Eynesbury CofE C Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Eynesbury C of E C Primary School Montagu Street, Eynesbury, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 2TD

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Outcome

Eynesbury C of E C Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Eynesbury is a school that welcomes pupils ‘from all faiths and none’. Pupils are proud that their school is part of a caring community. Pupils say that everyone has ‘a right to believe in what they want, and to be who they want to be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well together. Playtimes are happy and pupils cooperate with each other in lessons. There are kind and caring relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils trust staff to help them when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many opportunities for pupils to have a say in decisions that are made about the school. Pupils are proud to hold leadership roles. They feel their views are listened to and they play a part in improving the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values of ‘courage, love, honesty, respect, forgiveness’ are important to pupils. They explain how these values help them to do their best and stay safe. Pupils are polite and courteous to everyone. Their conduct around the school is calm and orderly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy learning the ambitious and varied curriculum. Pupils take pride in their work and strive to do well.

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

The curriculum has recently been redesigned. A few subjects are still being developed. This does not affect the high quality of the curriculum. It is well sequenced and starts in early years, where the essential knowledge and skills children need for future learning is well thought out. Children are prepared for Year 1 and beyond. Pupils continue to build their knowledge in a logical order as they progress through school. Teachers carry out effective checks on pupils’ learning. They use this information to help pupils iron out any 2 and 3 July 2024

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misconceptions. When pupils have a secure grasp of a concept, staff do not always push pupils on to their next steps soon enough. This holds pupils back sometimes.

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Leaders use a range of strategies to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers adapt the curriculum well for these pupils. This ensures that pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates.

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The school is determined that all pupils read as soon as possible. All staff have received training so that they can teach phonics with confidence. Pupils learn the sounds that letters make. They learn to blend sounds and read unknown words. Pupils read books that are well-matched to their reading knowledge. Adults check pupils’ phonics knowledge frequently. They give extra support to pupils who need to catch up. Most pupils know how to read by the end of Year 1. Pupils talk enthusiastically about books they read in class. The school provides a range of high-quality texts and recommendations for pupils to enjoy.

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The school provides exceptional opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Visitors, such as a magistrate and a police officer, help pupils learn about the justice system and laws. The school carefully plans a wealth of trips. These ensure that pupils broaden their knowledge of life beyond their locality. Some highlights include staying on the Isle of Wight and visiting the Natural History Museum. Pupils demonstrate mature attitudes towards equality, diversity and consent. They aspire to take on one of the many leadership roles so they can help their school.

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From the youngest age, there are high expectations of children’s behaviour. In the early years, children are able to sustain focus on playing, talking and learning. They share and care for each other. Adults successfully support children to develop their communication and language skills. Children are confident applying their reading knowledge to their writing.

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Pupils are keen to attend school. They learn with very little disruption. Occasionally, in lessons, a few pupils do not pay close attention to the teacher. They are slower starting their work and do not achieve as much as they could. Pupils show excellent manners which extend outside the classroom to the playground. They play harmoniously and develop strong friendships. There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school. Pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe when using the internet. They learn about safety in many situations, such as when in water, out in the sun, or as a pedestrian or cyclist.

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Governors have a thorough understanding of the school. They perform their statutory duties well. Governors and leaders have created a supportive environment for staff to thrive in. Staff appreciate the efforts of leaders to support their workload and well-being. This has led to high staff morale .

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 and 3 July 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils are not always taught new concepts as soon as they are ready. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that learning is adapted when necessary so all pupils progress as well as possible through 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 third ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 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 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). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school operates a before- and after- school provision.  The school runs a pre-school provision for children from the age of three years.  The school is within the Diocese of Ely. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in July 2020. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within five years of its last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and considered 2 and 3 July 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at work in pupils’ books. She also heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior leaders, including the special education needs and/or disabilities coordinator. She also spoke to subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector met with leaders, teachers and support staff to talk about the curriculum, workload and the behaviour and personal development of pupils. She also met with groups of pupils to talk about learning and well-being and to hear about their views of the school.

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 The inspector held a discussion with governors and met with the school improvement adviser from the local authority.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including the school’s plans for improvement and minutes of meetings of the local governing body. She also looked at a range of pupil workbooks from each year group.  The inspector observed the behaviour of pupils during lessons, around the school, in the lunch hall, on the playground and at the after-school club. The inspector looked at behaviour and attendance records and considered leaders’ analysis of these.  The inspector considered the 59 online responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, including 47 free-text comments. She also spoke to 11 parents during the inspection. The inspector considered the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire

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for pupils. However, the school provided results from three pupil surveys that had been carried out during the last academic year.

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Inspection team

Karen Stanton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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