Putteridge Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Putteridge Primary School Putteridge Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU2 8HJ

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Outcome

Putteridge Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak highly of their school. They enjoy coming to Putteridge and are safe here. Pupils particularly enjoy their learning, as staff often make it fun for them. They know that staff have high expectations of them, and they work hard to achieve them. Pupils contribute to discussions and focus on producing high-quality work in their books. They achieve well. By the time they leave in Year 6, pupils are well prepared for secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils behave well in lessons. However, a small number of pupils can be over- enthusiastic, which distracts others. Pupils know that there are adults here to support them if they need it. This can be academically or personally. This ensures that pupils are ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak fondly of the trips that they go on, for example to Warwick Castle and the Space Museum. They can link these trips to what they learn in class. Some trips are created for pupils by the school. For example, younger pupils visit a ‘seaside’ that is on the school field. A visiting farm brings in animals for pupils to meet. Therefore, all pupils can access the seaside and a farm, which they might otherwise not experience. Pupils can attend a range of different sporting competitions inside and outside school. Pupils are often successful in these competitions.

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

Subject teams have developed the curriculum well. The subject teams have ensured that pupils have a broad and interesting curriculum to follow. This starts in the early years. Plans highlight key knowledge for pupils to know and be able to do, which teachers then ensure pupils remember. Pupils revisit these key concepts regularly at the start of lessons or the start of new topics. Teachers have good subject knowledge. In some subjects, teachers have regular opportunities to develop this further. Teachers check what pupils know in lessons. However, they do not check what pupils remember over the longer term. 23 and 24 April 2024

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Therefore, in a few subjects, pupils cannot build on their prior knowledge as well as they should.

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Highly trained staff carefully adapt work for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This enables pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. The school works well with external agencies and parents to ensure that pupils with SEND have a personalised approach that meets their individual needs.

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Reading is an integral part of the curriculum. The school has ensured that staff have the expertise to teach reading well. This is true for classes, small groups and individual pupils. Staff identify pupils who need extra support. This is quickly put in place so they can keep up. Teachers choose the books that pupils read individually or as a class carefully. Individuals read books matched to their phonics knowledge. Books in story time link to the topics pupils are studying, so they can explore these more deeply. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

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The school carefully monitors any behaviour incidents, looking for triggers and patterns. The staff put in the necessary support for groups of pupils and individuals. This helps pupils to make the right choices. Attendance is a high priority for the school. The staff carefully follow their policy to ensure that all pupils are safe and do not hesitate to challenge poor attendance. As a result, pupils attend school regularly.

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Staff prioritise pupils’ well-being as much as the academic side of the curriculum. The pastoral team is available to support pupils effectively, as and when they need it. As part of this initiative, the school council has designed a sensory garden for pupils to access. Pupils, therefore, have the options for a quieter playtime if they want it.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They know that their well-being and workload are priorities. They appreciate the supportive team that they work with and the way that leaders listen to them. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the nurturing environment it provides for their children. Governors know the school well. They support as well as challenge all staff, so that they are all working together to achieve the school vision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not use assessment in a few subjects as effectively as it could to check and ensure that pupils remember what they have learned, over the longer term. As a result, some pupils lack the knowledge they need to build up their more detailed understanding. The school needs to ensure it uses assessment effectively in all subjects to adapt curriculum planning and teaching so that pupils remember more over time. 23 and 24 April 2024

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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 May 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.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.putteridgeprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with governors from the governing body and a local authority representative.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors also discussed with leaders the curriculum in other subjects. 23 and 24 April 2024

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils by speaking to them during lessons, in the dining hall and at breaktimes. They also considered the 134 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke to groups of staff, to gather their views of the school. Inspectors also considered the 61 responses submitted to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspectors considered 87 responses, including free-text responses, to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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