Southwold Primary School

Inspection of Southwold Primary School Cumberland Road, Southwold, Suffolk IP18 6JP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Katy Last. This school is part of the Consortium Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Steve Martin. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk excitedly about many aspects of their learning. They enjoy the activities in their lessons. A typical view is that teachers ‘bring things to life’ and this helps pupils to remember what they have learned. Pupils demonstrate an eagerness to learn. Pupils who attend the school throughout their primary education achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have respectful and trusting relationships with adults and each other. They behave well, are safe at school and keen to help each other both when playing and in the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum includes many opportunities that enhance and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding outside of the classroom. This includes fieldwork, participation in sustainability projects and arts festivals. Pupils can join clubs that develop many of their talents, for example sports, cooking, art and beach club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can apply for a range of leadership roles, including house captains, digital leaders, reading and learning ambassadors. These opportunities enable pupils to develop their social skills and use what they have learned in a range of contexts. They collaborate in project work with local charities and wildlife trusts. Pupils regularly sing at an old people’s home and take part in the mayor’s inaugural parade each year. Pupils are being well prepared for their future lives.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that generally supports pupils to build their knowledge and skills so they are prepared for the curriculum in the next stage of their education. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school continually reviews the curriculum to further realise these expectations, and this ensures pupils are successful.

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

The school prioritises learning to read. Significant improvements have been made to the teaching of early reading. In early years, children develop good reading habits. They start to look at books and learn to read from the outset. The love of reading is promoted throughout the school. Teachers skilfully check that pupils’ knowledge of phonics is secure. This supports pupils to learn to read quickly. For pupils who struggle with reading the checks mean pupils are quickly identified and receive appropriate support to become more confident and fluent readers. This helps pupils to access the rest of the curriculum in all areas.

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

The curriculum content is well considered to meet the needs of the mixed-age class profile of the school. Teachers are well trained and effectively use a range of methods to support pupils to learn across all curriculum areas. However, where the curriculum is more recently implemented, for example in mathematics, there are occasions when pupils do not develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills well enough. Consequently, when this happens pupils do not use what they know in more complex areas of mathematics. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. 1 and 2 October 2024

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The school has been focusing on improving pupils’ writing skills. Currently, while the content of pupils’ writing is a good standard, pupils are not routinely remembering to take care when using their knowledge of punctuation and grammar. This impacts on the quality of what pupils are writing across the curriculum. Leaders are aware of this and are continuing to prioritise improving pupils’ writing skills, so pupils are able to effectively communicate what they learn through their writing.

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The early years curriculum has been reviewed since the previous inspection. Children are curious and keen to learn. There is a focus on developing children’s language and communication skills. Children have many chances to develop their vocabulary and knowledge in all areas of learning. This stands them in good stead to access the key stage 1 curriculum.

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The school accurately identifies all pupils with SEND as soon as they join the school. This is particularly the case for those pupils who join mid-way through an academic year. Appropriate support is quickly put in place and reviewed regularly. Teachers receive training to adapt learning activities to ensure pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve as well as other pupils.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development effectively. Pupils celebrate diversity through their personal, social and health education curriculum. They have access to diverse texts which underpin what pupils learn. Pupils have a very well-developed knowledge of what it is like to live in Modern Britain. For example, they understand the principles of democracy. This is further exemplified by pupils’ participation in the ‘pupil parliament’ hosted by the trust.

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Staff enjoy working at this school. Leaders are considerate of their workload and well- being.

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Through their close checking of the school’s work, the trust has a very secure oversight of the academy and its improvement journey. This enables them to have an equal balance of support, while effectively holding leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Where the curriculum has more recently been implemented, teachers do not routinely provide enough opportunities to consolidate and extend pupils’ learning. For example, in mathematics, there are occasions when pupils do not regularly practise their reasoning and problem-solving skills. This means pupils do not use what they know in more complex areas of mathematics. Leaders must ensure that teachers continue to 1 and 2 October 2024

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receive the appropriate training and embed these regular opportunities within the curriculum so that pupils can achieve as highly as possible.  Sometimes, pupils are not routinely remembering to take care when using their knowledge of punctuation and grammar in their writing. This impacts on the quality of what pupils are writing across the curriculum. Leaders must continue to prioritise improving pupils’ writing skills so that pupils can effectively communicate what they have learned in their writing.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

CEO of the trust Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne

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School details

Website www.southwoldprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 to 28 February 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Southwold Primary School has undergone significant change since the previous inspection. It has been part of the Consortium Trust since December 2016. The headteacher was appointed in September 2023 and works across two other schools within the Consortium Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast club.

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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 (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. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 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 met with the headteacher and other school leaders.  Inspectors met with representatives from the trust, including the CEO, and met with representatives from the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors visited lessons, reviewed curriculum plans and spoke with curriculum leaders and teachers. They also spoke with pupils about

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their learning and looked at the work they have completed.  The inspection team scrutinised the school’s records of behaviour and attendance and spoke with several groups of pupils to understand their experience of school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys. They considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Rowena Simmons, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Hann Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 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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