Stawley Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Stawley Primary School Appley Cross, Ashbrittle, Wellington, Somerset TA21 0HH

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Outcome

Stawley 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?

Parents and pupils agree that Stawley Primary School is ‘like a family’. Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging and are fiercely loyal to their school. They feel safe and happy, valuing the warm and respectful relationships they build with staff during their time here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement and conduct. Pupils meet these expectations. Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils have a thirst for knowledge, demonstrated in their love of reading and discussions about what they have been learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is ambitious. The school ensures that it is adapted to meet the needs of pupils in mixed-age classes. Where appropriate, the curriculum is enriched with purposeful trips and activities. For example, pupils have recently visited ‘Cadbury World’ to support their learning about the importance of cocoa beans in the Mayan civilisation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly supportive of one another. Pupils in Year 6 describe their responsibilities as role models to younger pupils, including children in the early years, as ‘a privilege’. The school ensures that pupils’ talents and interests are developed, regardless of background or ability. This builds pupils’ confidence and resilience and prepares them well for life beyond school.

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

The school has carefully considered how to deliver a broad curriculum to mixed-age classes. It has identified the most important knowledge pupils need to know. Most of the time, teachers provide clear explanations and check pupils’ understanding effectively. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Most of the time, these pupils learn effectively alongside their peers. When needed, they 17 December 2024

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receive personalised support. The work staff give to pupils enables them to build knowledge over time.

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There is a sharp focus on early reading. Children in Reception enjoy learning phonics. They quickly learn to match letters to the sounds they know and use this knowledge to decode new words. The school ensures that they read a wide range of texts. Pupils also enjoy reading independently for pleasure. The highly individualised approach to learning means that pupils who need additional support with reading receive this in a timely and appropriate way.

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Pupils enjoy their learning, and many achieve well in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Pupils talk confidently about what they have learned in the wider curriculum. For example, older pupils understand the concept of trade. Pupils learn and use the correct vocabulary to talk about this from both geographical and historical perspectives. However, this is not consistently reflected in their written work. Gaps in younger pupils’ writing knowledge are not always addressed quickly and robustly. This means that some pupils’ transcription skills are not secure. This impacts on pupils’ ability to write fluently and at length as they move through the school.

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The pre-school curriculum is underpinned by children’s personal, social and emotional development. There is a sharp focus on communication and high-quality interactions with staff. This is also the case in Reception, where the learning environment is carefully planned to teach children about the world around them. For example, the school has recently built a model ambulance to teach children about people who care for us. Children have learned key vocabulary such as ‘defibrillator’.

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The school’s ‘golden rules’ are understood well by pupils. Staff model these, so pupils understand the importance of kindness and trying their best. This is evident in their behaviour and their exceptionally positive attitudes to school.

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The wide range of enrichment opportunities is a strength of the school. There are many opportunities for pupils to represent the school in a variety of sports. The school supports pupil-led initiatives, such as the school magazine and fundraising. The annual school production and residential trip are highlights of the school calendar. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and other aspects of the personal, social and health education curriculum. They enjoy discussing current affairs and relate them meaningfully to fundamental British values.

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Governors’ oversight of the school is strong. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education provided, and for pupils’ wider development. Staff are exceptionally proud to work at the school and value its consideration of their workload and well-being. As a result, the view of one parent that, ‘All the children look after each other and all the staff know all the children well,’ is typical of the views of many.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 December 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is an insufficient focus on transcription for younger pupils. This means pupils do not have secure foundational writing knowledge. As a result, some older pupils are not able to write accurately, ambitiously and at length, or demonstrate the depth of understanding they have about the wider curriculum in their written work. The school should ensure that staff systematically address gaps in writing knowledge, so that younger pupils develop secure transcription skills and older pupils are able to write with greater confidence and accuracy.

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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 March 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. 17 December 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). 17 December 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 12 and 13 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is one of two schools in the Wellington Area Rural Federation, overseen by the same headteacher and the same governing body.  The school runs a pre-school provision on site for three- and four-year-olds.  The school uses one unregistered 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and a selection of staff during the inspection.  In addition, the lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and a school improvement partner from the local authority. 17 December 2024

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 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors analysed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the responses of staff and pupils to Ofsted’s online surveys.  An inspector discussed how the school identifies and supports pupils with SEND.  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 did not visit the pre-school during this inspection as it does not open on Tuesdays. The lead inspector met with the pre-school leader and discussed the provision for three- and four-year-olds.

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Inspection team

Victoria Griffin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Overton Ofsted Inspector 17 December 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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