St Luke's Church of England Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Luke’s Church of England Controlled Primary School 66 Church Road, Tiptree, Colchester, Essex CO5 0SU

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Outcome

St Luke’s Church of England Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and welcoming school. Pupils and staff have respectful and positive relationships. Pupils enjoy school. They benefit from learning in a caring, safe environment. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They are considerate of others and show respect, tolerance and understanding. Pupils do their best to follow the school’s behaviour code of being ‘kind, safe, polite and responsible’. Pupils meet the school’s high expectations by behaving well and working hard. They participate in lessons enthusiastically and want to try their hardest. This helps pupils to learn well from Reception upwards. Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is enhanced by carefully planned visits, for example to learn about coastal geography and to study the Tudors. These opportunities give pupils the chance to ask questions and find out more. Pupils achieve well and leave Year 6 ready for secondary school. Pupils enjoy a variety of school clubs and activities. These include basketball, art, netball,

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What is it like to attend this school?

football and mathematics club. Pupils hold positions of responsibility as members of the worship council and the school council. They are proud of their work as ‘agents of change’ where they learn how to have a positive impact in the community.

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

Governors and school leaders have successfully steered the school through a period of change since the previous inspection. They have established a school where pupils thrive. The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. It sets out precisely the knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn and the order in which these should be taught. The school has recently implemented new schemes in a few subjects. Because of this switch, older pupils sometimes do not have all the prior knowledge they 14 and 15 May 2024

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should in these subjects. There are a few inconsistencies in the quality of pupils’ writing in some areas. Throughout the school, and particularly in reading and mathematics, teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. Teachers provide pupils with clear explanations of activities. They make careful checks on how well pupils are learning. As a result, pupils achieve well. The school prioritises reading. Staff have the expertise required to teach reading well. In the early years, children listen to, and learn, poems, rhymes and stories that develop their communication and language skills. Children in Reception begin learning to read as soon as they start school. Pupils learn phonics extremely well. The books pupils read match the sounds they have learned and this allows pupils to practise and apply their knowledge. Teachers check pupils’ progress in phonics regularly and thoroughly. This means that if

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pupils fall behind, teachers quickly ensure they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils learn to read confidently and fluently. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Pupils with complex needs benefit from the school’s inclusive curriculum. They learn among their peers and have work skilfully adapted to meet their needs. This helps pupils with SEND to progress in small steps and to achieve well. The school supports pupils to attend school regularly, to follow routines and develop positive attitudes to learning. Adults ensure that pupils understand the school’s expectations for behaviour in lessons and for sociable, responsible conduct at breaktimes. This starts in the early years, where children have excellent opportunities to play and learn together. Every activity supports purposeful learning. Adults engage meaningfully

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and purposefully with children. Children become curious, resilient and sociable as a result. Many parents rightly express delight and confidence in their children’s learning in Reception. Pupils have a strong sense of equality. The school promotes pupils’ respect for diversity, which pupils demonstrate well in their work and play. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community, including when online. There are many opportunities for pupils beyond the academic curriculum, such as residential trips, a camping experience, school clubs and charity work. Pupils value these opportunities to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the world. Staff collaborate well with each other, offering high-quality care and support to pupils. Staff are fulsome in their praise for leaders. They feel that they are well supported to manage their workload and that leaders are mindful of their work-life balance.

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Governors have worked closely with school leaders to manage resources and improve the curriculum. However, aspects of governors’ monitoring are less developed. On occasion, they rely on information provided to them, without sufficient checks and balances on the accuracy of this information.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects are at an early stage of implementation following recent improvements to the curriculum. Some pupils have gaps in their learning, and in some subjects there are inconsistencies in the quality of pupils’ written work. The new curriculum plans are more ambitious and better sequenced than in the past. They set out precisely the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. The school should carefully evaluate the impact of these new plans to ensure that all pupils are achieving well in all subjects.  Governors’ procedures for checking on some wider school improvement priorities, such as the implementation of new curriculum plans, are developing. As a result, governors are still developing a secure understanding of the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum. Governors should continue to refine their monitoring work so they can hold leaders fully to account for the school’s performance in all areas.

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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 October 2013.

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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. 14 and 15 May 2024

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The local authority

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School details

Chair of governing body Stewart Eastbrook

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any off-site providers of alternative education.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. 14 and 15 May 2024

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 The inspector held meetings with leaders, including seven governors and a representative working on behalf of the local authority.  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 around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector took account of a range of other school information, including development plans, policies, minutes of meetings of the governing body and reports from the local authority.  The inspector took account of pupils’ and staff’s views by observing interactions and holding separate discussions with groups of them.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the 79 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 52 free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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