Stanton Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Stanton Community Primary School Upthorpe Road, Stanton, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk IP31 2AW

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Outcome

Stanton Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. There are warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils say teachers ‘take care of them’ and Samson the therapy dog helps them if they feel sad. Pupils feel safe and know who to talk to if they have a concern. They understand what bullying is. Pupils like the opportunity to become anti-bullying ambassadors who help everyone get along. ‘The Lodge’ gives pupils space to go if they feel anxious or worried. Pupils know the emotional support worker is always available to help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils respond to these and achieve well in reading and mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) know that staff go ‘above and beyond’ to help them achieve. This enables them to be active members of the school community. The ‘nurture nest’ offers pupils a calm space to develop their personal and social skills at lunchtime. The support pupils receive helps them meet the school’s universally high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils expand their interests through the wide range of clubs available. Many educational trips and experiences bring learning to life for pupils. These include meeting astronomers, visiting historical sites and the theatre.

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

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. It sets out what pupils will learn and by when from Nursery to Year 6. Pupils achieve in line with others nationally for reading and writing. Pupils achieve above others nationally in multiplication checks. This is because there is a well-considered mathematics curriculum. Pupils revisit learning and apply their growing mathematical knowledge to different problems. If pupils have misconceptions, these are quickly corrected. This means the proportion of pupils working at a higher standard in key stage 2 is improving. In a few foundation subjects, some 8 and 9 May 2024

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pupils do not remember the key knowledge from their lessons. Checks on the quality of the curriculum in these subjects are in the early stages. So learning is not as rigorously checked as English and mathematics.

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Well-trained staff teach phonics daily and hear children read. Books that pupils read match the sounds they already know. This helps them become fluent readers quickly. Regular checks identify pupils in danger of falling behind. This means help is put in place swiftly so they achieve well. Pupils use their phonic knowledge to spell new words. This helps them become confident writers. Pupils are keen to read. They like selecting books from the large library and the extensive ‘Stanton 50’ list.

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Pupils with SEND are included fully in the life of the school. Pupils’ individual needs are identified precisely. They receive support to access the same learning as their peers. Pupils with SEND have positive attitudes to learning and achieve well.

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Children in the early years are enthusiastic about learning. Priority is placed on developing children's communication and language skills. Outside children explore nature. They learn insect names and about their habitats. This helps children learn new words, while also forming early scientific knowledge. Adults share books and read stories daily which fosters a love of reading. Children learn about number and pattern. This prepares children for learning in key stage 1.

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The school has a clear expectation that ‘every school day counts’. Pupils with persistent absenteeism receive the right support that improves their attendance and punctuality. Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful. This means that they work together productively in lessons and learning is not disrupted.

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The extensive range of trips, clubs and experiences extends learning beyond the academic curriculum and broadens pupils’ horizons. Pupils develop an understanding of world faiths and beliefs. They like visits to different places of worship. Pupils say the best part of this learning is making positive connections. Pupils appreciate the views of others. In assemblies, pupils discuss moral dilemmas and debate views with respect.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders and know their workload is carefully considered. The school now has a full governing body after a period of change. Leaders at all levels are in the early stages of checking the curriculum works as well as they intend. Not all governors understand how to use this information effectively yet so that they can constructively hold leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some foundation subjects, leaders are in the early stages of checking how well the curriculum is being implemented. This means that in some areas of the curriculum, minor weaknesses are not noticed as swiftly as in English and mathematics. The school should ensure that they focus on checking how well the curriculum is implemented so that leaders and governors can enhance the teaching in the foundation subjects.  The governing body has many new members. They are yet to fully implement their roles in effectively holding leaders to account for the quality of education. Leaders should work together to make sure that governors understand their role and carry this out effectively so that they can hold leaders to account for the quality of education.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in 5–6 March 2019.

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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 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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one alternative provider.  The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club operating on the site. This provision is managed by the school.  The school has a Nursery with provision for three-year-olds.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about th 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.  The inspector spoke to the headteacher, deputy headteacher, teachers, pupils, subject leaders, special educational needs co-ordinators.  The inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair and vice chair. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-

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evaluation, improvement plans, governor minutes and information on the school’s website.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. The inspector also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Mireille MacRaild, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 8 and 9 May 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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