Allenton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Allenton Primary School Brookhouse Street, Allenton, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 9BB

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Outcome

Allenton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Allenton Primary is happy and inclusive. Pupils talk with pride about their school. They feel safe and cared for. One pupil shared: 'I like the teachers because they are always kind to me. I can talk to the teachers, have fun with the teachers and learn from the teachers.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers enhance lessons by planning regular trips and visits. Pupils value these experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils show positive attitudes towards their studies. Staff and pupils often reference the school's learning superheroes: 'resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness and reciprocity'. These values are lived out by pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils explain that when bullying does happen, staff deal with it well. One pupil told the inspector, 'Teachers always find out what happened. They make sure it doesn't happen again.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have access to a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. They make good use of these. They enjoy taking on extra responsibilities. These include being a 'hall helper' and school councillors. Year 6 pupils enjoy being 'role models' for the rest of the school.

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

Leaders have prioritised early reading and phonics. Staff are well trained and carry out regular assessments. Pupils receive the teaching and support they need to be successful, fluent readers. Interventions are in place to support pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Reading books are matched to the sounds that pupils know. This helps 18 and 19 April 2023

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pupils to read unfamiliar words by blending together the sounds that they know. Pupils enjoy reading. Beyond phonics, the reading curriculum develops pupils' vocabulary and comprehension. The texts that pupils study as a class cover a diverse range of genres, authors and cultures. Pupils explore and discuss these texts in whole-class reading sessions.

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The Reception Year learning environment is well resourced. Children have the opportunity to learn through play. The outdoor area allows children to take risks safely. It provides opportunities for children to develop their gross motor skills. The trust is helping to further improve the early years provision. This is working well. However, the quality of adult interaction with children is inconsistent. Some opportunities to develop children's early language and communication are missed.

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Leaders have developed a well-designed curriculum for all subjects. Lessons are well sequenced. Pupils' knowledge builds progressively over time. 'Tell me what you know tasks' and 'double page spreads' are used to check what pupils remember. Knowledge organisers are in place for each topic. One pupil stated, 'they help me to recap knowledge and help me to remember important information.’ However, some subject leaders rely heavily on senior leaders and the trust for support. They do not fully understand how their subject is planned and implemented.

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In mathematics, pupils get regular opportunities to solve problems and to explain their answers. Teachers provide a wide variety of resources that help pupils to understand what they are learning. Pupils make good use of classroom displays to help them solve different types of calculations .

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Personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education lessons prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of different types of relationships and families. Pupils know what fundamental British values are and why these are important. They understand the importance of eating a healthy diet.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. Leaders engage proactively with external agencies to make sure that pupils receive the tailored support that they need. Teachers adapt lessons, so that these pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers. For example, some pupils record voice notes to show their understanding of historical events.

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Staff feel very well supported by leaders. They feel that leaders consider their workload and well-being carefully. One member of staff shared, 'At this school, we have friendships as well as colleagues.’ Staff said that leaders have a genuine 'open door' policy. Leaders provide staff with a wealth of training opportunities.

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Leaders provide effective support for teachers who are at the early stage of their career. One teacher stated, 'Everyone is so approachable and keen to offer support. It feels like I have several mentors.’ 18 and 19 April 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture at the school. They are vigilant and work on the premise that it 'could happen here'. The safeguarding team's daily communication ensures that information is shared effectively.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. Weekly briefings provide frequent updates. Staff know how to record and report safeguarding concerns. Record keeping is robust. Leaders are tenacious when working with external agencies. They escalate concerns where necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils said that they feel safe at school. They say that they have adults that they can share any worries or concerns with.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

■ The quality of adult interactions with children in the Reception Year is inconsistent. Adults do not always engage children in a purposeful way. As a result, some learning opportunities to develop children's language and communication are missed. Senior leaders should ensure that adult interactions with children in the Reception Year consistently support the development of children’s early language and communication skills. ■ Some subject leaders’ understanding of how their curriculum is planned and implemented is dependent on support and guidance from senior leaders or representatives from the trust. As a result, some subject leaders do not know what is going well and what actions are needed to bring around improvements. Senior leaders should ensure that all subject leaders have the knowledge and expertise required to effectively monitor and develop their subjects.

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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. 18 and 19 April 2023

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 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. 18 and 19 April 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 and 11 October 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

■ The headteacher took up post in September 2022.

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Information about this school

■ The executive headteacher spends his time split across two schools within the trust.

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Information about this school

■ The school uses one registered alternative education provider.

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Information about this inspection

■ This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. ■ The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at curriculum documentation for computing ■ The inspector listened to a sample of children in the Reception Year and key stages 1 and 2 read to a familiar adult. 18 and 19 April 2023

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■ The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leaders to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. She spoke with pupils and staff about safeguarding. She reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s single central record, the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. ■ The inspector visited breakfast club and spoke with parents at the start of the school day. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and considered the results of the staff and pupil questionnaires.

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■ The inspector met with representatives from the local governing body and the Transform multi-academy trust, including the chief executive officer.

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Inspection team

Luella Manssen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 April 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted 18 and 19 April 2023

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