Nene Valley Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Nene Valley Primary School Sugar Way, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 9RT

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Outcome

Nene Valley Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils listen to their teachers and work hard in lessons. Pupils know that teachers expect them to take pride in their work. Children in the early years are encouraged to try to write in sentences as soon as they can hear sounds and form letters correctly. Older pupils try their best and produce high-quality written work. They show respect to their teachers and the adults who help them. This is shown in pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and in the fact that pupils are confident to ask for help when they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also behave well around the school. Bullying is rare. Pupils understand what bullying is and they know who to report it to. They are confident that adults will deal with any bullying well and that it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe. They say that they feel really safe in school and that adults help them. They know how to keep themselves safe in the community and when using computers or mobile devices.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the activities the school provides. Many attend after-school clubs such as football. Older pupils learn to play the ocarina or clarinet. The youngest pupils enjoy their outdoor learning area. All pupils take part in school productions and sports day. They value their roles and responsibilities, such as choosing members of the school council and supporting charities.

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

Leaders and teachers have worked together to design an ambitious curriculum. The curriculum starts in Reception, where children are really well prepared for what they will be learning later in the school. Leaders have set out what they want pupils to know and remember in each subject. In most areas of the curriculum, leaders have identified the small steps of learning that enable pupils to build effectively on what they have learned in earlier years. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Teachers are well trained in most areas of the curriculum. They know pupils well. They are adept at checking what pupils have remembered to ensure that they are ready for any new learning.

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Some areas of the curriculum are still under development. In these areas, leaders have not identified exactly what pupils need to know or the order in which it should be taught. Where this is the case, pupils do not remember or properly understand what teachers have taught.

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Leaders and teachers begin teaching children to read as soon as they join in Reception. Teachers provide pupils with reading books that are well matched to the sounds they are learning. They check that pupils understand what they are reading. Teachers quickly identify any pupils who are having difficulties and give them the help they need to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading and their ability to read improves rapidly. Teachers also model the importance of reading. For example, they read high-quality books to pupils in their classes and show them, from an early age, how to find information in non-fiction books.

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Leaders identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Teachers and teaching assistants adapt classroom resources to ensure the curriculum is broken down into smaller steps when necessary. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their classmates and access the same curriculum. They learn and achieve well.

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Leaders and teachers provide a range of personal development opportunities. For example, there are a variety of sporting opportunities. In particular, pupils are positive about the girls’ football league. Pupils also learn to play musical instruments and sing in the school choir. Leaders celebrate a range of languages and cultures represented in school during assembly time. Pupils learn about respect and tolerance. Many pupils attend breakfast club. This prepares them well for their lessons.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance ensure that staff workload and well-being are considered. They provide the resources and time to ensure that staff are effective. Teachers say they are given sufficient time to prepare for lessons and for the assessments of pupils’ work.

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The majority of parents are positive about the school. A minority raise concerns about communication. Leaders have plans in place to address this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to identify when there are concerns about pupils and report these appropriately. Leaders identify pupils who are need of additional specialist support and work tenaciously to secure early help for those pupils. Leaders and staff provide effective support where this external support sometimes takes time to put in place. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Leaders ensure that they undertake appropriate pre-employment checks on staff. They understand legal guidance well. They use this effectively when managing any issues related to staffing and/or safeguarding.

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The school’s curriculum is designed to raise awareness among pupils of safeguarding risks. It is effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the curriculum are not yet fully developed. Where this is the case, leaders have not precisely identified the subject knowledge that pupils need to learn or the order in which it should be taught. As a result, teachers do not always plan learning that builds effectively on pupils’ prior learning. Leaders should ensure that these subjects are well planned and well delivered so that pupils develop the knowledge and skills that leaders intend.

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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 predecessor school, Nene Valley Primary School to be good in October 2011.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Nene Valley Primary School joined the OWN Trust in February 2019.  Nene Valley Primary School converted to become an academy school in March 2019. When its predecessor school, Nene Valley Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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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 met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, two directors of learning, the chief executive officer of the trust and the chair of the local governing board.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, science and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The inspector also looked at samples of pupils’ work in mathematics and English.  The inspector checked the school’s single central record and the school’s procedures for safeguarding. The inspector considered 81 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses.  The inspector met with staff to consider their views on the school.

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Inspection team

Linda Allison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 June 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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