The Ashbeach Primary School

Inspection of The Ashbeach Primary School Ashbeach Drove, Ramsey St Mary’s, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE26 2TG

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 February 2024

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come into school happily. Those arriving by bus wait their turn in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils are welcomed by adults who they are excited to see because they know that they support and care for them. This helps pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils treat each other with kindness because they follow the school’s recently updated values of honesty, evolve, aspire, resilience, team (HEART). They show some of these values by playing nicely together and by supporting each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils. Lessons are fun, and this motivates pupils to try their best. Pupils feel proud when their efforts are praised. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils love to celebrate each other’s achievements in weekly celebration assemblies. Pupils with SEND are fully integrated into school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning ways to keep themselves healthy such as the foods they eat. They also learn about meditation and other strategies to support their mental health and well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the range of opportunities to broaden their horizons and extend their interests. This is through carefully thought-out extra-curricular clubs and trips.

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better?

Following a review, the school has designed an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum. It has been considerate of the needs of the mixed-age groups. The key knowledge that pupils need to learn in each subject is set out to support teachers to teach it well. The curriculum is planned to build up pupils’ learning gradually.

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better?

The school ensures that reading is a high priority. This begins at the start of Reception. Daily phonics sessions in the early years and key stage 1 are taught by skilled adults. Reading books are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Most pupils learn to read fluently by the end of Year 1. Pupils who struggle to read are identified quickly. They receive extra support to help them catch up and have improved their reading fluency by the end of Year 2. This helps prepare them for the next stages in their learning.

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better?

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. The school provides them with training opportunities to support the implementation of the intended curriculum. They know what to teach and when because curriculum plans clearly explain this. The resources teachers use to support pupils’ learning well. There is a regular focus on recapping previous learning to ensure that pupils build on what they already know which helps them to remember ‘sticky knowledge’. They frequently check how well pupils understand what is being taught. Teachers use these checks to adapt their lessons and to address gaps in learning. Because of this, pupils achieve well. 13 and 14 February 2024

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In the early years, adults provide quality provision and resources in the areas of learning that build on previous experiences. Consequently, children show high levels of engagement and concentration when working with adults or in continuous provision. As a result, children are being well prepared for key stage 1.

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Pupils with SEND participate fully in school life. They access the same curriculum as their peers. They get the support they need through adapted tasks and through the help given by well-trained staff.

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Adults model the behaviour they expect. Most pupils follow the newly implemented behaviour curriculum. This helps pupils to focus in lessons and follow teacher’s instructions. Where pupils do not do this, teachers quickly address the situation and regain pupils’ focus firmly but kindly. This contributes to the purposeful learning environment which is evident throughout the school.

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The school has implemented a programme which supports pupil development including relationships and sex education and personal, social, health and economics education. Pupils talk about the programme such as difference, different faiths and origins. However, their knowledge of fundamental British values such as democracy and rule of law is less secure. Pupils in the older years are less confident about their future beyond the school because they are yet to receive support with their move to secondary school. As a result, they are anxious about their future.

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Leaders have a clear focus on the improvement of the quality of the provision for pupils. A lot has been achieved in a short space of time. They take effective action to promote positive attendance. Staff have established relationships with parents. These have helped to improve attendance and punctuality.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and appreciate the support that they get for their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few areas of the personal development curriculum, such as British values, understanding protected characteristics and enabling confident learners, are not as well rooted as other curriculum areas. Consequently, pupils do not always feel confident about their future and are not being prepared well enough for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that the intended personal development curriculum is consistently implemented so that pupils learn to build character and confidence and it prepares them for the next stage of their life in all areas of being an active citizen. 13 and 14 February 2024

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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). 13 and 14 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there has been a new headteacher appointed.  There has been a slight increase in pupil numbers due to the closure of a local primary school.  The school does not use any 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.  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 a range of leaders, including senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and governors, including the chair of governors. 13 and 14 February 2024

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The lead inspector met with the school effectiveness adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and religious education. The lead inspector looked at a range of books from across all subjects, including English. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and the senior leadership team, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead inspector reviewed the single central record; took into account the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which leaders had created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspector reviewed a range of school documents and policies, including the school improvement plan and minutes of the governing body minutes.

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 The inspectors considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff surveys, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Harrison Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 February 2024

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