Evenwood Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Evenwood Church of England Primary School New Road, Evenwood, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL14 9QZ

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Outcome

Evenwood Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The Executive headteacher is Beth Dawson. This school is part of One Excellence 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 (CEO), Lindsey Vollens, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tom Cunningham.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this warm, inclusive school. They attend well and arrive promptly ready to start the day. Pupils know that staff listen to them, as a result, they feel safe in school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are a full part of school life. This includes pupils who receive some of their education in the school’s ‘Nurture Hub’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff get to know pupils and their families well, which means they are aware and take account of their individual needs. Pupils behave well, they are familiar with expected routines and have positive relationships with staff. The school’s curriculum reflects the school’s high expectations of what pupils can achieve, starting in the early years. As a result, pupils achieve well in the national curriculum tests at the end of key stage 2.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, they take up roles in the school parliament or act as buddies to younger pupils. Pupils enjoy taking part in trips to build their confidence and broaden their horizons. There are many planned activities linked to aspirations for pupils’ futures. This means that some pupils have very high ambitions for what they would like to achieve in the future. 22 October 2024

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

The trust has supported the school with curriculum design. Important learning is defined so that teachers focus on the knowledge that pupils need to remember. Teachers question pupils effectively to help them retain their immediate learning. As a result, pupils recall factual knowledge well, especially for recent units of work. However, pupils are less secure when recalling previous learning. For example, in history pupils confused key historical figures such as Cleopatra and Rosa Parks. When discussing previous units of work pupils struggle to recall basic facts from these units. This is because arrangements to check pupils’ previous knowledge are not as effective as they could be.

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

Reading has a high priority. There has been recent investment and training in a new phonics programme. Daily phonics sessions for pupils follow this new scheme consistently and staff are aware of which pupils need additional help. Pupils who struggle with reading have successful catch-up sessions. The youngest children in Nursery listen well when adults read stories to them. The teaching of the reading curriculum helps pupils to develop wider reading skills, such as comprehension and inference. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure.

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

The needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well met. Some pupils with SEND access some of their learning in the Nurture Hub. Here they build effective relationships with adults who know what support they need to succeed. Barriers to learning are reduced or removed. Pupils with SEND have clear support plans to ensure that their targets are known by staff. As a result, staff make adaptations so that pupils can access their learning.

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

Pupils behave well in lessons and mostly stay focused on their learning. Outside of lessons, pupils demonstrate good manners and are respectful towards staff. The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school. As a result, pupils attend well.

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

The school recognises the need for pupils to develop beyond the classroom. Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. They are prepared well for their next steps outside of school through lots of opportunities to raise their aspirations. This includes being ambitious for future careers and taking part in trips and visits beyond the local area. Pupils learn about values such as democracy and visit different places of worship. This encourages tolerance and understanding.

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

The school has built positive relationships with the local community. A range of activities are in place to engage with parents. This includes stay and play in the early years and coffee mornings. Staff at the school feel valued and proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 22 October 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Strategies used by teachers to check what pupils know are not precise enough to ensure that previous learning has been fully remembered. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge of prior learning. The trust should ensure that staff use consistent strategies to check pupils’ learning over time.

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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 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 predecessor school, also called Evenwood Church of England Primary School, good for overall effectiveness in October 2014.

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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. 22 October 2024

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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). 22 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher is also the executive headteacher of another school in the Trust.  Evenwood Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in December 2021. When its predecessor school, Evenwood CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school is part of the One Excellence Multi Academy Trust.  The school has a religious character within the Christian Anglican tradition. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school took place in October 2022.  The school uses no alternative provision.  The school has a Nurture Hub base and some pupils from other schools in the local authority access some of their education at this base. 22 October 2024

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Information about this inspection

 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.  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 of safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff, a representative of the diocese, and the chair of the trust who is also the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also met with the CEO of the Trust.  The inspectors visited a number of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and

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Information about this inspection

looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, as well as discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jessica McKay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Ashcroft Ofsted Inspector 22 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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