Stanborough Primary School

Inspection of Stanborough Primary School Appletree Walk, Watford, Hertfordshire WD25 0DQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the start, in Nursery, pupils learn to ‘let their light shine’. They learn the school values such as excellence and curiosity. They are proud to put these values into action each day. Pupils challenge themselves to be the very best that they can be in their learning and relationships with others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop tolerance and respect for others. They feel happy and safe together. The youngest children learn to kindly share and take their turn. Older pupils demonstrate mature and considerate attitudes which will stand them in good stead for the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around the school and in lessons, staff set high expectations for behaviour. Pupils know and follow the rules and routines. They show pride in themselves and their school. Older pupils learn the value of helping others, for example helping in the dining hall or with buddy reading. Pupils run their own tuck shop at breaktimes, raising funds for projects in school that they have chosen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons, pupils listen intently and respectfully to their teachers and each other. Pupils develop as resilient, motivated learners. They are enthusiastic readers and mathematicians. In a very few subjects, they are still securing their skills. In many subjects, pupils achieve very well.

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better?

Working with a shared vision, proprietors, governors and school leaders have been making the right changes. They keep pupils’ well-being at the heart of their work.

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better?

During a period of change, leaders have worked effectively with parents and staff to secure their understanding and support. Parents are overwhelmingly appreciative of the many ways that they can work in partnership with the school to help their children to succeed. Staff are committed to the ongoing improvements and are appropriately involved in bringing these about.

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better?

The English and mathematics curriculums are designed so that pupils can work towards very high levels of understanding. Teachers put these in place well. There is a similar level of ambition in many other subjects. In a few subjects, the curriculum has been revised quite recently. In these subjects, where pupils have had less time to learn the new curriculum, lessons are not yet fully securing the impact that leaders intend.

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better?

In the early years, the school has set out how children will secure the most important knowledge in most, but not yet all, areas of learning over time. Children learn skills such as reading and mathematics well. They are well prepared for learning in Year 1. Children clearly enjoy the many exciting and engaging play-based learning tasks available to them. In a few areas, adults are not consistently clear 3 to 5 July 2024 how some tasks are intended to secure and extend vocabulary or ideas for children. When this happens, pupils do not always secure learning as rapidly as they could.

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better?

Across the rest of the curriculum, teachers introduce new learning clearly. They make links to what pupils already know. Teachers check what pupils understand. They quickly intervene to explain again or extend ideas so that learning rapidly moves on. The school has effective systems in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who need extra help with their learning or behaviour get the right help to improve. In most subjects, pupils, including pupils with SEND, achieve high standards in their work.

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better?

The school ensures that pupils develop confident, fluent reading skills. This starts in Nursery where children learn to match letters and sounds. Children get plenty of reading practice with books which are well matched to the sounds they are learning. They rapidly apply their skills in reading and writing with increasing independence. The few pupils who need extra help get effective support straight away. Pupils develop a real enthusiasm for reading. They relax with a good book at breaktimes in the reading shed or choose to attend the regular book club sessions.

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better?

The school meticulously plans for pupils’ personal development. The school provides deliberate, carefully considered opportunities for pupils to learn about, and develop, compassion and tolerance. Pupils are highly respectful of different religions and ways of life. They are proud of their own cultural heritages, for example sharing dances, food and items of dress at the international evening that the school council helps to organise.

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better?

Pupils are proud to help others through ‘acts of service’, such as holding doors open or litter-picking. Pupils lead assemblies. They ask and answer ‘big questions’ such as the meaning of forgiveness in everyday life.

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better?

Pupils’ behaviour around the school is exceptional. They settle swiftly to their lessons and concentrate well. From the early years, pupils develop as resilient learners, ready to persevere when things get tricky. They are supportive of each other and respectful to adults. Pupils act as ‘well-being ambassadors’ at breaktimes. They provide help and reassurance. From the very start, pupils learn to resolve minor disagreements themselves respectfully. Pupils understand the importance of healthy relationships and know how to be a good friend. This is reflected in their actions throughout the school day.

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better?

Proprietors and governors provide careful oversight, challenge and support to ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards. The proprietor body ensures that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010. It makes sure that pupils are kept safe and can thrive.

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better?

The proprietor body and governors ensure that regular health and safety checks take place. The school buildings and grounds are kept safe for pupils so they can benefit from the education and social opportunities available to them. Any minor issues identified are swiftly addressed. The school is vigilant for any potential or 3 to 5 July 2024 actual risks on the premises or off site, for example on visits. It plans and puts suitable mitigations in place to reduce these risks.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few subjects, recent changes have been made to the curriculum that are not yet fully established. In these subjects, pupils have not yet accumulated all the knowledge as leaders intend and they do not achieve as well in these subjects as they do elsewhere. The school should ensure that pupils can secure their learning in these subjects as effectively as they do elsewhere.  The curriculum does not set out clearly how learning will develop in all areas of the early years foundation stage framework. In a few areas, the most important knowledge and vocabulary that children should learn are not clearly identified. In these areas, teachers sometimes miss opportunities to consolidate or extend important ideas and children do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum for all areas of the early years consistently builds children’s knowledge, so they can achieve well in all areas of learning.

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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. 3 to 5 July 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 135596 DfE registration number 919/6261

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School details

Inspection number 10299203 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Proprietor The British Union Conference of Seventh- day Adventists

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Headteacher

Lorraine McDonald (Executive Headteacher), Tiann Madden (Headteacher) Annual fees (day pupils) £8,208/£8,463

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Headteacher

Email address info@stanboroughprimary.org.uk

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Headteacher

Dates of previous inspection 28 to 30 June 2022 3 to 5 July 2024

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average primary school.  The school leadership is shared between the executive headteacher, who also has oversight of six other schools, and the headteacher, who works part-time.  The school provides care through clubs that operate after school, as well as once per week at lunchtime.  The school does not use any off-site providers of alternative education.  The school has a religious ethos.  The school was last inspected in June 2022, when the overall quality of education was judged as requiring improvement, and the independent school standards were met.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education pro- vision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior staff in the school, including the executive headteacher, headteacher, chair of governors, and the designated lead for safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with representatives of the proprietor board and governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and design and technology. Further information was gathered for history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with staff, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation and policies, including

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Information about this inspection

curriculum documentation, development planning and the minutes of governors’ meetings.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took into account the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which leaders have created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors gathered 3 to 5 July 2024 the views of staff and pupils through Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Lynne Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 3 to 5 July 2024 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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