Benington Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Benington Church of England Primary School Walkern Road, Benington, Benington Primary School, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 7LP

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Outcome

Benington Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Benington Primary School. Pupils always try to do their best, for themselves and other members of the school community. They behave well in and out of lessons. Pupils treat each other, and adults, with courtesy and respect. Pupils enjoy taking part in engaging lessons. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prepares pupils very well for adulthood. They learn how to manage their money. There are many opportunities for pupils to build their leadership skills as becoming mentors, monitors, or ‘worship’ leaders. The school develops pupils’ interest in the curriculum through trips such as to local museums. Pupils learn about the diversity of the world around them. They visit places of worship, such as a Hindu temple, and meet visitors from different faiths. The school has close links to schools in India and France. Pupils develop a range of interests through clubs such as art, gymnastics, and choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that if they have any concerns or difficulties, adults will support them to make the right choices and give them the help they need. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, for example, on roads and online.

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

The school provides a broad, ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have thought carefully about the important knowledge that pupils need. Teachers plan so that pupils secure key information before moving onto new topics. Pupils revisit this learning to make it stick. Teachers regularly check how well pupils have learned. They then adjust the curriculum to address any gaps and tackle misconceptions that pupils may have. In a few subjects, the curriculum is new. Therefore, adaptations to meet pupils' needs in the second year of the cycle, which has not yet been taught, need to be embedded. This will ensure that pupils gain the breadth and depth of knowledge that they do in established subjects. 11 June 2024

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They use this to introduce new concepts and information clearly. For example, teachers model how to test hypotheses in mathematics and pupils think about the significance of Alfred the Great in shaping events in the past. Teachers adapt tasks skilfully for pupils with SEND. This supports all pupils to access the curriculum.

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Pupils become fluent, accurate and enthusiastic readers. In reception, children learn to blend sounds and ‘tricky words’. They go onto learn the meaning of, and how to write and spell words correctly. Pupils encounter a diverse range of books every day. They make good use of a well-stocked library. Year 5 and 6 pupils have formed a book club to discuss books they have chosen. The school rigorously checks how well pupils can read. Staff provide pupils with support to help them become better readers. Books match closely the sounds pupils know.

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In reception, children become increasingly confident and independent. They learn how to play and work together. Teachers model language effectively to increase children’s vocabulary. This work gives children a solid foundation to gain knowledge as they move up through the school.

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The school has established high expectations of how pupils should conduct themselves. Pupils understand the values of the school and almost all strive to meet them. Pupils usually work very hard in lessons and are keen to learn. If they lose focus and become chatty, teachers re-engage them with their work. In the rare instances that pupils find it hard to meet expectations of their behaviour, staff work effectively with them so that they understand how to improve. Pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result, they attend well.

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The school is highly inclusive. All pupils, including those with SEND, participate in sporting competitions. The school teaches pupils about equality. In physical education, examples of sportsmen and women are carefully chosen to avoid gender stereotypes. Pupils learn about healthy relationships as well as looking after their own physical and mental well-being. Pupils feel well-prepared for their transition to secondary school.

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The school’s leaders, governors and staff are determined to ‘inspire care, respect and trust for all’. They are relentless in their ambition to provide an exceptional quality of education and experiences for all pupils. Staff work very hard. They receive high quality training as well as support with their well-being and workload. Consequently, staff are very happy to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects the curriculum is new. The school should ensure that curriculum planning in all subjects and stages is fully embedded and implemented as leaders intend so that pupils develop a rich and broad body of knowledge across the curriculum.

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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 November 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). 11 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Benington Church of England Primary School is a small, rural primary school. It currently has three mixed-age classes: Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision for pupils.  Benington Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled school and is part of the Diocese of St. Albans. The school received its most recent Section 48 inspection in February 2018 and will be reinspected approximately five years from then.

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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. 11 June 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and visited a range of lessons.  The lead inspector spoke to the local authority’s school effectiveness advisor.  The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school. They met with groups of pupils to discuss behaviour in the school.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of records relating to behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector considered the 49 responses and 36 free-text responses received during the inspection to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also considered the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 18 responses to the pupil survey. An inspector also spoke to parents at the gate.

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Inspection team

Steve Woodley, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Carley Holliman Ofsted Inspector 11 June 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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