Orford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Orford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Orford, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2LU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 23 and 24 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils see their school as a ‘friendly family’, where everyone knows each other, gets on well and look out for each other. Bullying is rare and pupils feel safe at school. Pupils can talk to adults if they are worried. If there are any problems adults listen to everyone and sort it out rapidly. Behaviour is typically good in class and on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils enjoy their lessons. They learn well and make strong progress in most subjects. Teachers make lessons interesting. There are lots of opportunities to go on trips to support pupils’ learning. For example, this term they are visiting a mosque.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to reflect on their behaviour and learning. There are quiet prayer spaces in school and in the prayer garden. This provision makes a strong contribution to pupils’ excellent personal, spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an extensive range of clubs that are well attended. Pupils enjoy learning in forest school and the kitchen garden. Pupils support local and national charities. Pupils take an active part in making changes to their school. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and life in modern Britain.

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better?

Leaders have made real improvements and successfully turned the school around in the last six months. The new governing body have a strong strategic vision. They work well with senior leaders to drive school improvement. Governors visit the school regularly. Governors provide effective support and appropriate challenge to leaders. Leaders have addressed most of the areas for improvement from the last inspection.

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better?

School leaders have reviewed the curriculum. Most subjects are well structured and carefully sequenced. Pupils make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders know that in a few subjects there is still work to do. In these subjects, it is not always clear what pupils need to know, understand and be able to do better by the end of a unit of work.

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better?

Pupils enjoy their lessons, listen to their teachers, and behave well. There is no low- level disruption. Teachers explain things carefully and help pupils if they are stuck. Pupils know how they are getting on. Teachers and support staff help pupils improve their work in lessons.

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better?

Pupils start learning to read as soon as they start school. Pupils learn to read simple sentences by the end of Reception. By the middle of Year 3, all pupils are fluent readers. Books are carefully matched to pupils’ phonic stage. All staff have been trained in the phonics programme and have strong subject knowledge. Staff are 23 and 24 May 2023

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confident and effective teachers of phonics. Consequently, phonics is consistently well taught across the school.

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Pupils love reading. There is a wide range of books to choose from. Reception children love reading to each other in their cosy reading areas, inside and outside the classroom. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and the types of books they like best.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders make sure pupils get the right support in lessons and from external experts. Learning and behaviour targets are sharply focused. Pupils with SEND are included in lessons. There are quiet spaces to work with an adult if needed.

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Children make a good start to their education in the early years. Children are safe and well cared for. The curriculum is well designed and meets the needs of all ages from two to five. Children listen well to adults and behave well. Adults are well trained. Adults are expert at supporting children’s personal and social development and their communication skills. They help children to share and take turns. Leaders recognise that adults need more training in how to ask children questions. This is so children think more deeply about their learning.

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Leaders provide an exceptional range of opportunities for pupils’ personal development. There are a rich and varied number of curriculum visits and visitors. For example, pupils recently visited two local castles. In addition, leaders ensure pupils understand wider British culture. Pupils make a strong contribution to the local community. Pupils’ Easter crosses in the local church are greatly appreciated by the congregation and visitors. Pupils take an active role in improving their school. They are keen to improve the kitchen garden. Parents are very pleased with the quality of their children’s personal development. They say this is a strength of the school.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They say leaders support them well. Training supports their professional development. Teachers have good subject knowledge. Teachers say their workload is realistic and manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There are robust systems in place to ensure all pupils are safe, including when leaders recruit staff. Staff are well trained. They receive regular updates and an annual safeguarding briefing. Staff discuss safeguarding issues at most staff meetings. Staff are vigilant. They say there is no threshold for safeguarding, no concern is too small. Leaders work effectively with external agencies. Leaders tenaciously follow up referrals. Leaders ensure pupils and families receive the help they need. 23 and 24 May 2023

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Pupils know how to keep themselves safe on the internet and in the wider community. The safeguarding governor stringently audits systems and procedures.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most subjects are well structured and carefully sequenced. In a few subjects, it is not always clear what pupils need to know, understand and be able to do better by the end of a unit of work. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, units of work have clear end points, so pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills improve over time.  In the early years, staff are skilled at asking questions that help children to develop their personal and social skills. Staff are not always so adept at asking questions that help children deepen their understanding in other areas of learning. Leaders should ensure that staff are effectively trained in how to ask questions to move learning forward in all the areas of learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Reverend Giles Tulk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone a significant change in leadership since the last inspection. The current arrangement of acting headteacher and the refreshed governing body have been in place since October 2022.  The school has provision for two-year-olds in the nursery.  The school has a Christian religious character. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2019. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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 During the inspection, inspectors met with senior leaders, a group of governors, a representative from the local authority and from the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead and the safeguarding governor. Inspectors scrutinised documents related to pupils’ behaviour, safety and well-being.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, history, mathematics, and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also talked to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke to parents dropping off their children at school. Inspectors

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considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and Ofsted’s staff survey. The inspectors considered responses to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text messages.

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Child Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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