East Coker Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: East Coker Community Primary School East Coker, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 9HY

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Outcome

East Coker Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff and governors are proud to be part of East Coker Community Primary School. It is a welcoming and inclusive school, where staff know the pupils and their families well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors have high expectations for all pupils. They are determined to give pupils the very best start to their school life. Pupils work hard to live up to these expectations. The school’s values permeate all aspects of school life. Pupils have a thorough understanding of the values and aspire to achieve them. For example, they demonstrate how they live the school’s value of ‘compassion’ by caring for others and for the world in which they live.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work and play well together. Pupils enjoy the ‘learning through play’ project activities and say that their playtimes are ‘even better than before’. Pupils understand what bullying is and are confident that it rarely happens. They have faith in adults to manage any incidents of bullying well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils are confident that there is always somebody they can talk to, if they need support. ‘The Nest’ is valued as an area for pupils who want or need a quieter space.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak highly of the support which the school gives their children.

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

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to be ready for their next stages in education. Pupils enjoy learning about the history and people from their local area. For example, they learn about a famous poet who lived in the village. Leaders have carefully considered what they want pupils to know and remember. They ensure that pupils’ learning is well sequenced, so that pupils build on what they have learned before. Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they 16 and 17 May 2023

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teach. They explain new learning clearly and provide additional support to pupils who need it. Teachers have a good understanding of what pupils can achieve. However, sometimes teaching resources do not support the intended learning well enough. As a result, pupils do not always learn as well as they could.

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Children in early years begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. They enjoy listening to stories and joining in with rhymes. As they progress through the school, pupils develop a love of reading. The books they read match the sounds they know. Pupils enjoy choosing books from the school library. Adults, including governors, also share their love of reading with the pupils. Most pupils rapidly become fluent, confident readers. Those who fall behind or struggle with reading get the help they need to catch up. Staff undertake regular phonics training. However, sometimes, some pupils’ knowledge of phonics is not checked regularly enough in the lesson, and so staff do not know exactly what pupils need to learn or practise next.

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Leaders have high ambitions for pupils with SEND. Staff are skilled at identifying pupils who have additional needs. They ensure that pupils receive the help they need to learn. Pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life. The school works closely with parents and carers to set and review pupils’ targets.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They understand the importance of following the school rules. There is very little disruption to lessons and pupils play well together outside. Many of the older pupils help and play with the younger ones at breaktimes. Parents also have very positive views of the behaviour of pupils in the school.

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Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. They learn about other cultures and religions. They can reflect well about their own beliefs and those of others. Pupils say that they should treat others as they would want to be treated themselves. Older pupils enjoy taking on more responsibility. They elect pupils on to the school council, as house captains and school ambassadors. Pupils participate in fundraising activities, such as ‘The Great Coker Bake-Off’ and sponsored runs. As a result, pupils learn that they can make a difference to the lives of others.

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The school offers pupils a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These are very popular with pupils. They attend clubs such as rounders, athletics, history and art. Pupils value taking part in local community art workshops and visits from theatre companies. These all support the development of pupils’ talents and interests well.

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Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration for their workload and well-being. Leaders place a strong focus on the professional development of staff. This enables staff to fulfil their roles effectively. 16 and 17 May 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that staff receive up-to-date training. Staff know how to identify concerns and swiftly report them. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families receive timely and appropriate support.

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Safeguarding

Governors and leaders ensure that they do the appropriate checks on staff working in the school. The systems for recording checks are robust, and governors monitor them regularly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They learn how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. Leaders provide parents with information about how to keep their children safe when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ phonic knowledge is not checked regularly enough in the lesson. As a result, some pupils are not able to close gaps in their knowledge as quickly as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the phonics programme is delivered effectively by all staff across the school.

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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 February 2013. 16 and 17 May 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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Josephine Bickerton

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into eight classes.  Some of the classes are mixed-age classes.  The school does not use alternative provision.  There is before- and after-school provision on the school site.

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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 carried out deep dives in early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, the local governing body and a representative of the local authority. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 read to an adult.  The school’s provision for SEND was evaluated. This included visiting lessons and sampling pupils’ personal learning plans.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed at various times of the day, including in lessons, around school and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke to pupils about their views of the school.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and scrutinised the school’s single central record.  The views of parents were considered through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also considered the views of pupils and staff in Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Claire Baillie, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 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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