St Anne's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Anne’s C of E Primary School Warwick Road, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 6LS

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Outcome

St Anne’s C of E Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At St Anne’s C of E Primary, the school aspires to develop ‘pupils’ minds to learn and hearts to care’. It does this effectively, with high academic expectations for all. Pupils enjoy learning. They are enthusiastic in lessons, and they achieve well in national tests at the end of key stage 2. Pupils are happy. The school’s Christian ethos underpins its work. As a result, the school is warm and caring. Pupils are nurtured and valued as individuals. Leaders and staff put the best interests of pupils at the heart of everything they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are friendly and polite, and welcome visitors warmly. Lessons are productive. Pupils follow school routines very well, including in the early years. For example, they move around the school sensibly and calmly. Older pupils are given the roles of buddies, helping younger pupils settle into school. Pupils have confidence that staff will deal with any worries raised.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a highly inclusive school. Pupils celebrate the fact that ‘everyone is different and everyone is equal’. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils make a positive contribution to their community. They enjoy leadership roles such as ‘safety superheroes’, ‘reading ambassadors’ and being members of the ‘chaplaincy team’.

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

Pupils study a wide range of subjects. The school has carefully planned and sequenced the curriculum. From the early years through to Year 6, the knowledge that pupils should learn is clear. There are opportunities for pupils to revisit important knowledge. This helps 8 and 9 October 2024

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pupils to embed their understanding and develop it further. For example, in history, when pupils learn about ancient Greece, they revisit what they have learned in geography lessons. In mathematics, pupils revise concepts they have been taught before. This helps to develop pupils’ confidence and fluency. However, in some subjects, pupils’ understanding of key skills is less secure. In these areas, pupils cannot remember essential knowledge as readily.

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The school has prioritised reading. Pupils learn to read as soon as they start Reception. Staff are well-trained in teaching phonics. Regular assessment means that gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge and/or reading abilities are quickly identified. Effective support is put in place to help pupils to catch up if it is needed. Pupils enjoy reading. Positive attitudes to reading are encouraged from the early years. Children read a range of stories with their teachers. Teachers model expressive reading. They use gestures and actions that children copy enthusiastically. Older pupils are equally as positive about reading.

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The curriculum is taught well. Staff explain concepts clearly. They assess what pupils know and address the misunderstandings that they have. Teachers ensure that pupils’ needs are accurately identified and met, including those with SEND. The school has prioritised the development of support for pupils with SEND. Much of this recent work has been effective. The school has ensured that there is greater consistency in the quality of pupils’ support plans. They have developed communication with parents. However, the school does not always check thoroughly how effective this help is for pupils with SEND. Leaders are aware that there is more to do in this aspect.

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Children in early years learn school routines quickly. They concentrate well, listen carefully and take turns when they talk together as a class. The early years environment is stimulating. Pupils are given a wide range of opportunities to play, learn and develop.

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Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. Staff use supportive and encouraging language in the classroom. Pupils are motivated by the rewards they receive. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. They are taught to understand their emotions and ways to manage them. Pupils attend well. The school tracks attendance closely and responds quickly when concerns arise.

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The school is committed to pupils’ wider development. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Pupils are passionate about the fact that everyone should be treated equally and fairly. They learn about different beliefs and discuss topical news issues. This helps pupils to appreciate that people have different opinions. Pupils are offered a range of opportunities to develop their interests and talents. For example, pupils learn to play a variety of musical instruments or sing in the school choir. Others enjoy film club and take part in a range of sports. The school’s curriculum is enriched by trips to nearby castles, landmarks and museums.

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Leaders are highly effective. They have maintained high standards over time, showing an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. Leaders support staff with their well-being and workload, helping to ensure that staff morale is high. Governors understand their statutory duties and fulfil them well. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, disciplinary knowledge is not clearly defined. This means that pupils’ knowledge is not always secure. The school should identify and teach the disciplinary knowledge that pupils should learn over time to prepare them for their next stages of learning.  The school does not have a comprehensive view of the impact of the support in place for pupils with SEND. This is limiting leaders’ ability to develop further the provision for pupils with SEND. The school should more thoroughly quality assure the support in place for pupils with SEND, to help ensure the provision has the most positive impact on pupils and the progress they make.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2019. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has a religious character and is a Church of England school. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 on 16 June 2022. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.

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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 the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator. He met the chair of 8 and 9 October 2024

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the governing body and several governors. He spoke to a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early reading and mathematics; and geography, history and science. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  Throughout the inspection, the inspector met with groups of staff. He also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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 The inspector took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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