Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School

Inspection of Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School Westcroft, Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, County Durham DL13 2NU

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 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 Deb Cross. This school is part of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning 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), Paul Rickeard, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Taylor.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is warm and welcoming. It is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is a friendly, nurturing environment where pupils feel safe. They achieve well and feel valued. Parents and carers typically praise the ‘supportive and caring staff’. Relationships between pupils and staff are respectful and positive. There is a palpable sense of pride in being part of the close-knit school community. The genuine care and aspiration for pupils shine through the ambitious curriculum and the school’s ‘KFC’ values of Kindness, Fellowship and Confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to the high expectations for their learning and behaviour. They have positive attitudes and behave well. They appreciate that staff are there to help them. They know that they can talk to staff about any problems or worries. Staff deal with the few incidents of poor behaviour effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of school clubs. These include dodgeball, boxing, baking, computing and taekwondo. Pupils are proud to hold various positions of responsibility, such as members of the school council, ‘Barrington buddies’, sports leaders and librarians. Pupils take an active part in local community activities. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes enjoy their walks around Stanhope and visiting residents in the local care home.

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

The school has recently experienced significant damage from flooding and disruption during subsequent building works. There have also been some changes to staffing. Leaders skilfully navigated these challenges in the best interests of pupils. Disruption to learning has been minimal. Staff and leaders have worked with dogged determination and admirable flexibility to ensure the safety of pupils while continuing to improve the curriculum.

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

The school is taking the right actions to raise standards so that all pupils can achieve their best. The curriculum has been revised to reflect this ambition. It is clearly sequenced. Leaders are passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable. Pupils build their knowledge and skills logically from the early years to Year 6. For example, a new structured approach to the teaching of mathematics is having an increasingly positive impact on pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Pupils who need extra help are quickly identified and supported well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are becoming increasingly competent mathematicians. Children in the early years benefit from a curriculum designed to give them the knowledge they need for future learning. They develop their early numeracy and literacy skills well.

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

The school fosters a love of reading. Phonics is taught very well. Children begin phonics in the early years. Nursery children are immersed in the joy of reading. The school is quick to spot pupils who need more help. These pupils receive prompt extra support. Books are prominent across the school. Pupils read every day. They appreciate the opportunities to read in lunchtime reading club. 12 and 13 November 2024

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Pupils with SEND have their needs met well. They take an equal part in school life. Appropriate adaptations to learning are made when necessary to help these pupils to access the curriculum as independently as possible. The school works closely with external professionals to get pupils and their families the advice and support they need.

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Children in the early years receive personalised care and support. The variety and quality of activities and positive adult support help to promote children’s learning and personal development well. Children enjoy practising their early literacy and numeracy skills. They enthusiastically engage in the learning opportunities available to them.

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Attendance is an ongoing high priority for the school. Leaders have put rigorous procedures in place to address pupils’ absence. The school promotes the importance of regular attendance to parents and pupils. It provides parents with information to explain the negative impact of absence on their children’s education. However, too many pupils’ attendance is not high enough. These pupils miss essential learning.

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Pupils’ personal development is rooted in the school’s ‘character’ curriculum. Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships. They learn about life in modern Britain and respect for diversity. They know about the importance of positive mental health. ‘Happiness heroes’ support the well-being of other pupils and promote mindfulness. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online and from local risks such as disused mines and the railway. They take part in residential trips and sporting competitions. They enjoy activities to teach them about historical traditions of their local area, such as quilting. Although pupils learn about fundamental British values, they do not develop sufficient depth of understanding to equip them well for life beyond school.

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The trust works effectively with the academy council to provide skilled support and challenge to the school. Staff are resilient. They have proven to be excellent role models for pupils during the recent challenges faced by the school. Leaders are considerate of staff welfare and workload.

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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 develop sufficient understanding of the importance of British values. This means that pupils may not be well prepared for life beyond school. The school should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of British values so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Too many pupils are persistently absent from school. They miss essential learning, which has a negative impact on their education. The school should redouble its efforts 12 and 13 November 2024

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to support pupils’ and their families’ understanding of the social and educational consequences of poor attendance.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Website www.stanhopebarringtonbarrington.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy when it joined the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust on 1 April 2020. When its predecessor school, Stanhope Barrington CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  The school is a member of the Diocese of Durham.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place on 28 September 2023.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2020.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school provides a breakfast club. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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.

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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 met with the headteacher, two assistant headteachers, some subject leaders and the school business manager.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the academy council and three other academy councillors. She also met with the CEO, the chair of the Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust and a challenge and support partner for the trust and diocese.  Inspectors met with some members of staff and some pupils.  Inspectors focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each group of subjects, the

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Information about this inspection

inspectors visited a sample of lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work where relevant.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the school’s approach to teaching history, art and writing.  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 lead inspector spoke to some parents informally at the end of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sonia Fraser Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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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