. Teachers use clever methods to help pupils remember and understand fundamental British values. Pupils know that ‘DR.TIM’ stands for democracy, rule of law, tolerance, individual liberty and mutual respect. They also know precisely what these values stand for and how they are applied in their school.

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

The school is well led and managed. Staff appreciate the approachability and support they receive from senior leaders. This includes managing pupil behaviour and making changes to reduce their workload. Early career teachers are well supported. They receive helpful guidance and training from all leaders and colleagues.

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

Governors have managed the additional provision and growth of the school well. They have carried out robust recruitment procedures to ensure that the right staff and leaders are appointed. Governors provide good levels of challenge and support to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 and 29 March 2023 Leaders ensure that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Staff and governors receive regular training and updates to keep their knowledge up to date. They know the importance of reporting concerns quickly and accurately. Leaders act promptly on the information they receive, so that pupils and families get the support needed. Leaders ensure that all pre-employment checks are carried out to ensure that adults working in school are suitable.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe through the curriculum. They can name at least five trusted adults they would speak to if they were being harmed in any way.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum, including the early years curriculum, is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in all subjects. In a few subjects, the curriculum does not set out the precise content and vocabulary that pupils are expected to know and remember. This leads to variation in pupil achievement in different subjects. Leaders should ensure that all subjects outline the most important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils are expected to know from early years to Year 6.  Targets set for pupils with SEND are too often imprecise. This means that staff cannot measure or assess the progress of pupils. Leaders should ensure that targets are achievable, measurable and precise and that they are systematically reviewed and updated appropriately.  Too many pupils, especially children in the early years and pupils with SEND, are persistently absent. As a result, some of the most vulnerable pupils are not accessing

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the education and care they should. Leaders should ensure that they explore and utilise every avenue to secure improved attendance of these pupils.

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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 a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school would not 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 July 2017. 28 and 29 March 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240834 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The leadership team has changed since the school was last inspected. The headteacher was appointed in September 2022 and the deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2022.  The school has increased from two-form to three-form entry. There are now significantly more pupils on roll than at the time of the last inspection.  A resource base for pupils with SEND has been added to the school. This unit is funded by the local authority and caters for up to 10 pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school took over the provision of before- and after-school club from April 2021. It is known as the Orchard.  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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 28 and 29 March 2023  The inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and they spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics geography and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at work in pupils’ books. Inspectors also discussed planning in science and modern foreign languages and looked at pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to staff.  The inspectors met with all teaching staff to talk about curriculum, staff workload, and

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Information about this inspection

the behaviour and personal development of pupils. They also met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning, behaviour, welfare and life at school.  The inspectors checked the school’s single central record and spoke to the headteacher and pastoral manager about safeguarding procedures. A selection of safeguarding records was examined.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement. Records of attendance and behaviour were checked.  The inspectors talked to parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They gathered the views of pupils and staff through discussion with these groups and from their online questionnaire responses.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Roulla Gabriel Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 March 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

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