Delapre Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Delapre Primary School Rothersthorpe Road, Far Cotton, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN4 8JA

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Outcome

Delapre Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils love to come and learn. Pupils are fully engaged in their learning. Adults know the pupils well. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils feel safe because they know there is an adult they can go to if they have a worry.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values are important to everyone. Leaders want all pupils to be ‘Delapre children’ and to follow the ethos of being hardworking, resilient, thoughtful, knowledgeable and good communicators. Pupils talk with confidence and enthusiasm about their learning. Parents and carers value the community spirit of the school. Typical comments include, ‘A lovely, close community school where children thrive, and teachers do their best.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of behaviour. In class, pupils behave well, listen and concentrate. They enjoy playtimes with their friends. Pupils know that if there are incidents of bullying, adults will deal with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many wider opportunities and experiences that leaders provide. Older pupils can be play buddies, where they engage younger pupils in play activities. Pupils attend a range of extra-curricular clubs, such as gardening and the brass band. They enjoy going on educational outings to enrich what they have been taught in class.

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

Leaders have done much to strengthen the curriculum structure. Some subject leaders are new to the role and have not yet had the time or training to monitor their subject effectively. They are, therefore, unsure as to how well the curriculum is being implemented and if it is having the intended impact on what pupils know and remember.

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

Leaders and staff have an absolute focus on developing a love of reading right from when children join the school. They ensure that adults read to pupils daily. Pupils in early years and Year 1 have phonics lessons every day. Well-trained staff ensure that there is a 11 and 12 July 2023

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consistent approach to how pupils read and write. Those pupils who need additional help benefit from effective support. Pupils read books that match the letters and sounds they are learning. This is helping them to become fluent readers. There is a wide selection of books from which pupils can read. Older and more confident pupils enjoy talking about the books they have read.

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In most subjects, staff have sequenced pupils’ learning in a logical order. The key vocabulary that pupils will learn, and when, is explicit. In mathematics, there is a progression of different calculation methods as pupils move through the year groups. Children in the early years use appropriate mathematical vocabulary to talk about their learning. However, some subjects are more developed than others. The planning and the sequencing in some subjects are not detailed enough. The key vocabulary and content that pupils should learn, and when, is sometimes missing.

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Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders identify and assess pupils’ needs well. Staff provide support so that pupils with SEND do well. They work effectively with external agencies where needed. Teachers make adaptations so that pupils can learn the same knowledge as their peers. Some pupils also receive well-planned, one-to-one support so that they do not miss out on learning important subject content.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They readily answer teachers’ questions and take an active role in activities. Staff intervene when necessary to promptly address any misconceptions. Low-level disruption is rare. This includes in the behaviour of children in the early years.

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Pupils get many opportunities and experiences to learn about the wider world. They visit a variety of places of interest. Pupils are learning about democracy and the rule of law. They understand why it is important to learn about other cultures, faiths and beliefs, and to respect people’s differences. ‘Language of the Month’ and assemblies reinforce pupils’ understanding of the school’s values. Pupils talk with pride about how friendly the school is. They know how to keep safe, and they have an appropriate understanding of online safety. They are being prepared well for their next steps.

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Staff, including those new to teaching, feel valued. Leaders ensure that the well-being and workload of staff are prioritised. The governing body has an appropriate range of skills and experience. It provides leaders with the right balance of challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that there are robust systems in place to safeguard pupils. Staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Training is regular and current for all staff and governors. Staff know the potential signs of abuse and neglect to look out for and how to report any concerns that they have. Appropriate records of safeguarding concerns are kept. Leaders work well with other agencies to provide timely help and support for families and pupils when required. 11 and 12 July 2023

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The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe. This includes learning about online safety and the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well structured and coherently planned so that pupils build sufficient knowledge and skills across a broad range of subjects. However, in a small number of the subjects, the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn, and by when, is not as clear as it could be. Leaders should ensure that there is clarity and precision around the knowledge that they want pupils to learn, and by when, from the early years through to Year 6.  Some subject leaders have not yet had the time or guidance they need to be able to effectively monitor their subject. They are, therefore, unsure as to how well the curriculum is being implemented and the impact it is having. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders gain the necessary knowledge and understanding to effectively measure the implementation and impact of the curriculum, therefore ensuring that all

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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 June 2014.

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268926 Type of school Primary

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection 23 February 2018

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Information about this school

 The school does not use the services of any alternative provisions.

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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.  Inspectors held various meetings with the headteacher and other staff. The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading, mathematics, computing and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke with leaders about some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils from key stage 1 and Year 6 read. 11 and 12 July 2023

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 To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors checked staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding records were scrutinised.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Dawn Ashbolt His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 July 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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