Elmsett Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Elmsett Church of England Primary School The Street, Elmsett, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 6PA

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Leigh Hilton. This school is part of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tracey Caffull, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Blit. 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils keenly attend this warm, friendly school. They want to attend every day because of the welcome and care they receive. They are rarely absent. Pupils feel safe and respected. They trust staff to deal with any issues or concerns quickly. The school has a ‘family feel’, and all staff know the pupils well. This is a school at the heart of the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils engage well in lessons. They show positive attitudes to learning. Pupils look out for each other. They play and learn thoughtfully and respectfully together. Older pupils are play leaders and house captains. This helps to promote the caring feel of the school. Pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as the school and eco-council, librarians, or sports captains. They take these roles seriously and take the opportunity to improve the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Christian values of ‘courage, compassion, wisdom, service, respect, and truthfulness’ underpin the school’s ethos and vision. Pupils know that their actions make a difference to their community and the wider world. They are proud of their fundraising to support schools in Zambia and Nigeria.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Visits, such as to Colchester Castle to study The Romans, further enrich the pupils’ learning.

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

The school has worked hard to redevelop the curriculum. This has been carefully designed around mixed-age classes. School leaders have worked with trust specialists to ensure that important knowledge is identified and built over time. For example, in history, teachers revisit knowledge about timelines and chronology from previous years. Teachers ensure that pupils connect, retain and build upon this knowledge as they progress through the school. Consequently, pupils are prepared well for secondary school.

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

Teachers are skilled at spotting pupils’ misconceptions. They support pupils to correct these. For example, in mathematics, teachers model different methods for solving problems and check that pupils can apply these successfully, before moving on. This ensures that pupils secure knowledge well.

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

The school has ensured that early reading is taught very effectively. This begins from the start of Reception. As a result, pupils quickly learn to blend sounds to become fluent readers. Pupils who need extra support to catch up, receive it. The library is attractive and welcoming. Pupils use it regularly. They talk enthusiastically about books they enjoy. Their love of reading is further inspired by quiet reading times and being read to by their teachers.

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

Pupils learn the intended curriculum well. However, there is too much variation in the quality and depth of their writing across subjects. Some pupils are less well versed at 24 and 25 September 2024

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translating their ideas into their writing. Teachers do not always give pupils enough opportunities to produce high-quality writing.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive carefully tailored support. This ensures that they are included and achieve well. For example, pupils with social and communication needs are supported to develop the confidence to engage in classroom discussion. This ensures they do not miss out.

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Starting in the early years, children learn to share, take turns, and develop their communication skills. They learn to understand the world through a range of interesting and engaging activities, both indoors and outside. They cooperate happily together in the forest school and respect each other’s feelings. This forms the foundation for the kind and sociable way pupils behave across the school.

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Pupils experience a broad range of personal development opportunities. These enrich the curriculum and bring learning to life. For example, to learn about the history of transport, pupils travelled by train to a railway museum. There is a small selection of clubs, including sports and sign language, and lots of competitive sporting opportunities. Pupils learn about citizenship by making bird boxes with the village eco-council and installing them in the forest. Pupils have an in-depth knowledge of Christianity. However, some pupils do not know enough about other faiths and cultures.

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The trust and the local governing body have ensured school leaders are supported effectively as they continue developing and improving the school. Staff work collaboratively with other schools in the trust. This enables teachers and subject leaders to share and develop expertise. The trust and governors challenge and support very effectively. Staff are fulsome in their praise for the way leaders support their well-being and ensure their workload is manageable. Staff benefit from the advice, coaching and mentoring that helps them develop their teaching and provide a good quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not always get enough opportunities to develop or extend their writing skills across the curriculum. As a result, the quality of pupils’ writing is too variable and sometimes lacks depth. The school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop and practise their writing skills so that their writing is of a consistently high quality across the curriculum.  Although pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures, their experiences of faiths other than Christianity are less well developed. As a result, pupils do not have a secure 24 and 25 September 2024

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knowledge of different faiths and cultures. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ experiences of different faiths and cultures are further enhanced, so that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Elmsett Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy in September 2021. When its predecessor school, Elmett Church of England VC Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The headteacher took up her post in September 2022.  The school is part of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust within the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.  The predecessor school, Elmsett Church of England VC Primary School, received its last section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character in February 2019. Since becoming an academy, the school has not yet received its section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school operates a breakfast club providing childcare.  The school uses one unregistered provider 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements 24 and 25 September 2024

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(quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum with leaders, and sampled pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with senior staff in the school and the trust, including the chief executive officer and other school leaders, the chair of trustees and other trust

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representatives, including the trust head of professional development, the chair of the local governing body and other governors.  Inspectors met with other school staff, including teachers and support 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.  Inspectors took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and local governing body and trust minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school and discussed behaviour with pupils throughout the inspection.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey and of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspectors also gathered the views of pupils and staff through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Amy Luu Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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