Coppice Farm Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Coppice Farm Primary School Laver Close, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 7LS

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Outcome

Coppice Farm Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils and parents and carers describe Coppice Farm as a ‘friendly place to be’. Pupils behave well in lessons. Relationships are respectful and positive. There are high expectations of behaviour and pupils respond well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. On occasion, when pupils struggle with school life, they are well supported. Pupils hold staff in high regard. They say teachers are kind and help them to learn new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe at school. Most parents agree that they are. Pupils are confident to tell an adult if they have a problem and trust that they will be listened to and supported. The school’s dog mentor, Piper, is appreciated and loved by many. Pupils enjoy ‘Piper time’ when they are sad.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have various opportunities to lead. They take these roles seriously and are proud of them. For example, Year 6 ambassadors enjoy being involved in the recruitment of new staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of experiences is available for pupils to enjoy. Pupils learn from experts who visit the school to teach them about, for example, different faiths and cultures. There are various clubs on offer, in which most pupils take part. Choir is a firm favourite. Pupils enjoyed performing in a recent mass choir concert.

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

The school provides a good quality of education. The school is developing the curriculum to make sure that it is well thought out and carefully planned. In most subjects, staff help pupils recall prior knowledge and connect it to what they are learning now. Pupils in Year 3 proudly explained how they have used their knowledge of fractions from Year 2 to learn how to add them this year. Pupils enjoy sharing what they have learned. Changes to the curriculum are still taking place in some subjects. These are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. 11 and 12 June 2024

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Staff take time to clearly explain concepts and model learning for pupils. This helps pupils to grasp new ideas quickly. Staff have high expectations of pupils. They encourage pupils to use precise vocabulary to express themselves and explain their thinking. This approach begins in the early years. For example, children can confidently describe where an object is using positional vocabulary, such as ‘beneath, on top’ and behind’.

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Pupils enjoy their lessons. However, too many are often absent from school. While some pupils’ attendance is improving, expectations of how frequently pupils come to school are not sufficiently high. Systems in place to improve attendance do not always have the desired impact.

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The school has a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that pupils with SEND receive the extra help they need to support their learning. However, expectations of what pupils can achieve are sometimes too low or too high. On occasion, learning is not adapted consistently well to meet some pupils’ needs, including some pupils with SEND.

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The school has made reading a high priority. Pupils enjoy reading, and listening to others read to them during story time. Year 6 pupils explain how they use a book’s ‘blurb’ to help them to choose books they might enjoy reading. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and are beginning to discuss their knowledge of different authors. This begins in the early years. Staff have been well trained in how to teach pupils to read. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Children begin to learn the sounds that letters make during their first few weeks in school. Occasionally, pupils who have fallen behind do not get the help they need to catch up quickly enough.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Pupils are knowledgeable about fundamental British values, diversity and discrimination. They learn about healthy relationships and demonstrate a clear understanding of what being a good friend means. Pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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There have been some changes recently to the governing body. Governors have ensured that their roles are set out clearly and aligned with the school’s strengths and needs. Staff say they enjoy the team spirit in the school. They appreciate the support they receive from each other. However, communication between all stakeholders is not as strong as it could be. Messages are sometimes missed or are not as clear and timely as they could be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not always adapted well enough. Some pupils cannot always access the learning, including in phonics, while the work for others can lack ambition. The 11 and 12 June 2024

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school should ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and expertise so that they can adapt the curriculum effectively to support all pupils.  The school’s expectations of attendance are not high enough. Too many pupils are often absent from school and miss out on vital learning. The school must ensure that there are robust strategies in place to improve attendance.  Communication between all stakeholders is not as effective as it could be. Consequently, important information is sometimes missed. The school should ensure that systems of communication are strengthened so that all stakeholders are kept well informed.

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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 January 2019.

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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 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Dr Joanne Morling

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 January 2019 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2022. There have been many changes to teaching staff in the past two years. Many staff are new to their leadership roles.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, subject leaders, teachers, and leaders responsible for behaviour and attendance. She also met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the 11 and 12 June 2024

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered pupils’ learning in a range of other subjects, including art and design, music and geography.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with parents and took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also spoke with groups of pupils and staff.  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 extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, and information available

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Inspection team

Heidi Bastock, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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