Stratton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Stratton Church of England Primary School Thessaly Road, Stratton, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 2NG

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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 Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a welcoming, nurturing and happy place. Leaders’ vision of ‘Unlocking potential for lifelong learning, grounded in Christian values’ is threaded through much of the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow a rich and broad curriculum, with exciting opportunities to enhance their learning. For example, pupils go to a local wildlife park and take part in residential trips. Pupils develop their talents, such as when they perform in school productions. Children in Reception enjoy learning. However, provision in the early years is not yet good.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils are a credit to the school. They enjoy school and behave well. Pupils are respectful and polite. They persevere when learning gets difficult because they want to do well. Pupils are encouraged to take on positions of responsibility, such as when they become librarians or members of the school council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are caring and supportive. They form positive relationships with pupils. Pupils trust adults to look after them. They confirm that bullying and name-calling are not tolerated. Pupils are confident that adults swiftly resolve any problems that arise. Parents typically comment that staff ‘go above and beyond’ expectations to help their children thrive.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked, with much success, to improve the school since the previous inspection. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 follow a high-quality, coherently- sequenced curriculum, which is taught effectively. The curriculum clearly sets out the knowledge and skills that leaders expect pupils to learn.

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better?

Teachers give clear explanations and guide pupils to revisit aspects of their learning. Pupils, therefore, apply what they have learned, practise their skills and secure their understanding. For example, in mathematics, Year 1 pupils recall their knowledge of times tables to count to 100 in multiples of 5.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers routinely assess how well pupils have learned the curriculum. However, in some subjects, leaders do not have an accurate oversight of whether pupils have successfully learned the knowledge essential for what comes next.

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better?

The curriculum in the early years foundation stage is not fully developed. While early reading and early mathematics are well-planned and sequenced, this is not the case for other areas of the early years curriculum. Leaders do not ensure that children in the early years routinely learn in a way that sparks their curiosity and sustains their 11 and 12 July 2023

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concentration. This hinders children from building the knowledge and skills they need to prepare them for Year 1.

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Pupils follow a reading curriculum that supports them to read confidently and fluently. Children in early years learn to read as soon as they start school. Older pupils practise their reading regularly and develop their ability to comprehend, infer and predict. Pupils who find reading difficult receive the support they need to read well. Pupils like to choose books from the interesting selection available in school. They listen attentively when adults read to them.

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Leaders have a good understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with parents and external agencies to support pupils. Leaders and staff adapt their teaching and provide pastoral support, so that pupils with SEND learn with confidence and success.

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Most pupils understand what is expected of them. They are keen and have positive attitudes to their learning. Some pupils appreciate going to the ‘Cosy Corner’, where they can take part in activities and talk to staff. This helps such pupils manage their emotions and become calm. However, in the early years, children do not consistently follow the expected routines. This results in low-level disruption, which hinders children’s learning.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. In personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils learn that everyone is different. For example, older pupils enjoy reciting the poem, ‘Happiness Box’, which celebrates difference.

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Pupils thoughtfully consider others. For example, pupils created a ‘Secret Garden’ art project, which they shared with residents in a local care home. Pupils donate items to the local food bank and take part in activities to raise money.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff care deeply about pupils and prioritise their safety and well-being. All staff have received appropriate training. They understand their responsibility for keeping pupils safe. Staff consistently follow the school’s procedures for referring concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain detailed records. They seek support from external agencies to ensure that families receive the help that they need. Leaders check that they are making a difference.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they are taught about online safety and healthy relationships. Pupils learn how drugs, alcohol and smoking are harmful. 11 and 12 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the early years, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum meets the requirements of the early years foundation stage. The curriculum is not ambitious or well-planned across all areas of learning. As a result, children are not well supported to build the range of knowledge and skills that they need for Year 1 and beyond. Leaders must support staff to plan and implement an ambitious early years curriculum, so that children develop the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they need for their future learning.  Children in the early years do not consistently follow expected routines. This leads to low-level disruption, which hinders children’s learning. Leaders must ensure that children develop positive attitudes to learning and behave well.  In some subjects, leaders do not have an accurate overview of whether pupils have learned the key curriculum content successfully. This means that they are not able to use this insight to adapt the curriculum accordingly. Leaders must

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

refine the use of assessment so that they can assure themselves that pupils are learning the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they intend them to.

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10271667 Type of school Primary

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School details

Chair of governing body Caroline Crawford

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school. Its last SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) was in October 2017.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  The school uses one alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 several meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They also met with pastoral leaders and the early years leader.  The lead inspector held a meeting with a group of governors. She also had a phone conversation with a representative from the local authority. 11 and 12 July 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  An inspector reviewed the curriculum and pupils’ learning in PSHE. They held discussions with pupils and the leader for PSHE.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding records and checked the school’s single central record. They discussed safeguarding arrangements with the designated safeguarding leader. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and adults about their experiences at the school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including their arrival at school, breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-

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text comments. They also took account of the responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Hansen Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 July 2023

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