Even Swindon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Even Swindon Primary School Pasture Close, Raybrook Park, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 2UJ

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Outcome

Even Swindon Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Even Swindon Primary is a friendly place. Pupils, many of whom speak English as an additional language, understand the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. They talk confidently about how the school values help them to have an ‘optimistic’ outlook, deal with challenges and feel part of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff understand and consistently follow the school’s approach to behaviour. Pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous. Pupils take pride in earning ‘dojos’ for meeting the school’s ‘good to be green’ expectations. This starts in the early years, where children listen carefully and work well with one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the early years onwards, relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. This helps pupils feel safe. Pupils say that staff are kind and caring. They trust adults to listen to them and help them with any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests through residentials, visits and after-school clubs, including art, choir and dodgeball. Pupils are keen to take on roles of leadership, such as play leader, reading ranger and school DJ. They say these roles build their confidence and understanding of responsibility.

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

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve, particularly those with English as an additional language. An ambitious curriculum has been designed well.

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

Starting in the Nursery, the school’s curriculum makes clear the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and when. In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge and understanding well because of this. In physical education (PE), for example, younger pupils show increasing ball control when playing invasion games. Older pupils confidently make links between what they have learned before about balance, stance and grip when taking part in athletic activities, such as throwing the discus. 8–9 May 2024

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Pupils and staff share a love of reading. Pupils understand the importance of reading and how it helps them to build their knowledge. Staff have the expertise they need to teach the school’s reading programme effectively. This starts in the Nursery, where staff use rhymes and songs to help children recognise initial letter sounds. As they move through the school, pupils learn and remember new sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the help and support they need to catch up. As a result, pupils become fluent and confident readers.

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The school has taken effective action to address previous weaknesses in mathematics that were evident in the most recent published outcomes for pupils at key stage 2. Teachers use their subject knowledge effectively to build pupils mathematical understanding. They check pupils’ understanding before moving on to new learning. As a result, children in the early years gain confidence when working with number. Older pupils build on this to confidently solve more complex problems involving the angles of a triangle. However, staff subject knowledge is not consistently strong across all subjects. Where this is the case, they do not check pupils’ understanding or address misconceptions that arise well enough. This slows the progress that some pupils make.

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The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Individual support plans are precise and routinely reviewed. As a result, most pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum as well as their peers. For example, older pupils with SEND recall their learning about the geography of the local area while pupils in the specialist resource base confidently communicate their ideas when writing stories about animals.

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Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They enjoy the opportunities they have to develop their creative skills during social times. Pupils move around the school calmly and sensibly. This starts in the early years, where children follow the school routines well. The school has effective systems in place to ensure that pupils attend regularly. Where there are concerns, the school works closely with parents and external agencies to improve attendance.

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The school provides opportunities that support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils understand the importance of positive physical and mental health. They talk confidently about tolerance and inclusion. Pupils develop their character by raising money for local charities or by taking part in national gardening projects.

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Governors understand their statutory duties well. They provide the school with a suitable balance of support and challenge. Staff appreciate the steps that the school takes to manage their workload. They value the support they receive, which enables them to carry out their roles effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8–9 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers are still developing the subject knowledge they need to teach some wider curriculum subjects well. As a result, some teachers do not respond well enough to address misconceptions or to move pupils on in their learning. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge because of this. The school needs to ensure teachers deliver the curriculum effectively to help pupils know more and remember more.

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Background

When we have judged a school to 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 June 2018.

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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). 8–9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since January 2013.  There is a before-school club managed by the governing body.  The school has pre-school provision for two-, three- and four-year olds.  The school has specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.  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. 8–9 May 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils, and representatives from the governing body. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and held a telephone conversation with the school’s improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicolle Deighton Ofsted Inspector 8–9 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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