Althorpe and Keadby Primary School

Inspection of Althorpe and Keadby Primary School Station Road, Keadby, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN17 3BN

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils who attend Althorpe and Keadby Primary. Pupils are proud of their school and their community. Pupils achieve well. They learn about resilience and respect. In addition, staff teach pupils to be aspirational for their future. Pupils learn about money management, career opportunities, healthy and unhealthy relationships, as well as online safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff know the pupils very well. Positive and warm relationships between pupils ensure that they feel safe. They are kind to each other, tolerant and accepting. The school has high expectations that pupils will always behave well. Staff model these positive behaviours. Older pupils particularly rise to these high expectations. They show good manners and work together in a collaborative way. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. A small group of younger pupils receive effective support from adults to focus on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an exceptionally strong offer for pupils’ personal development. Leaders ensure that no one will miss out on these additional experiences. Pupils have been encouraged to ‘never miss out on adventure’. There is a strong focus on ensuring that pupils develop a healthy body and mind and take part in educational visits and events beyond their own locality. This offer sometimes extends to parents and carers within the community.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum with the needs of its pupils at the centre. In subjects such as mathematics, geography and physical education (PE), leaders have carefully planned the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Through the curriculum, pupils learn more about their own community, as well as life beyond their locality in the wider world. Teachers explain the learning in a clear and consistent way. Teachers address misconceptions that pupils may have. Pupils remember, and can talk about, their learning.

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better?

Leaders have recently put in place a new approach for the teaching of early reading. This is in the early stages and has not yet been fully embedded. As a result, there is a lack of precision in phonics teaching. Pupils do not spend enough time in these sessions practising what they have learned. Some pupils who are at the early stages of learning how to read do not develop a secure phonics knowledge quickly enough. The school acknowledges that there needs to be a more rigorous and structured approach to the teaching of phonics and has already taken steps to address this.

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better?

The reading curriculum is better developed for those pupils who are already fluent readers. There is a structured approach to ensuring that they develop a wide range of reading skills. Pupils comment positively about the choice of books that are available for them to read. 11 and 12 October 2023

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Children get off to a good start in the school’s provision for two-year olds. Adults skilfully encourage children to talk and use new words. Their educational and care needs are well met. The curriculum for the older pupils in the early years needs further development. The precise knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn is not clear or sequential. Therefore, not all staff know what the priority is for pupils’ learning. In addition, the resources and activities do not ensure that all pupils take part in meaningful learning opportunities. This means that some pupils are not well prepared for key stage 1.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. They access the same curriculum as their peers because adults ensure that they have specific resources or adult support.

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The school puts great emphasis on pupils’ personal development. There is a well- developed curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE). Pupils learn about being responsible citizens in the community. They are knowledgeable and discuss issues such as racism and homophobia with maturity. Pupils talk about the fundamental British values and the importance of these growing up in modern Britain.

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School leaders want pupils to be immersed in a rich set of experiences which help to develop their talents and interests. Pupils thrive through attending a wide range of clubs. Further sessions to develop pupils’ fitness and well-being, such as extra swimming lessons, are planned for pupils after school and during holiday periods.

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Parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive from leaders. Staff comment that they are part of a happy team. Governors are aware of their statutory responsibilities. They too recognise the importance of the school as the hub of the local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The chosen phonics approach has not been embedded. Not all staff have received the training planned by leaders. Therefore, there is not a rigorous and coherent approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils do not spend enough time practising what they need to learn. This means that a small group of early readers do not develop a secure phonic knowledge quickly enough. The school should ensure that all staff are well trained to teach a well-structured phonics programme.  The curriculum in Reception does not identify the knowledge that pupils need to develop over time. Consequently, adults do not always know what to teach and 11 and 12 October 2023

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when. The school should ensure that the curriculum in Reception clearly identifies the knowledge that children need to prepare them for their learning in Year 1.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Age range of pupils 2 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year olds.  The school has a breakfast club.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with governors, the local authority, the headteacher, subject leaders and the SEND coordinator.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. They spoke with pupils about their experiences in school, including how safe they feel.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents shared by school leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through Ofsted’s Parent View, an online survey. Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through surveys and discussions.

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Inspection team

Sarah Gordon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Roundtree Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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