Ducklington Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ducklington Primary School Aston Road, Ducklington, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 7US

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Outcome

Ducklington Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this welcoming school are very proud of their learning. They love to talk with each other about their work and discuss their developing knowledge. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to make good progress. Pupils say that they enjoy their lessons which are ‘hard, but not too hard’. This helps to ensure learning is challenging, focused and productive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school atmosphere is calm and friendly. New pupils are integrated quickly. The school’s nursery is closely linked with the main school. This helps the very youngest children to quickly learn the school’s rules and routines when they start. Pupils explore the school’s values in regular assemblies. They demonstrate a keen understanding of how to apply these to their day-to-day lives. As a result, pupils are courteous towards each other and adults. They know what bullying is and say that it is unusual. Pupils are confident that staff would quickly act if it were reported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the support they receive. This includes thoughtful pastoral care as well as guidance on how to stay safe. The individual needs of pupils are carefully identified. Teachers then use this information to sensitively adapt learning in order to help pupils achieve well.

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

Pupils study a broad curriculum which develops from nursery to Year 6. Through this, they become more confident and independent. Leaders make sure that pupils’ individual needs are well known by all staff. This information is regularly reviewed, as well as being discussed and considered as pupils move up through the school. This also helps to ensure that new pupils settle very quickly.

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

Pupils benefit from the expertise of a highly knowledgeable teaching team. Teachers use a wide range of methods to ensure lessons are varied and engaging. They skilfully link 28 and 29 March 2023

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back to prior knowledge which helps pupils to think deeply about what they are learning. Pupils can then apply this to new and interesting topics and concepts.

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Leaders regularly check that pupils are learning the full national curriculum. In many subjects, pupils develop secure knowledge and understanding. For example, they are becoming confident mathematicians because they are taught and specifically use a range of familiar methods. However, in some subjects, the exact knowledge pupils should learn is not as precisely defined. This leads to pupils finding it harder to apply their prior learning to new ideas. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to ensure further curriculum development.

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Teachers regularly check what pupils know and can remember, and use this information to help any pupils who need additional support. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are integrated into classes by teachers who understand their needs well. Teachers plan lessons that incorporate strategies to help all pupils access the intended learning. Where needed, individual sessions are provided by staff, including skilled teaching assistants, to further support pupils’ learning.

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Helping pupils to learn to read is prioritised. This starts with pupils learning phonics in the early years. Pupils read books linked to their phonic knowledge. They take these books home to regularly practise their reading with their parents. Pupils who find learning to read more difficult get the help they need. In key stage 2, leaders have identified that older pupils read less than they did before the pandemic. In response to this, staff have introduced new books to foster pupils’ love of reading. Author visits and book displays have also supported this, helping pupils of all ages to engage with the stories they read.

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Pupils feel safe and supported. Staff deliberately teach pupils how to behave well. They model respectful relationships, which helps pupils to treat each other appropriately. Pupils trust the adults in the school. As a result, they say that having caring teachers is one of the reasons they like coming to school so much.

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Children in the early years benefit from the range of activities and adult-led sessions provided. These strengthen children’s fine-motor skills, communication and social development. Consequently, children share and take turns well. They like to show adults their learning. Children’s understanding of number is prioritised. Many activities help them to practise their number skills. Leaders develop children’s sense of belonging through activities about family, language and cultural festivals.

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Leaders want all pupils to leave the school with the skills they need to flourish, whatever their future holds. Pupils’ wider development is supported through a range of clubs. They develop their understanding of community through planning fundraising activities and performing in regular celebrations. Leaders make sure that as many pupils as possible can access the activities that are offered. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff see safeguarding as a central part of their role. They value the regular training provided by leaders. Record-keeping is systematic. Leaders access support from external agencies when required. They follow up reports and referrals to ensure that these progress as they need to. Leaders are in the process of training additional designated safeguarding leads to further strengthen the oversight of safeguarding.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about staying safe. They know how to use the internet and social media safely. Pupils understand that they must talk to a trusted adult if they are worried about themselves or a friend.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not yet precisely set out the detail and sequence of knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that pupils’ knowledge does not always build sequentially and that teachers can find it more difficult to identify if pupils have gaps. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum in all subjects specifically sets out the knowledge that pupils need to learn, and when they need to learn it.

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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/outstanding. 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 inspected the school to be good in September 2012.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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 10268914 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher began leading the school in September 2020.  The school is part of the Diocese of Oxford. The last Section 48 inspection took place in November 2019.  The school includes on-site nursery provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection of the school since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the SEND coordinator, the early years leader, curriculum leaders, and other staff.  The inspector met with two governors, including the chair of governors. He talked to a local authority representative and a representative from the diocese. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read.  The inspector examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspector scrutinised safeguarding records, checked staff’s safeguarding awareness and met with the designated safeguarding leaders.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ed Mather, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 28 and 29 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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