Preston Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Preston Primary School Old Paignton Road, Livermead, Torquay, Devon TQ2 6UY

p.1

Outcome

Preston Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn happily at this warm and friendly school. They recognise how the school’s values impact on their learning and development. They know how staff help them to ‘love to learn’, ‘be good citizens’ and be ‘ready for work’. Pupils like the way they can shine in school productions, undertake leadership opportunities and develop independence. Pupils know that staff care for them and about their learning. They enjoy their lessons. Many say that Preston Primary is a great place to learn.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for pupils. They ensure that learning helps prepare pupils for their adult lives. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), participate and learn together as much as possible. Some pupils find managing their behaviour tricky because of their needs. Staff support them effectively. Staff know each pupil as an individual. This helps staff manage difficult moments well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff follow leaders’ very high expectations for pupils. They secure positive relationships with and between pupils. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is often excellent. Bullying is very rare and, if it does happen, dealt with effectively. Low-level disruption is exceptionally rare. Parents and carers agree that Preston Primary is a safe and happy place for their children to learn.

p.1

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

Trust and school leaders work together effectively to realise their ambition for pupils. They have rightly focused on the curriculum to improve provision. Staff well-being is promoted in highly effective ways. Leaders are compassionate and experienced. They understand the need to prioritise and invest in staff well-being. As a result, staff are highly committed and work diligently with leaders to find ways to keep improving.

p.1

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

Leaders have a clear rationale for the curriculum. They prioritise broadening pupils’ experiences and preparing them for the future. Staff make learning meaningful and fun from the moment children start in the effective early years. Teachers make good use of 18 and 19 July 2023

p.1

2

the rich environment on offer within the school site and beyond to promote learning. For example, pupils benefit from woodland areas, a pool on site, and the beach and urban community on the doorstep. This approach has been particularly useful in promoting pupils’ enthusiasm and engagement in learning.

p.2

2

Subject leadership is consistent and strong. Leaders ensure that their subjects are carefully and intentionally planned, including in the early years. This has helped to ensure that the use of assessment underpins learning sequences well, particularly in subjects where planning has stood the test of time. Leaders have secured targeted training for staff in specific subjects. As a result, teachers are experts in teaching mathematics and reading. In other subjects, staff teach sequences of learning that build effectively on what pupils, including those with SEND, know and can do. Consequently, pupils learn the curriculum well.

p.2

2

Leaders know that some subject planning is newer in its development. Leaders’ ambition is reflected in what is expected of pupils. However, this can sometimes lead to planning being overly ambitious and less well sequenced. For example, in art, pupils sometimes experience confusion because too much is expected too soon. They explore what it means to be an artist and the reasons to study art. However, they do not have the skills or experience to use what they learn when producing art for themselves.

p.2

2

Pupils learn, and love, to read. Teachers follow the school’s approach to teaching reading consistently and skilfully. Pupils take home books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Those at risk of falling behind are identified early and provided with targeted support. As a result, pupils learn to read quickly and well. Leaders and teachers use a range of reading strategies to make reading books enjoyable and fun. For example, pupils love sharing books with their ‘reading buddies’. Younger pupils are motivated when their parents ‘rock up and read’ with them. Staff are all passionate about reading. They know it is their job to make reading enticing and enjoyable. Collectively, this helps pupils develop good attitudes towards reading and their ability to read effectively.

p.2

2

Pupils’ wider development is promoted very well. Trips and visits are used whenever possible to enrich and enhance pupils’ learning. The school site benefits from useful and rewarding resources, including a swimming pool and multi-use games area. This promotes pupils’ physical and mental well-being. Pupils learn strong attitudes to being healthy, because they enjoy physical education, the games they can play and the well-being promoted through outdoor learning. Pupils learn to celebrate diversity. They understand how fundamental British values link to the school’s values and what they learn in lessons.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding are appropriately trained and experienced. They know the context of the school and community and use this to implement effective policies, including in the enhanced provision for pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in local processes. As a result, staff are vigilant and record concerns appropriately. Leaders work effectively with other agencies. 18 and 19 July 2023

p.2

3

Safer recruitment practices are secure. Key staff complete the appropriate checks on staff, volunteers and those in governance positions.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have successfully improved planning and assessment in all subjects across the national curriculum. There are a few subjects where this work is more recent. In these subjects, the coherence of planning and use of assessment are less secure. Leaders should continue to embed their work on the curriculum to ensure that pupils retain key knowledge in all subjects and achieve more.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 18 and 19 July 2023

p.3

School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school joined Connect Academy Trust in June 2022.  The school has an enhanced resource provision for up to 16 pupils with SEND from across Torbay. The provision caters for pupils from four to 11 years old. All pupils in the provision have an education, health and care plan and a primary need of autism or social, emotional and mental health need.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs a before- and after-school childcare provision.

p.4

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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with leaders, including the headteacher, assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. He also spoke to a range of staff. 18 and 19 July 2023

p.4

5

 The inspector met with the chief executive officer from Connect Academy Trust. He met with a representative from the trust board.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met 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 a sample of pupils’ work. The inspector also heard a selection of pupils read and discussed other elements of the curriculum with leaders, staff and pupils, including the teaching of writing.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record of recruitment checks, talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding and checked records relating to safeguarding. The inspector also talked to a range of staff and pupils informally.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online

p.5

5

questionnaire, including the free-text responses. He also reviewed responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including minutes of the trust’s ‘Health Checks’, documents relating to the work of the trust, records relating to behaviour and suspensions and information about the school’s curriculum.

p.5

Inspection team

Matthew Barnes, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 July 2023

p.5

6

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.

p.6

6

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.6

6

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.6

6

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.6

6

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6