Fingringhoe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Fingringhoe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Church Road, Fingringhoe, Colchester, Essex CO5 7BN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this warm and welcoming school. Children in Reception benefit from the nurturing relationships they have with staff. This helps children to make a flying start and quickly settle into school life. Pupils work hard in their lessons. They enjoy most of the subjects they learn in school. Pupils aspire to do their best to achieve the high expectations staff have of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look after each other. They treat each other and adults with kindness and respect. The ‘buddies’ make sure that pupils have someone to play with during breaktimes. Pupils socialise well together on the school playground. Staff provide a range of activities and resources for pupils to use. Pupils enjoy playing with these during lunchtime. They also enjoy chatting with their friends in the dining hall while they eat their lunch.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to take on leadership roles in school. The democratically elected school council members take their position of responsibility seriously. They are proud to have a say in how to improve the school environment, such as through the new bamboo planters they have purchased.

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better?

Leaders have recently redesigned the curriculum. The curriculum now sets out the important knowledge that pupils will learn in all subjects. This helps teachers to plan lessons that build on what pupils already know. Pupils generally learn well and secure their understanding of the curriculum. For example, pupils apply their knowledge of different geographical regions and climates to understand imports and exports. In some subjects, leaders and teachers do not use assessment effectively to check how well pupils have learned the planned curriculum. In these subjects, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed.

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better?

Leaders have provided staff with training to develop their subject knowledge. Teachers’ subject knowledge is, typically, secure. Staff present information to pupils clearly. The work that pupils complete enables them to achieve well most of the time. There are occasions when staff do not identify pupils’ misconceptions during lessons. When this happens, staff move learning on before they address pupils’ errors and mistakes.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. They have ensured all staff have the expertise to teach phonics effectively. Leaders identify with precision any pupil who finds reading challenging. These pupils receive the support they need. This helps to develop pupils’ confidence and fluency. Staff ensure children in Reception access a range of different books and stories. They teach children the sounds that letters make. Children use this knowledge to help them read and write new words. Staff constantly model high-quality language to children. This helps children develop their vocabulary. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff know how to adapt the curriculum for these pupils. For example, teachers use specific resources, such as picture cards, to help those pupils who need to develop their understanding of language. Carefully planned interventions support pupils with SEND to learn successfully.

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The early years curriculum includes a range of well-planned activities for children to access. These activities help children to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be prepared for Year 1. Children learn the routines and expectations of behaviour as soon as they start school. During lessons, pupils listen carefully to adults and do not disrupt each other’s learning. Pupils have mostly positive attitudes towards their learning. This helps them to achieve well.

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Leaders provide many opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development. Pupils are provided with new experiences, such as the recent Mayan Day. These events help pupils to learn more about the subjects they study in their lessons. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum supports pupils’ wider development. In Reception, children have many opportunities to learn the important social skills they need. Pupils across the school learn about differences. They are particularly interested to learn about different religions. Pupils understand the importance of treating those who are different to them with respect. They enjoy sharing their own beliefs and opinions. They know other pupils will listen to them.

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There have been many changes in leadership in recent years. Governors, with the support of the local authority, have managed these changes well. All leaders have a clear understanding of what the school does successfully and what needs to improve. Governors ensure that leaders support staff to manage their own workload and well-being. Staff are very proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders complete all required pre-employment checks on adults new to the school. They record these accurately. Staff have a secure understanding of the safeguarding training they have received. Leaders provide regular updates for staff to further enhance this understanding. Staff know how to identify if a pupil is at risk of harm. They raise concerns with leaders immediately. Leaders act on these concerns in a timely manner. Where appropriate, leaders seek support from outside professionals.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep safe in different situations. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep safe online. 27 and 28 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders and teachers do not use assessment effectively to check how well pupils have learned the important subject knowledge as set out in curriculum plans. There are also occasions when staff do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders must ensure that teachers’ use of assessment clearly identifies what pupils do and do not know so that teaching can be adapted to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Ruth Cornell and Donna Parker (Interim co-headteachers) Website www.fingringhoeprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been a significant number of changes in leadership since the previous inspection. The school has been led by several interim headteachers since 2020. The current headteacher joined the school as deputy headteacher in September 2021 and became headteacher in January 2022. Two interim headteachers are currently in post while the substantive headteacher is on maternity leave.  The school’s most recent inspection of its religious character under section 48 of the Education Act was in November 2017. The school will receive its next inspection within eight years of this date.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not currently use any 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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff. Inspectors met with the subject leaders for history, computing and PSHE. They also reviewed curriculum plans and pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors scrutinised safeguarding policies, the school’s record of background checks of adults at the school, and a

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sample of child protection files. Inspectors also spoke with governors, two designated safeguarding leads, a representative from the local authority and staff about safeguarding practices at the school. The lead inspector reviewed a local authority audit into safeguarding.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the interim co-headteachers, the early years leader, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff, governors, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, attendance records, pupil records, minutes of governing body meetings, local authority monitoring reports, school development plans and school policies.  There were 35 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, which were considered. Inspectors also spoke with parents at the end of the school day.

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 There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.  There were 12 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff. Inspectors considered written correspondence received from staff and met with them throughout the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Michael Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Cloke 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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