Ireby CofE School

Inspection of a good school: Ireby CofE School Ireby, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 1DS

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Outcome

Ireby CofE School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and close-knit school community. Relationships between pupils are very positive, as are those between pupils and staff. Staff know pupils and their families very well and this helps pupils to feel secure and happy. Pupils’ enjoyment of school is a major factor in them attending regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to achieve well. They are keen to learn and live up to the school’s ambitions for their future success. The school has completely overhauled the curriculum over the past two years. Although a minority of subjects have only recently been introduced, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This starts with children in the early years. Routines are soon established when children join the Nursery. Children quickly learn about what is expected from them. Older pupils listen to and act on teachers’ directions readily. This establishes a harmonious place for learning, where pupils are rarely distracted in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils enjoy holding a range of leadership roles in the school. This could involve being part of the school council or being a classroom monitor. They also enjoy visits to the local area to support their learning, for example when learning about rivers.

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

Over recent years, the school has established an ambitious curriculum. Careful thought has been given to the essential learning that pupils should learn and when they should learn it. In most subjects, the curriculum is well established. Teachers understand what pupils have learned previously and what they should learn next. The activities that teachers provide for pupils help them to build on what they already know over time. Pupils talk confidently about their learning in these subjects and work in pupils’ books demonstrates their clear understanding. 13 March 2024

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In a minority of subjects, the curriculum is less well established. Until recently, these curriculums did not allow pupils to build small steps of knowledge over time. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge in these subjects and teachers sometimes need to revisit learning that pupils should already know. In these subjects, pupils’ learning is less secure.

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The school uses assessment strategies effectively. This allows teachers to check on pupils’ learning in lessons to ensure that they follow the curriculum with clear understanding. The school is starting to use assessment information well to shape pupils’ future learning. This is also the case in the early years, where children’s learning is checked regularly.

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The school has ensured that teaching pupils to read is a key priority. Children start to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class. There is a consistent approach to the delivery of the phonics curriculum across the early years and in key stage 1. The books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they are learning. The minority of pupils who struggle with reading are supported well to catch up. The vast majority of pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

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Pupils are supported to develop a love of reading across the school. Older pupils talked with confidence about their favourite authors and novels. Pupils enjoyed recent visits to the school from an author and a professional storyteller. Pupils understand the importance of reading as a key skill in life, which helps them to access learning in other subjects.

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Staff are alert to any additional needs that a pupil might have. They keep a careful check on pupils’ progress, which helps them to identify any pupils with SEND. Staff adapt teaching seamlessly to make sure that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. These pupils play a full part in school life and are supported to achieve well.

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Pupils behave well. This is the case in lessons, around school and on the playground. They are courteous and respectful and establish strong friendships with their peers.

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The school has established a programme of activities to enhance pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn about their physical and mental health. They also understand the importance of equality and articulated that everyone should be treated equally in society. The school has established curriculum for pupils’ personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE). However, pupils do not have an in-depth understanding of the wider world, including around diversity and different cultures.

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Governors have a clear understanding of what the school does well and where it could improve. They support and challenge the school in equal measure. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel valued. They appreciate the school’s work to consider their workload and well-being. For example, staff are given the time that they need to fulfil their responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, a new curriculum has only recently been established. In these subjects, pupils’ learning is less secure and there are gaps in their knowledge from a previously weaker curriculum. The school should ensure that the new curriculums in these subjects become embedded.  The school’s implementation of the PSHE curriculum has not had the impact that the school intends. Pupils do not have an in-depth understanding of diversity and their understanding of different cultures is limited. The school should revisit the implementation of this curriculum to ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2014.

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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.

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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 13 March 2024

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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 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of Carlisle. The last section 48 inspection was carried out in March 2020. The school is awaiting confirmation from the diocese about its next section 48 inspection.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. As part of the deep dives, the inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. The lead inspector also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult. 13 March 2024

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 The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority and of the diocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-

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Inspection team

Ian Hardman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Barlow Ofsted Inspector 13 March 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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