Instow Community Primary and Pre-School

Inspection of a good school: Instow Community Primary and Pre-School Rectory Lane, Instow, Bideford, Devon EX39 4LU

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Outcome

Instow Community Primary and Pre-School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they love their school. They benefit from being part of an inclusive community. Pupils display their actions by following the school’s values of friendship, aspiration, inclusion, resilience and respect. Pupils feel safe. When they have concerns, they know they can speak to any adult for support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have respectful relationships. For example, pupils meet with the headteacher to discuss how the school can make improvements. This has led to pupils developing their own anti-bullying charter.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils. As a result, pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is to a high standard. Pupils play well together in the well-resourced playgrounds. They are polite. Pupils are proud of their work and have positive attitudes to their learning. They are quick to respond to instructions from adults. As a result, the school is calm, and pupils are focused.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of activities, which prepares them for their next steps. They describe this as being ‘world ready’. House captains lead their house teams and read to the younger children. Peer mediators help to resolve differences in the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate that staff are supportive of their children’s needs.

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

Leaders and governors are ambitious for pupils. They prioritise early reading and mathematics. Leaders provide high-quality training for all staff. This means all pupils are supported well when they learn to read. Leaders have carefully selected books that support pupils’ reading. This means pupils read books that match their phonic knowledge. Pupils who need extra support in reading are identified quickly. As a result, pupils are 4 May 2023

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confident readers. Pupils across the school enjoy reading. Teachers read to pupils every day. They choose books that enhance the knowledge that pupils are learning.

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Pupils’ learning in mathematics is supported effectively through regular review, or ‘flashbacks’, which reminds pupils what they have already learned. This helps pupils to connect new ideas and concepts. Pupils enjoy mathematics, and they like the challenging activities. They are keen to share their learning with each other and speak to the teacher if they need help. Leaders check pupils’ understanding of mathematics effectively. This ensures there are no gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Children learn well in the early years environment. It incorporates an outdoor area, which staff use effectively to help children build independence and self-confidence. Children experience a wide range of well-organised activities, including daily mathematics, to help them learn. Teachers use precise questioning, which helps to develop children’s speech and language. This supports children to learn successfully across all areas of the early years curriculum. Provision in the early years prepares children well for the challenges of Year 1.

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Pupils learn how to stay physically healthy. Leaders use local sports clubs to enhance provision and provide specialist tuition. Pupils enjoy participating in physical education (PE), as the curriculum is designed well so that all pupils learn important knowledge and skills. However, other subjects in the wider curriculum are not as well designed and sequenced. This means that pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge they need across all subjects.

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Leaders ensure there is effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders collaborate with teachers and parents to create appropriate targets for pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils’ needs are met through personalised adaptations to the curriculum. Pupils with SEND also learn a range of life skills to ensure they are ready for the next stage of their education.

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Pupils take part in a range of activities to broaden their personal development. Children in the early years explore the local environment on ‘wellie walks’. To build resilience, older pupils attend residentials, and some take part in a musical theatre club. Pupils learn about a wide range of religions. They also read books that reflect a diverse society. Pupils value the range of roles and responsibilities that leaders provide. Pupils learn about democracy. They know they live in a country that supports diversity and equality of opportunity. Pupils know the difference between a positive and negative relationship. They also know the importance of keeping physically and mentally healthy.

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Governors are effective in their strategic school improvement role. They are supportive of the new headteacher and the recent changes to the curriculum. Governors work with school leaders to review the impact of improvement work. They identify areas for development, to improve the quality of education. Governors are considerate of the well- being of pupils and staff.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Leaders create a strong safeguarding culture throughout the school. Staff receive regular safeguarding updates, to build awareness. Staff are effective at identifying pupils who are at risk, taking appropriate action.

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Leaders keep a regular check on safeguarding through external audits. Staff receive expert training.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe online. They know how to report anything suspicious and the importance of not sharing personal information.

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Governors review safeguarding procedures at the school. Leaders check that all adults in the school are suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum has not been implemented effectively. Learning does not consistently build on what pupils have previously learned. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects are implemented consistently well so that pupils know and remember more in every subject.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016.

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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. 4 May 2023

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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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10211029 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2022.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The Nursery has joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school is part of the Atlantic Coast Co-Operative Trust.

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and groups of staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, 4 May 2023

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spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate safeguarding, inspectors spoke to the designated safeguarding leader. Inspectors also spoke with staff, governors and pupils and evaluated record-keeping and staff training.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions during the inspection and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys, including Parent View.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Thomson Ofsted Inspector 4 May 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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