Staindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Inspection of Staindrop CofE (Controlled) Primary School Black Swan Wynd, Staindrop, Darlington, County Durham DL2 3NL

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school, which is at the heart of the community. Staff and pupils alike are friendly and welcoming. ‘Learning, laughter and friendship’ are the values that help to promote respectful and caring relationships between staff and pupils. Strong, trusting relationships help pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve. Many pupils meet and exceed these expectations. Pupils love learning. They produce work of a high quality. They reflect on their work and work hard to make improvements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Right from the start in early years, staff teach children how to be responsible for their actions. As pupils progress through the school, they take increasing responsibility for their own behaviour. Pupils are polite and friendly. They support the well-being of other pupils by taking roles of responsibility, such as head boy or head girl.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s development of pupils’ character is exemplary. Extra-curricular activities are carefully considered to support pupils’ learning and to develop pupils’ talents and interests. ‘The bucket list’ ensures that all pupils experience a wide range of activities, such as competing in sports competitions, gorge walking and abseiling. These experiences help to build pupils’ confidence and resilience.

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

The school has designed an aspirational curriculum. The content goes beyond the scope of the national curriculum in many subjects, including computing and history. Important knowledge is clearly sequenced from early years to Year 6. The school has made meaningful connections across subjects to help pupils remember important knowledge over time. For example, in geography, pupils apply their mathematical knowledge to describe positions on a map with a coordinate grid. In most subjects, pupils’ knowledge is checked carefully. Activities are adapted to address misconceptions. However, in a few foundation subjects, including computing, assessment is not used as well as it could be to check what pupils know. Occasionally, activities for some pupils are too hard as assessment does not check their readiness for more complex learning.

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

The school prioritises reading and develops pupils’ love of reading. In early years, children enjoy songs, rhymes and stories every day. This helps to prepare children for phonics teaching in Reception. The school’s chosen scheme for teaching phonics is expertly taught by staff. Pupils who fall behind or who struggle with reading are quickly identified and receive help to catch up. There is a thorough system for ensuring that pupils read often from books that are accurately matched to the letter sounds and words they know. This helps pupils to become fluent readers. Older pupils enjoy reading from a wide range of quality texts that spark their interest. Teachers model reading clearly. They prompt discussions about the vocabulary and themes in favourite books. Pupils achieve extremely well in reading. 14 and 15 November 2023

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. Staff use this information to set clear targets and provide resources to support pupils with SEND. The school is ambitious for pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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The school has maintained a calm and safe environment where pupils are highly motivated to learn. Staff expect the highest standards of behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes is exemplary. Staff listen attentively to any concerns that pupils may have. They provide effective support when needed. The school takes purposeful action to keep pupils safe, although on occasions records do not fully reflect the actions taken. In lessons, pupils are keen to contribute what they have learned. Pupils’ attendance and punctuality are excellent. They value their time in school.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development extremely well. Older pupils understand how to stay safe when online. They learn about maintaining healthy relationships. Pupils enjoy being ambassadors for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They run events involving the whole school. Pupils enjoy being part of the ‘worship committee’. They plan and lead assemblies where they discuss important values, such as ‘generosity’. They learn about and celebrate the differences between people. Pupils benefit from at least one educational or residential visit per year. Pupils are proud to have tried new experiences that they have never tried before, such as learning how to survive in the wild. All pupils, including those with SEND, are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors work closely with the school. They check the effectiveness of leaders’ actions to further improve the school. Leaders consider the workload and well-being of staff in the decisions that they make. Staff are grateful for the time and support that they receive to fulfil their responsibilities. They feel valued and they are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, the school does not check pupils' learning in foundation subjects well enough. Some pupils find tasks too difficult as assessment does not check their readiness for more complex tasks. The school should work with staff to better use assessment to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that learning can be adapted to meet all pupils’ needs. 14 and 15 November 2023

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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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 June 2010, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Durham. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2022. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character. The school’s next inspection will be within six years of the previous section 48 inspection.  Since the previous inspection, a governor-led pre-school has been opened.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school clubs.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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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. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also met with the special educational needs coordinator and early years leader. The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and Diocese of Durham. She also met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and computing. 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. The lead inspector also observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult.

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 An inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum for French.  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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school. They looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and education. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. An inspector met with parents at the start of the school day and took into account the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Millett His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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