Sampford Arundel Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Sampford Arundel Community Primary School Sampford Arundel, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9QN

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Outcome

Sampford Arundel Community 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?

Sampford Arundel Community Primary is a welcoming and friendly school. Pupils describe it as ‘like a family’. They go out of their way to welcome visitors. Pupils are happy and safe. They are respectful to each other and have confidence that staff will help them if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the school’s high expectations of their achievement and conduct. They behave well in the classroom and beyond. Pupils understand why it is important to do their best. They appreciate the rewards they receive for making positive choices about their learning and behaviour. Pupils accept each other’s differences and show tolerance and empathy towards one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a variety of enrichment activities. These are carefully planned to support and build on areas of the curriculum. For example, pupils visit the Jurassic coast to strengthen their knowledge of science and geography.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop new skills and talents through a wide variety of opportunities, such as sporting events and curriculum tournaments. Through these, they develop confidence and resilience. Pupils regularly participate in local events. These support them to become active citizens in their community.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils The curriculum is well designed from Reception Year to Year 6. It sets out the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in 12 November 2024

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which they do so. The curriculum has been carefully refined to cater for the mixed-age classes. Staff present subject matter clearly. Pupils revisit learning regularly and link this knowledge to new ideas and concepts. The school has sustained the high standard of education since the previous inspection. Pupils achieve well from their individual starting points.

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In many subjects, teaching includes precise and regular checks on what pupils know and remember. Pupils have many opportunities to rehearse and revisit learning. This helps them to know and remember more over time. However, in a few subjects, checks that staff make on pupils’ learning do not routinely identify whether pupils have learned the curriculum as intended. Therefore, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Children at pre-school get off to a strong start. There is a relentless focus on ensuring children communicate confidently. Skilled staff support children to develop a wide vocabulary. Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment.

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Children learn to read as soon as they start school. Books match the phonic sounds that they know. Pupils quickly learn the knowledge they need to be able to blend sounds together to read simple words. There is precise support in place for pupils who fall behind. This allows pupils who require extra support to catch up rapidly with their peers. As pupils get older, they read books from a diverse range of authors and genres. These help pupils develop an understanding of tolerance and inclusion, as well as a love of reading.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ broader personal development prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils are knowledgeable about a wide range of religions and cultures from around the world. They know that it is important to treat everyone equally. The school broadens pupils’ experiences deliberately by providing opportunities for them to take on positions of responsibility. For example, playground leaders support younger pupils to play games and socialise in the playground.

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Pupils learn how to look after their health and mental well-being. They understand what makes a healthy relationship. From early years onwards, children learn about how to work with others collaboratively, reinforcing the community feel of the school.

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The school has effective systems in place to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Most pupils attend well. On the rare occasion where low attendance occurs, the school works collaboratively with parents and external agencies to improve this.

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Staff appreciate the school’s consideration for their workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They hold leaders to account effectively for the quality of education. 12 November 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, checks that staff make on pupils’ learning do not identify whether pupils have learned the curriculum as intended. As a result, some pupils continue in their learning with gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that assessment is used consistently to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and inform subsequent teaching.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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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. 12 November 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). 12 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Ben Burdon-Cooper

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a pre-school provision on site for three- and four-year-olds.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinators, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 12 November 2024

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 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.  The inspectors considered responses to the online survey for parents and Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, the pupil survey and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Liz Geller, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows Ofsted Inspector 12 November 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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