Draycott Community Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Claire Evans Headteacher Draycott Community Primary School Hopwell Road Draycott Derby Derbyshire DE72 3NH

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School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection of your school that took place on 26 April 2023 on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous graded (section 5) inspections.

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School

During the inspection, I discussed with you, other leaders, governors and a representative of the local authority, the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also reviewed the school’s self-evaluation document and leaders’ school improvement plan. I scrutinised curriculum planning, visited lessons and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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School

Draycott Community Primary School continues to require improvement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to become good.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

The school should take further action to:

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

 implement a strategy to ensure that pupils remember, in the long term, the most important knowledge that they are taught in all subjects.

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Main findings

Since the inspection in February 2022, four new governors and one teacher have been appointed. Three teachers have left the school.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders have acted quickly to improve the curriculum. You are developing a curriculum which is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This curriculum is in the first year of implementation. All plans span the whole school from early years through to Year 6. The new curriculum makes clear the knowledge and skills that pupils are expected to learn and when. Teachers are trialling the new curriculum. They are refining plans where there is too much content for pupils to learn in one lesson, or sequence of lessons. You have found that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to missing lessons during COVID restrictions. Teachers are ensuring that the curriculum content meets pupils’ needs.

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Main findings

Planning sets out what pupils will learn in a sequence of lessons so that their knowledge builds over time. For example, when pupils study the Ancient Greeks, teachers remind them of what they have already learned about the Romans. This approach helps pupils to remember more. Staff ask strong questions and address misconceptions in pupils’ learning. You and senior leaders have not yet introduced a consistent approach to how lessons are implemented to further ensure that pupils grasp and recall essential knowledge securely and over the long term. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall their learning.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders have ensured that planning includes the most important vocabulary that pupils must learn and remember. For example, some pupils in Year 6 begin history work on the transatlantic slave trade by learning the meaning of key terms such as colonization and abolitionist. Pupils’ exercise books confirm that teachers follow these plans closely.

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Main findings

Teachers’ assessments do not routinely establish whether pupils have learned the important knowledge set out in the curriculum. You are trialling systems which determine clear next steps for pupils without causing unnecessary burdens for staff and pupils.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders have ensured that staff access subject-specific training for all subjects. This means that teachers have opportunities to hone their pedagogical and subject expertise. Your subject leaders have set out what they need to do to improve the curriculum in their subject. They have begun to check closely what is being taught in each class so that they know how well the new curriculum is working. You and senior leaders welcome the support of external agencies. You recently included the local authority representative in reviewing the impact of the science curriculum.

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Main findings

Reading remains a high priority in the school. Early readers receive high-quality support as soon as they enter the school. You and senior leaders ensure that the pupils’ reading books are matched to the level at which pupils are reading. You ensure that staff receive the appropriate training so that they can support pupils. Pupils use their phonic knowledge to sound out unfamiliar words. Those who begin to fall behind are given the right support to get them back on track.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders have started closer monitoring of provision for pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding. You make effective checks on what is working well. You and senior leaders check pupils’ attendance, progress and how well disadvantaged pupils achieve in intervention groups. You ensure that disadvantaged pupils regularly access extra-curricular clubs.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders have a clear understanding of the current priorities of the school. You are determined to improve the school. You have made many changes at the school in recent months, but know there is still work to do. Staff morale is high. They are overwhelmingly positive about leaders. New governors have helped to develop the skills and expertise of the governing body. The governing body has voluntarily engaged with an external review of its work. Governors have acted quickly on the recommendations. They are checking that leaders’ actions are having the intended impact.

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Main findings

You and senior leaders are rightly mindful of taking parents with you as you drive improvements. Some parents expressed concern relating to communication from and across the school. You and governors are considering ways to engage with more parents over time so that lines of communication are improved.

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Main findings

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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