Little Stanion Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Little Stanion Primary School Roman Road, Little Stanion, Corby, Northamptonshire NN18 8TD

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Outcome

Little Stanion Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is an exciting buzz in this warm and welcoming school. Every day starts with the ‘Daily Mile’ to energise pupils and help them keep physically and mentally healthy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

’Community spirit’ is important. Pupils have many different responsibilities. From mucking out the goats and feeding the chickens, to being on the junior school leadership team, pupils are proud to play their part.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils enjoy regular opportunities to learn outdoors, in addition to many experiences farther afield. They speak enthusiastically of visits to art galleries and museums in London, and residential visits in the Welsh borders. Pupils participate in numerous clubs and sporting competitions. Pupils say there are ‘opportunities for all to aspire’. They appreciate how their school lives up to its vision.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy. Relationships between staff and pupils are built on respect and trust. Pupils are kind and considerate. They behave well and have a good attitude in lessons. Parents typically say that the caring staff go ‘above and beyond’ to ensure all pupils thrive. Mostly, pupils achieve well at Little Stanion. The school is ambitious and is working hard to make sure more pupils reach even higher standards.

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

The school fosters a love of reading and makes sure pupils learn to read fluently. The library is busy at breaktimes and everyone enjoys the daily story time. A broad range of well-chosen texts capture pupils’ interest. Trained staff teach the sequenced phonics programme effectively. In the Nursery class, children identify sounds they can hear in words. In Reception, they learn letters that match these sounds and soon blend them to read. Staff carefully check pupils’ progress. Most pupils quickly become confident readers. If pupils need more time to practise, they get it and catch up with their peers. Sometimes, books given to pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read are not as well matched as they could be. 6 and 7 February 2024

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The recently reviewed curriculum is ambitious and promotes diversity well. Carefully chosen subject matter interests and inspires pupils. For example, the drawings of contemporary artists fascinate Year 3 pupils. Following their example, pupils learn to draw with precision and to keep doing the best that they can. Most curriculum plans identify precisely what pupils will learn and how this will develop, starting from the early years. In a few subjects, this is less clear.

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Teachers have the knowledge and expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively. They clearly explain new concepts and model new skills, such as accurate counting or finding the perimeter of a shape. Teachers select appropriate activities for pupils to practise new skills. They adapt these for pupils who might struggle. In mathematics, pupils use equipment to help them understand fractions or calculate. When necessary, pupils receive extra guidance and teaching to learn essential knowledge. Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) speak highly of the support provided. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to speak English are also supported to access the curriculum and progress well.

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Adults in the early years use language with precision. They skilfully describe what they are doing to help children learn new things. For example, they explain what matching jigsaw pieces show to help children connect numerals with quantities. The youngest children use this knowledge to make drinks from simple recipes. Teachers use questions well to assess what pupils remember in lessons. However, these checks do not always show exactly what pupils remember over time.

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Pupils respond well to the school’s high expectations for their learning and behaviour. They are enthusiastic and resilient in lessons. Pupils see making mistakes as an essential part of learning. They appreciate and act on the guidance adults provide.

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Carefully considered opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development thread through the whole curriculum. These promote pupils’ cultural development and encourage them to be aspirational. Pupils visit the mosque and the Hindu temple, for example. They learn about diversity and respect for all. The school explicitly teaches pupils how to become responsible citizens. This includes through the meticulous arrangements for dining at lunchtime. As table leaders, older pupils look after younger ones and model good manners.

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The school considers the views of staff and the impact on their workload before making any changes. Staff feel trusted and empowered to make decisions about their development or how they work. They feel valued and are proud to be part of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the curriculum for a few foundation subjects, the sequence of learning is not as precise as it is in others. Teachers do not always know how what they are teaching builds on what pupils learned before in the early years. The school should continue to revise its curriculum so that in every subject it is clear exactly what pupils should know from the early years to Year 6.  In a few subjects, teachers do not reliably know what pupils recall from what they learned before. This means that lessons do not always build on this prior knowledge. The school should continue to develop an appropriate and manageable approach to checking what pupils have learned over time.  Sometimes, the books that pupils read do not match what pupils know. This means that some pupils do not get the right opportunities to practise the sounds that they are learning. The school should ensure that all books, for pupils at the early stages of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

learning to read, are matched with greater precision to pupils’ knowledge of phonics.

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Background

When we have judged 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 school to be good in October 2015.

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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. 6 and 7 February 2024

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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). 6 and 7 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2019 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and groups of staff and pupils. The inspector met with members of the local governing body.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the written comments from parents. She also spoke to some parents.

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 The inspector took account of responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and art and design. Inspection activities included discussions with curriculum leaders about their curricular thinking, lesson visits, looking at samples of pupils’ work, observing pupils reading and discussions with both teachers and pupils about learning. The inspector also looked at plans for other curriculum areas.

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Inspection team

Claire Stylianides, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

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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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