Datchet St Mary's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Datchet St Mary’s CofE Primary School The Green, Datchet, Slough, Berkshire SL3 9EJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

p.1

Outcome

Datchet St Mary’s CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nicola Green. This school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Anne Dellar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders aspire for all pupils to experience success here, regardless of their background. The school fosters strong relationships with parents and families, and pupils feel valued and understood by staff. Staff create a positive and safe environment for learning, and pupils achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have confidence that they can talk to staff about any worries. Children in early years learn to share and interact positively. This helps them to make a strong start to their schooling. In class and around school, pupils follow clear routines and behave kindly towards one another. Staff provide pupils with techniques to develop a ‘happy mind’. This helps pupils to manage their emotions and become more resilient.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take on responsibilities within school. They enjoy acting as buddies for younger pupils and being leaders for sports or worship. The school provides a range of activities to foster pupils’ talents and interests. The school makes sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) take advantage of these opportunities fully. Pupils enjoy learning about different backgrounds and faiths, from both within and beyond the school community. This helps pupils to develop a clear commitment to equality and diversity.

p.1

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

The school’s curriculum is built on a clear understanding of what pupils need. When children begin in early years, any SEND needs are identified rapidly. Recently, leaders have reviewed and extended the range of what pupils learn in some subjects. This gives 20 and 21 February 2024

p.1

2

pupils access to varied and highly engaging themes, such as learning about the Suffragettes in history.

p.2

2

Pupils learn to read with accuracy and assurance. In Nursery, staff help children to learn new words and talk about their ideas. Children in Reception benefit from frequent phonics learning. Teachers check how well pupils know and remember letters and sounds. This enables the school to target support for weaker readers effectively.

p.2

2

As the curriculum has developed, teachers have made sure that their own subject knowledge has kept pace with changes to what is taught. This enables teachers to model and explain well. For example, in mathematics, teachers demonstrate important techniques, such as how to use a protractor accurately. By selecting helpful resources, teachers enable pupils to choose the best ways to build their understanding. As a result, pupils develop accurate mathematical methods.

p.2

2

In some subjects, elements of pupils’ understanding and their use of subject-specific vocabulary are not as secure. Teachers make connections between what pupils have learned before and what they are learning now. This helps pupils to build knowledge over time. Staff use assessments to inform their approach to forthcoming topics. Sometimes, teachers’ checks of what pupils understand are less systematic than they could be. For instance, in phonics, teachers make sure that pupils’ pronunciation is correct. However, there are other instances when misconceptions are not picked up directly. In these cases, pupils need further reinforcement to make sure that they understand.

p.2

2

Pupils’ writing reflects the fact that they are learning well. They are proud of how their writing develops, such as when learning how to create a persuasive letter. Disadvantaged pupils benefit equally from the ambitious curriculum, and they achieve well. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers and achieve highly from their starting points.

p.2

2

Attendance is a high priority for staff across the school. Leaders work closely with families to explore barriers to attendance. They provide specific support for groups of pupils with lower attendance, such as those with SEND. If parents request time out of school, this is handled thoughtfully but firmly. Staff make sure that the school is a welcoming place, such as by running family learning mornings. The school’s approach to behaviour is clear and consistent. As a result, pupils know what is expected of them. There are occasions when some pupils lose focus on tasks, but low-level disruption is rare.

p.2

2

The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ broader development. Teachers draw out themes from texts in English to help pupils consider moral questions. Learning about how to be a good friend is threaded through the curriculum, including in early years. As well as organising interesting trips and visits, the school provides on-site workshops and guest speakers. This enables leaders to make these opportunities as inclusive as possible.

p.2

2

Governors, trustees and leaders give consideration to the well-being of staff. Leaders encourage teachers to provide in-the-moment support for pupils in an effort to keep staff workload manageable. Staff have access to shared resources and assessment tools. As the school develops areas of the curriculum, this helps all pupils to access high-quality resources. 20 and 21 February 2024

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding as systematically as they could. As a result, some pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed and rectified swiftly. Leaders should ensure that teachers are rigorous in identifying and responding to misunderstandings and gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  In some subjects, pupils’ disciplinary knowledge and subject vocabulary are not developed as fully as they could be. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to apply their knowledge or to integrate new learning into larger ideas about the subject. Leaders should make sure that teachers emphasise concepts and vocabulary as well as factual knowledge and methods, to help deepen pupils’ understanding.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2018.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 20 and 21 February 2024

p.3

4

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). 20 and 21 February 2024

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Datchet St Mary’s CofE Primary School is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  Datchet St Mary’s CofE Primary School is a Church of England converter academy. The most recent section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) took place in March 2018. The next section 48 SIAMS inspection is due to take place before April 2026.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

p.5

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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 February 2024

p.5

6

 The inspector met with school leaders, including the headteacher, assistant headteachers and special educational needs coordinator. The inspector also met with representatives from the local governing board and spoke with a representative from the board of trustees, as well as the chief executive officer of the trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector 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 inspector also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND and sampled work from other areas of the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, trustees, trust leaders,

p.6

6

staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts the pupils’ interests first.

p.6

Inspection team

Daniel Botting, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7