Callow End CofE Primary School

Inspection of Callow End CofE Primary School Upper Road, Callow End, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 4TE

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that school is fun. They enjoy learning new things. They also like that because it is a small school, they know everyone. Pupils feel safe because staff look after them well. They feel confident to talk to an adult if they are worried about anything.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful to other pupils, staff and visitors. They understand adults’ high expectations of their work and behaviour. Pupils of all ages meet these expectations. They work hard and most achieve well, particularly in reading. As behaviour is good in lessons, pupils can concentrate and get on with their work without any disruptions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s strong Christian ethos sets the tone for treating others with respect and kindness. Pupils understand and appreciate diversity and equality. They know that discrimination in all forms is wrong and unacceptable. They welcome pupils from different countries and backgrounds and make them feel at home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff forge positive, caring relationships with pupils and families. This adds to the community feel of the school. Parents appreciate the approachability and support provided. Staff are also positive about the school. All are proud to work there.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. In the main, it supports pupils’ learning well, particularly in English and mathematics. Leaders have identified and ordered the information that they expect pupils to learn in most subjects. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have yet to establish a well-planned curriculum. In these subject areas, pupils do not learn the core knowledge that is needed to build future learning. This is partly because, as a small school, teachers have several subjects to cover. Some are new to their leadership roles. They have yet to have the support and release time needed to check the effectiveness of all subjects fully.

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better?

Teachers regularly check how well pupils understand what they are learning during lessons. This allows them to provide extra help and equipment for those who need it. However, systems to check what pupils know and remember long term are less well established. This means staff do not identify where important concepts have been forgotten. Consequently, it prevents some pupils making connections between past and future learning.

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better?

Staff in the pre-school and Reception class work closely together. As a result, the early years curriculum has been well thought through. It provides continuity and progression for both age groups. There is a strong focus on developing children’s language and vocabulary. Exciting activities enable children to be active, curious and independent learners. For example, staff make good use of the woodland area to 11 and 12 July 2023

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maximise children’s physical development. Children enjoy climbing, digging and painting in a safe and well-supervised outdoor environment.

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Leaders fully recognise the importance of reading. It has been a key priority for the school, and it has paid off. Pupils achieve highly in phonics and reading. The phonics programme lays strong foundations for the reading curriculum. Suitable training has been provided for all staff to ensure phonics is taught consistently well. Reading books match the sounds that pupils know. Staff prioritise pupils with weaker reading skills for extra help, so they catch up quickly. Leaders have also invested heavily in a range of high-quality texts for older pupils. These capture pupils’ interests and enhance their reading skills.

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There are effective systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders ensure that these pupils are well supported in lessons. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum, where needed. They select resources carefully to meet pupils’ individual needs. Those with more complex and specific needs receive specialist support from external professionals. Staff work closely with pupils and parents. They set appropriate targets to help pupils achieve as well as they should.

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There is a strong programme for personal, social and health education. Pupils learn about differences between people, including those of different faiths. They learn about healthy relationships and changes to their body as they grow up.

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Older pupils regularly support younger pupils. They also readily take on other roles and responsibilities at school, such as librarians or playground monitors. Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities beyond the classroom that the school offers. These include gardening and rounders clubs, school plays, residential visits and fundraising activities.

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The trust and governors provide a good balance of support and challenge for leaders. They are mindful of staff workload and keep a regular check on their well- being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ thorough arrangements ensure that pupils are kept safe. All staff are fully trained to recognise pupils who are at risk of harm. They report any concerns quickly. Leaders act swiftly to seek advice and support to protect pupils, where necessary. Leaders carry out robust recruitment checks for all staff and adults who work at the school.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils about how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils are taught about the importance of not sharing personal information or communicating with strangers. Pupils also learn about road, fire and water safety to keep themselves safe when they are not at school. 11 and 12 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of subjects are not yet coherently planned and well sequenced. As a result, pupils struggle to build successfully on their prior learning. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the skills and support needed to ensure that the curriculum in all subjects meets the needs of pupils in every age group. Leaders should also ensure that staff monitor their subject areas and evaluate the impact on pupil achievement.  Leaders have not developed a consistent system to assess how well pupils recall and retain what they learn. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified and rectified. Leaders should ensure that there are effective systems in place to check the retention of pupils’ knowledge and understanding in all subjects.

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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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy school in November 2020. It is part of the Diocese of Worcester Multi Academy Trust. When its predecessor school, Callow End CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The headteacher is contracted for four days a week. Another staff member assumes the role of head of school for the fifth day.  The school has pre-school provision for three- to four-year-olds.  Reception class children are taught as a pure year group but pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 are taught in mixed-aged classes.  The school has a Church of England ethos. The religious character of the school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2017. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due in the 2024/2025 academic year.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 11 and 12 July 2023

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, head of school and all teaching staff. A meeting was held with four trust members, including the chair of the board and chief executive officer. Inspectors also met with three members of the local academy board, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages. Inspection activities in these subjects included: lesson visits, discussions with staff and pupils, meeting with subject leaders, and work scrutiny. The inspectors also observed pupils reading to staff members.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-

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Information about this inspection

evaluation and improvement plans. Minutes of trust and governors’ meetings were also scrutinised.  Inspectors looked at records of attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying, and welfare.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  The inspectors talked to parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and their free-text responses. They also reviewed the responses to the staff survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils through discussion.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Satchwell Ofsted 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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