Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Chrismund Way, Great Tey, Colchester, Essex CO6 1AZ

p.1

Outcome

Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school and do so regularly. Pupils live and breathe the school’s values through their daily actions. Responsibility is especially important to pupils. Members of the ‘eco-refill group’ rise to the challenge of running the newly created eco-shop. The local community is encouraged to use the shop. This helps pupils to understand the importance of respecting and looking after the world around them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children learn important routines as soon as they start. They quickly develop the independence and concentration they need to learn well. Pupils want to achieve. They work hard in their lessons to reach the school’s high expectations. Lunchtime is an enjoyable time of the school day for pupils of all ages to come together as one. Older pupils enjoy helping younger children to play games on the playground or school field.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the many opportunities the school has carefully designed for them outside their lessons. They can, and do, attend many different clubs. These provide new experiences for pupils. They have various chances to represent the school. Pupils are proud to sing in the choir at The Royal Albert Hall or play for the school football team, for example.

p.1

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

The school has identified the important knowledge pupils will learn from Reception to Year 6. They have set this knowledge out to meet the needs of the mixed-age classes. Pupils have opportunities to build on what they already know and can do. For example, in Reception, children secure their understanding of important number facts through being ‘doubling detectives’. This helps them to access more complex learning as they move into Year 1 and beyond. 21 March 2024

p.1

2

The school ensures teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. Typically, teachers present information clearly. Teachers use assessment to check pupils’ learning. In some places they do this with precision. For example, in reading, teachers identify specific gaps pupils have in the sounds they know and can read. This helps teachers to know when to revisit content and when to introduce new learning. In some instances, the way teachers check pupils’ understanding is less precise. When this happens, it is hard for teachers to know whether to revisit learning or introduce new knowledge.

p.2

2

Reading is a priority across the school. In Reception, staff enthusiastically read a range of stories to children. This helps to instil a love of reading and stories that stays with pupils as they move through the school. The newly created ‘key reading texts’ introduce pupils to a wide range of literature. Pupils especially enjoy listening to their teachers read new authors and different genres to them. Pupils who need help with reading get effective support. They therefore become more confident and fluent.

p.2

2

The school provides effective support for the high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Newly re-designed support plans identify, with precision, the specific strategies pupils with SEND require to access their learning. Staff use these plans well. They help pupils with SEND to learn well.

p.2

2

Pupils behave well throughout the school day. They show kindness and compassion towards each other and adults. They also show high levels of respect. The school ensures pupils learn about, and understand, differences between cultures and religions. The personal, social, health and economic curriculum helps pupils to learn about different relationships. Through this curriculum, pupils also learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. Pupils benefit from the way the school uses trips and visitors to develop what they learn in lessons. For example, a recent graffiti artist inspired pupils to create their own artwork.

p.2

2

The way the school monitors the effectiveness of the curriculum has changed over the years. This is in part due to the small size of the school and the growth it has gone through. The way the school checks how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum has helped them to make some improvements. For example, recently, the school has redesigned the mathematics curriculum. In some areas the monitoring of the effectiveness of the curriculum lacks precision. This means that leaders do not have as secure an understanding of where they need to make improvements as they might.

p.2

2

Governors know the school. They understand what it does well. They ensure that staff have support to manage their workload and wellbeing. Staff enjoy being members of the school community and are proud to work here.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, assessment does not identify with precision how well pupils are retaining important knowledge. When this happens, it makes it hard for teachers to know when to revisit or introduce new learning. The school should ensure teachers use assessment effectively to identify how well pupils are retaining important knowledge to inform future teaching.  The school is currently developing leadership of the curriculum. Precise monitoring of the curriculum is not fully embedded. The school does not have as secure an understanding of how well pupils are learning in some subjects compared to others. This means they do not have as full a picture of where to make improvements. The school should ensure they check how well pupils are learning across subjects. This is so they better understand where they might need to make necessary improvements.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2014.

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.

p.3

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, 21 March 2024

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route).

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school has increased significantly the number of pupils on roll over recent years.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent inspection of its religious character under section 48 of the Education Act was in November 2016. It will receive its next inspection within eight years of that date.  There is breakfast and after-school care for pupils on site run by the school.

p.4

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 21 March 2024

p.4

5

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff. Evidence of writing across the curriculum was also considered.  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

p.5

5

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff and governors.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, attendance records, pupil records, minutes of governing body meetings, local authority and diocesan school improvement monitoring reports, school development plans and school policies.  There were 46 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.  There were 34 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors also spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.  There were 19 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff. Inspectors met with staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.

p.5

Inspection team

Michael Williams, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.5

Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey His Majesty's Inspector 21 March 2024

p.5

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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

p.6

6

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

p.6