The Elton CofE Primary School of the Foundation of Frances and Jane Proby

Inspection of a good school: The Elton CofE Primary School of the Foundation of Frances and Jane Proby School Lane, Elton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE8 6RS

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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 kind to each other. They have a good understanding of differences in society, such as race and religion. Pupils are very happy at school. They benefit from warm relationships with the staff. Bullying does not happen. Pupils are confident that adults would help if they had any concerns. This helps to keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their lessons. Leaders have planned a curriculum that encourages thinking about a ‘big question’. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is because the curriculum is not always taught as well as it should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are respectful to each other and to adults. Teachers generally ensure that behaviour is very good in class. The vast majority of pupils are attentive. This allows pupils to focus on their work. In some instances, particularly with regard to children in early years, they take longer to settle and are not as focused as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their interests. Pupils speak positively about their enjoyment of clubs such as the choir and brass band. They learn how to stay healthy and love developing their fitness through football and other sports.

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

Leaders have an ambitious plan for the curriculum. Further work is needed to ensure that the curriculum is being implemented effectively for all pupils. Teachers sometimes do not provide the most appropriate support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where this happens, pupils’ understanding is less secure. In some Jane Proby 14 March 2023

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subjects, leaders do not adequately check how well teachers are delivering the curriculum. At times, there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to revisit and recall important content. This means they do not have a good understanding of what they have been taught.

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In the best subjects, the curriculum is well planned and organised to build on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills. For example, in mathematics, teachers deliver lessons that support pupils to do well. They use appropriate resources to ensure that pupils remember their learning. They use assessment well to identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding. Pupils are positive about what they have learned and are assured about their achievements.

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Leaders are developing the use of assessment across foundation subjects. In some subjects, assessment is effective in ensuring that the most important content has been learned by pupils. In these areas, pupils are more confident about what they know and can do. However, teachers do not consistently identify and address gaps in pupils’ understanding in all subjects. This means that in some areas, some pupils, including some with SEND, struggle to do as well as they should.

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Leaders have implemented a new reading scheme to support pupils to learn to read. Pupils speak positively about reading. Older pupils are knowledgeable about the books they have read. However, leaders have not prioritised reading sufficiently, particularly for younger children. Some pupils who have fallen behind in their reading are not catching up quickly enough. Some staff are not adequately trained to support pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

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There is a positive and friendly culture in the school. The majority of pupils behave very well, and the learning environment is friendly and welcoming. During playtime and while moving between classes, pupils are kind and well mannered. They learn to be considerate. For example, older pupils listen to each other carefully and wait for others to finish speaking before adding their views. Children in early years are polite and kind. When they get distracted, they are not always supported to refocus quickly enough. However, when adults intervene, children listen well. They learn to play with their peers and show good levels of curiosity in their activities.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ spiritual and wider development. Pupils take part in a range of trips and events that support their understanding of the curriculum. For example, they speak passionately about their visit to a Victorian workhouse. They are also proud to be ‘worship leaders’, where they teach prayers and hymns to their peers. Pupils learn how to stay healthy and have a good understanding of how to be safe.

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Leaders have ensured that staff well-being is prioritised. Staff and parents are incredibly positive about the school. However, leaders’ monitoring of the curriculum does not ensure that all pupils are fully supported to achieve well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Jane Proby 14 March 2023

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Leaders have ensured that staff are appropriately trained to identify any potential risks to pupils. Staff know how to identify these risks and how to report them if they need to. While current leaders have not needed to access external support for pupils, they know the processes for doing so.

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Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils have a trusted adult to talk to if they need to.

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Leaders have not established robust systems for record-keeping. Information is stored in different areas and is not always readily accessible. This has not placed pupils at risk of harm, but it increases the risk of information being lost or not acted on in a timely manner.

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While there were some administrative errors that were corrected during the inspection, leaders have ensured that checks on adults who work with pupils are completed before they start work at the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not considered carefully enough how they will check what pupils know. This means that they are not clear about what pupils have remembered or what targeted support they may need. Leaders need to implement and monitor effective systems that assess what pupils have learned.  Leaders have not ensured that staff are sufficiently knowledgeable in phonics teaching. Children are not given immediate support to catch up quickly if they fall behind. This is slowing down the progress that pupils make. Leaders need to make sure that all staff are sufficiently trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively.  Leaders’ checks on safeguarding records, including the single central record of pre- employment and vetting checks, are not rigorous enough. Leaders store information in different areas, which means it is not always readily available when needed. Leaders should make sure that safeguarding systems allow designated staff to quickly access

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Background

When we have judged a school 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. Jane Proby 14 March 2023

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 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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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. Jane Proby 14 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 December 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently 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 early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also scrutinised the language curriculums and pupils’ Latin books.  Inspectors met with staff responsible for the administration of the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. They also met with the designated safeguarding lead to discuss the arrangements that are in place to safeguard pupils. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s safeguarding records and spoke to governors regarding

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 Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their experience of school, including clubs, behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s curriculum plans for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with governors and a representative from the local authority and scrutinised a range of documents relating to school improvement.  Inspectors considered 66 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey. Inspectors took account of 80 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 56 free-text responses. Inspectors also considered 18 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors His Majesty’s Inspector Jane Proby 14 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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