Swinderby All Saints Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Swinderby All Saints Church of England Primary School High Street, Swinderby, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 9LU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their small and friendly school. They say the school is, ‘like a family’ and is, ‘the best school in the world’. A large majority of parents and carers agree. One parent commented: ‘Our children have thrived in the supportive and nurturing environment provided by the school’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly inclusive and opens its doors wide to all pupils. It has a clear vision for the character it wants pupils to develop. This is based on the school's values of truthfulness, compassion, forgiveness and respect. The school ensures that pupils have a wide range of experiences that prepare them well for life beyond school. Pupils’ personal development goes hand in hand with the school’s ambition that pupils will achieve well. Pupils become confident and well-rounded individuals. At the end of term, they showcase their musical talents in a concert for parents. They play the electric guitar, keyboard, piano and sing with gusto in front of their friends and family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend well. They work hard. They know that their teachers expect them to give their best. Pupils treat each other, and adults, with courtesy and respect. The school is a happy place in which to work and play.

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better?

Leaders have worked with determination to address the concerns raised at the last inspection. They have taken effective action. Phonics is now taught well. Staff have received training and skilfully follow a sequenced programme. In the Reception Year no time is wasted, and children learn to read and write the sounds they hear in words from the very start. Pupils who need more help to remember new sounds receive extra teaching to keep up. While most pupils enjoy reading and say that they read for pleasure, this is not the case for a very small number of pupils. The phonics programme is not effectively adapted to meet their specific needs and reading is still very hard work for these pupils.

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better?

The curriculum is well-designed to ensure that pupils in mixed-age classes learn new knowledge in small steps and in a logical order. The school has worked closely with subject specialists to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to teach English and mathematics well. Children in the early years gain strong foundations in these subjects. Across the school staff subject knowledge is good. In mathematics they routinely check that pupils remember prior learning before moving on to new learning. Pupils are given time to practise new learning so that they become fluent mathematicians. On a few occasions, pupils spend too long rehearsing this learning and are not moved on to new learning quickly enough.

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better?

The wider curriculum is ambitious. Subjects are planned to ensure that pupils acquire key knowledge that is line with the expectations of the national curriculum. In some subjects the curriculum is extended to stretch pupils’ knowledge beyond what is expected. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils learn about slavery and consider 16 and 17 July 2024

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the moral objections that result from these periods in history. Pupils engage well in their learning and acquire the intended learning. On a few occasions, the learning activities given to pupils do not help them to develop a deeper understanding of the subject.

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The school has well-organised and effective systems and processes in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff receive additional training to ensure they have the skills they need to successfully adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. The schools works in collaboration with parents and outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need. As a result, pupils with SEND do achieve well and are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

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The school’s personal development offer ensures that pupils learn about equality and diversity. Pupils include everyone and celebrate difference. Pupils learn about protected characteristics and fundamental British values in an age-appropriate way. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities and experiences. For example, children in the early years go for a bug hunt in a local country park. Older pupils visit the Royal Opera House in London to watch the Royal Ballet.

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Governors have played an important role as the school has worked to improve. They have closely held leaders to account and have offered strategic support to steer the school towards an improved education for all. Staff support each other well and there is a strong team ethic. They appreciate leaders’ consideration for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On a few occasions pupils spend too long rehearsing knowledge that they have already acquired. This slows their learning. The school should ensure that no learning time is wasted and that pupils move on to new learning as soon as they are ready.  Sometimes the school’s approach to teaching phonics is not flexible enough. It doesn’t consistently meet the needs of all pupils and they do not learn to read as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and confidence they need to effectively adapt the programme so that all pupils learn to read as quickly as they can.  Learning activities are not consistently well-designed in some of the foundation subjects. They do not always help pupils to acquire the intended learning and deepen their understanding of each subject. The school should ensure that the 16 and 17 July 2024

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work given to pupils enables them to gain a rich and secure knowledge across all subjects.

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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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Lincoln. The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in April 2024.  Since the previous inspection three of the school’s four class teachers have been appointed.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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. 16 and 17 July 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior teacher and the school’s coordinator for SEND. The lead inspector met with four governors, including the chair of governors and spoke to a representative from the diocese and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector reviewed further examples of pupils’ work in science, art and design and religious education (RE).  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors reviewed school documentation, including the school development plan, self-evaluation summary and minutes from meetings of the governing body.  The views of staff and parents were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s online surveys. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day and met with staff to discuss the school’s support for their workload and well-being.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at and at lunchtime. They spoke to pupils about their experiences of school life.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jon Brown Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 July 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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