Purleigh Community Primary School

Inspection of Purleigh Community Primary School Pump Lane, Purleigh, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 6PJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Neil Stotter. This school is part of The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Joseph Figg, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sara Kightley. 1 and 2 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value being part of this welcoming school where everyone has a ‘buddy’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In Reception, children quickly learn and demonstrate the school’s values. Pupils learn remarkably well how to care for each other. During lessons, pupils support each other and celebrate each other’s success. Older pupils earnestly take on their responsibilities as positive role models and mentors for younger pupils. On the playground and in the dining hall, older pupils show younger pupils the high expectations of conduct at the school. Pupils are certain that bullying is very rare. When disagreements happen between pupils, they learn how to resolve their differences and let go of negative emotions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that learning is important. Children in Reception delight in learning and take pleasure in exploring the world around them. Pupils work hard to achieve the school’s aim for them to develop as ‘young scholars’. They successfully investigate the world through the lenses of the subjects they study.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s opportunities for them to develop talents and interests. Pupils enjoy the various clubs available, including sporting and wider pursuits. They are well prepared for their next steps in education as well-rounded individuals.

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better?

The school has high ambitions for what pupils learn and can achieve. The curriculum is very well designed for most subjects. Leaders have provided precise guidance for teachers to ensure that they teach knowledge in sensible steps. This helps pupils build their understanding without being overloaded or confused.

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better?

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. They understand pupils’ learning needs and arrange effective learning activities. This includes providing effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers check what pupils know and understand. When pupils find it difficult, staff provide immediate support so that pupils keep up and do not fall behind.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers give pupils lots of opportunities to review what has previously been taught. This helps pupils remember important knowledge over time. However, in some areas of the curriculum, teachers do not review knowledge as effectively. In these subjects, pupils forget key knowledge over time.

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better?

In recent years, the school redesigned its approach to teaching reading. This is having a positive effect both on pupils’ enjoyment of reading and their achievement. Starting in Reception, staff consistently deliver the school’s phonics scheme, so pupils learn what they need to read fluently. The school’s carefully considered reading curriculum is helping pupils to access and understand sophisticated texts. Pupils who find reading hard are well supported to catch up. 1 and 2 May 2024

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In Reception, staff provide children effective opportunities to learn the curriculum through play. As a result, children learn what they need to be ready for the expectations of key stage 1.

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The school has a thorough approach to the identification of the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders provide precise guidance for teachers to plan effective learning activities. Staff use leaders’ guidance to ensure that these pupils get what they need and, consequently, learn well.

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The school’s well-established ethos and consistent approach to managing behaviour ensure that pupils behave impeccably. Starting in Reception, pupils learn to sustain their concentration for extended periods of time. Pupils are courteous and demonstrate maturity during class discussions. They listen intently to their teachers and peers. Leaders provide highly effective support for any pupils that find it difficult to regulate their emotions and behaviour. These pupils contribute positively to lessons and the overall school community.

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Pupils enjoy school and they attend regularly. Where there are instances of pupils who struggle to attend school, leaders work well with families and provide effective support. As a result, pupils’ attendance improves markedly.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn about different lifestyles and beliefs found in modern society. They respect and show interest in others’ differences. Pupils are well prepared for adult life with the understanding they need about how to maintain positive relationships.

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Parents and staff are confident in the leadership of the school. Parents are rightly proud of the school’s heritage as a strong school serving the local community. Staff are similarly proud of the school and enjoy working there. Staff appreciate how leaders support them to maintain a reasonable workload.

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Trustees and governors carry out their duties effectively. They have an accurate understanding of the school and hold leaders accountable for the quality of provision at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While teachers give pupils plenty of opportunities to review what has been taught, there are occasions when this is not done as effectively. When this happens, pupils forget some of the key knowledge they need to learn. The school must ensure that staff review important knowledge in all subjects consistently 1 and 2 May 2024

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well. This will enable pupils to build securely on what they have learned equally well throughout all areas of the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 1 and 2 May 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Purleigh Community Primary School converted to become an academy in April 2014. When its predecessor school, Purleigh Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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. 1 and 2 May 2024

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 Inspectors held discussions with the chief executive officer of the trust, trustees, governors, the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, members of support staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: history, mathematics, science and reading. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the wider curriculum, looked at a range of curriculum documents, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to some pupils about their learning in some other subjects.  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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed behaviour of pupils in lessons and during social time.  Inspectors looked at relevant documents, considered pupils’ work and held discussions with leaders, staff and pupils about the provision for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered the 21 staff responses and the 56 parent responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Al Mistrano, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 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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