Stadhampton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Stadhampton Primary School Cratlands Close, Stadhampton, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX44 7XL

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Outcome

Stadhampton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils foster a family ethos purposefully where everyone feels happy, safe and included. The school is at the heart of the community. A plethora of activities draws families and the wider community in. Pupils relished the recent ukulele concert and the summer exhibition where pupils showcased their work proudly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in their happy and welcoming school. They work hard in lessons and achieve well. Leaders’ high expectations for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), extend beyond the academic. All pupils attend forest school where they learn vital social skills. Resilience and caring for each other and the environment feature prominently. Pupils capitalise on these qualities in the classroom where they demonstrate determination and tolerance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and warm. Pupils are friendly and supportive to each other. Younger children settle into the school quickly. Older pupils support younger pupils in class and help them play kindly together during social times. The single school rule of ‘be kind and respectful’ is easily understood by all. Pupils behave well because of the high expectations adults have of them.

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

Overall, pupils learn the curriculum well. Beginning in the early years, staff teach children essential elements to prepare them for the next stage of their education. The needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified. Leaders’ sharp focus on curriculum development reflects their vision of ‘explore, enjoy, excel’. Expert staff break down complicated concepts into small steps, particularly in mathematics. This helps pupils, including pupils with SEND, to learn vital knowledge and skills. Usually, staff design activities that support pupils to acquire important knowledge and skills, however, this is not yet consistent across all subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or are at risk of not fully understanding key knowledge before they move on. Teachers check what pupils know and remember. Where this is done well, teachers check 18 July 2023

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for misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ understanding. This helps to inform their future teaching. However, leaders acknowledge that this work needs further refinement.

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Leaders prioritise reading. From the minute they join the school, children learn early sounds well and link these to letter formation. Staff know the reading curriculum well. Some staff need more training to ensure that they correctly identify when children make mistakes and help correct errors more swiftly. Early reading books match the sounds children know. This helps them to practise and to gain confidence quickly. Teachers systematically check that all pupils read widely and often at home. Pupils swiftly become fluent readers and develop a wide vocabulary.

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The wider development of pupils is a strength of the school. Staff deliver a carefully crafted personal, social and health education curriculum to develop pupils’ understanding of relevant moral and social issues. Leaders ensure that a wide range of clubs, visits and enriching activities contribute to the development of pupils’ talents and interests. Older pupils relish the opportunity to make a positive difference to their school by joining school council. Pupils feel listened to. They know that staff value their opinions. Leaders promote inclusion. Pupils learn to be accepting of each other’s needs and strengths.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ physical and mental health and well-being. Pupils make excellent use of the outdoor space during social times. Carefully chosen equipment encourages pupils to develop balance, throwing and catching skills and teamwork through collaborative play. Leaders’ innovative approach to the annual ‘sports evening’ ensures that families come together to spectate, compete, celebrate and build relationships as a community. Parents are supportive of the school. One parent, typical of many, commented that, ‘in spite of being a small school, the variety and diversity of activities for children is excellent.’

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Governors and trustees share leaders’ ambitions and enthusiasm for the school’s future. The engagement of multi-academy trust leaders is highly effective. The new chief executive officer’s active involvement in the development of the school is highly regarded by staff. Governors know the school well. They provide appropriate challenge and support to leaders. Staff are a cohesive team. They support each other and work tirelessly together for the benefit of the pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff have a clear understanding of what to look out for and how to share any worries about pupils. They receive regular updates in the weekly staff newsletter that helps to keep their knowledge current.

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Safeguarding

Leaders follow up concerns quickly and diligently. They involve appropriate people, including outside agencies, when needed. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through PSHE lessons and assemblies. Pupils know adults at the school care about them deeply and know who they can talk to if they have a worry. 18 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum design needs further refinement. This means that some pupils are not learning the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders should finesse their curriculum development and ensure that teaching enables all pupils to make strong progress across all subjects.  Leaders’ approach to assessment needs further development. Pupils do not always benefit from timely and helpful feedback. Leaders should ensure assessment consistently informs teaching so that it addresses misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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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 predecessor school, Stadhampton Primary school, to be good in February 2013.

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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.

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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. 18 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268427 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is a small primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 years.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2019.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  There is a breakfast- and after-school club on site run by the school.  Stadhampton Primary school converted to become and academy in February 2019. When its predecessor school, Stadhampton Primary school, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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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 met with the headteacher and Chief Executive Officer of the Acer multi- academy trust. The lead inspector met with the chair of the Acer multi-academy trust, the chair of governors and two other members of the governing body. 18 July 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following 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.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements by speaking with leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. Inspectors discussed the arrangements for safeguarding and sampled records and case files to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm. The lead inspector also considered the school’s work to recruit and check on the suitability of staff. Inspectors checked the knowledge of staff about their responsibilities.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. Inspectors

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spoke to pupils to discuss their learning, personal development and views on bullying and behaviour. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes and considered their responses to the online survey.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement planning and minutes from governors’ meetings.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers and took account of their responses to Ofsted Parent View. The views of staff were considered through conversations and the responses to the confidential online survey.

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Inspection team

Linda Culling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Phillip Blagg His Majesty’s Inspector 18 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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