Errington Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Errington Primary School Windy Hill Lane, Marske-by-Sea, Redcar, North Yorkshire TS11 7BL

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Outcome

Errington Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a warm and welcoming environment for pupils. They provide pupils with a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Leaders use these to encourage pupils’ curiosity. For example, pupils in Year 2 recently learned about the solar system while participating in ‘space camp’. As part of their learning about other faiths, pupils participated in a question-and-answer session with a local Buddhist leader.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. Their behaviour is of a high standard. Pupils receive regular rewards in recognition of their positive conduct. They understand the importance of being kind to each other. Pupils and adults all subscribe to the school motto ‘Be kind, be ready, be curious’. One pupil explained that they enjoy school because ‘every child is kind, caring and generous’. At social times, pupils play well together. Bullying is rare. Pupils know the difference between bullying and being unkind. They have confidence in adults to resolve incidents effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During lessons, pupils focus on their learning. They enjoy lessons and trust their teachers to help them when they encounter difficulties. The curriculum extends beyond what is required. For example, pupils benefit from the school’s forest school provision. Most pupils achieve well. This helps them to be prepared for moving on to secondary school.

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

Since the appointment of the headteacher in September 2021, leaders have focused on improving the quality of the curriculum. They have prioritised subjects such as reading and mathematics, as these help pupils to access other subjects. Leaders have made sure that what pupils learn in key stages 1 and 2 builds on what they know from the early years. Leaders are continuing to improve other subjects, including some foundation subjects.

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

Leaders have ensured that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. They have trained staff in how to deliver the school’s phonics scheme. Children begin learning 29 and 30 March 2023

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phonics in nursery. When they come across new words, pupils use their phonic knowledge to sound them out. They do this with growing confidence. Pupils read with increasing speed and accuracy. Adults support pupils who need additional help with their reading effectively. Pupils enjoy reading. They make regular use of both the school and local community library. Some older pupils act as school library assistants.

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Children in the early years make a positive start to their time in school. Leaders have broken down the long-term outcomes that they want children to achieve into short-term goals. Adults working with children support them to meet these effectively. Children participate in both independent and adult-led activities. During the inspection, children enjoyed planting seeds, in the rich outdoor environment, as they learned about the life cycle of plants.

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Subject leaders have made sure that the curriculum covers the national curriculum. They make timely and appropriate cross-curricular links between subjects. For example, during the inspection, pupils in key stage 2 were reading ‘Running on the Roof of the World’, set in Tibet. Teachers linked this to pupils’ work on physical geography and the formation of mountains in the Himalayas.

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In subjects that are more developed, such as mathematics, leaders have identified and broken down the most important knowledge for pupils to remember. Teachers prioritise this learning within their lessons. They ask questions skilfully to check pupils’ understanding and develop their knowledge. In other subjects, leaders have not routinely identified these most important pieces of knowledge or the small steps pupils should take to secure them. When this happens, although teachers ensure pupils complete tasks, they do not draw out what pupils should actually learn from each activity. As a result, some pupils do not remember this learning securely.

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Teachers understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders have developed systems to identify pupils’ needs quickly. They make use of external agencies, such as educational psychologists, to understand how they can support these pupils effectively. Leaders provide teachers with information about how to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers do this well. A small number of pupils from other schools attend the school’s ‘Haven’ provision. They do so for a short-term placement. Adults working with these pupils have a clear understanding of their needs. They provide bespoke support to these pupils while they attend the setting.

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Leaders place the development of the whole child at the centre of the school’s culture. They support this by providing pupils with a range of leadership and enrichment opportunities. Some older pupils have received training to provide mental health support to their peers. Others take on roles in the school council or as ‘eco warriors’, who contribute to the school’s environmental agenda. Pupils are rightly proud of their roles.

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Governors are ambitious for the ongoing development of the school. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and the challenges it still faces. School leaders benefit from their challenge and support as well as that of the multi-academy trust. 29 and 30 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They are confident to talk to an adult about things that worry them. During personal, social and health education lessons and assemblies they are taught about risks, such as those associated with alcohol and smoking. Some pupils have been supported to lead assemblies on how to keep safe online.

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Safeguarding

Adults know how to report a concern about a pupil’s welfare. They do this promptly. Leaders keep detailed records of the actions taken following a safeguarding concern. These actions are appropriate and timely. Leaders use weekly ‘huddle’ meetings to discuss any concerns they have about pupils’ welfare. They access external services to support pupils when appropriate.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the most important knowledge is not identified and broken down into clear, small steps. In these subjects, teachers are not consistently clear about what pupils need to understand from a lesson or series of lessons. Leaders should make sure that the long-term aims of the curriculum are broken down, so that the small steps that pupils need to secure to achieve these are clearly understood by teachers.

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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 predecessor school, Errington Primary School, to be good in April 2016. 29 and 30 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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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. 29 and 30 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255792 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website https://www.erringtonprimary.co.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Tees Valley Collaborative Trust. The school joined this multi- academy trust in November 2018.  The headteacher began in her post in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school operates an additionally resourced SEND unit called ‘Haven’. This provides six full time assessment places for pupils in key stage 2. Pupils are dual registered during the time they attend this provision. Access to these places is controlled by Redcar and Cleveland local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with members of the trust board, the local governing body and the chief executive officer. 29 and 30 March 2023

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher. They also met with other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, personal development and SEND.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  A range of documentation regarding the support pupils with SEND receive was reviewed by the inspector. The inspector looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  The inspector met with the designated lead for safeguarding. They checked records of actions taken by leaders to keep pupils safe. Inspectors scrutinised the single central record of recruitment checks. A small number of administrative changes were made to the single central record during the inspection.

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 A wide range of pupils and staff talked with the inspector, formally and informally, about the safeguarding culture in school over the course of the inspection.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans.  A range of information regarding behaviour and attendance was reviewed by the inspector. They observed the behaviour of pupils at social times.  The views of parents, pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Thomas Wraith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 29 and 30 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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