Duston Eldean Primary School

Inspection of Duston Eldean Primary School Main Road, Duston, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN5 6PP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly friendly, polite and well-mannered at this school. They consistently live up to the high expectations of the school’s ‘FISH philosophy’. Pupils seek ways to fully involve themselves in the life of the school. They respond to everything with a positive attitude. The school instils a ‘great goal’ for everyone to always be kind and thoughtful. A regular focus on different ways to achieve this goal has supported pupils’ exemplary behaviour. Pupils have earned an impressive reputation in the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to contribute positively to school life through their leadership roles. They lead assemblies, promote kindness, monitor behaviour in corridors at lunchtimes or check that the school is environmentally friendly, for example. Older pupils mentor younger ones. Pupils say that their opinions are valued. They feel empowered to make improvements for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A highly ambitious and varied curriculum inspires pupils. Alongside their academic growth, the school focuses on pupils becoming increasingly articulate, lifelong learners that are respectful of diverse cultures. Pupils enjoy learning and consistently achieve strong outcomes in national tests. They achieve well in many areas of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers feel overwhelmingly positive about the school. They cannot praise the school enough and highly recommend it.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum is well designed. It sets out the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the Reception Year onwards. In all subjects, this knowledge is skilfully sequenced so that it builds progressively over time. Central to the curriculum, is a sharp focus on pupils learning to read well. From their first day of school, pupils benefit from the highly effective teaching of phonics. The school works extensively with parents to gain their support in ensuring pupils practise phonics and reading regularly. Staff carefully check pupils’ progress in reading. They quickly identify pupils who are not keeping up and provide effective support. Pupils soon become fluent and ardent readers. They enjoy time in the school library, selecting books and discussing their preferences.

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

Over several years, leaders have carefully crafted a formalised approach to teaching the curriculum. It is based on research and their own evaluations of effective learning. Through rigorous training, teachers consistently follow this approach. They present new knowledge clearly to pupils. They emphasise important vocabulary and check pupils’ understanding. The delivery of the curriculum is mainly strong but especially in mathematics. The impact can be seen in pupils’ confident recall of knowledge and consistently high attainment. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage.

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

The school has not ensured that the curriculum is taught equally well in all subjects. In a small number of subjects, the checks teachers make on pupils’ learning do not always ensure that they are building on what they were taught previously. In those subjects, the learning activities selected sometimes lack ambition and hinder the depth of knowledge 21 and 22 January 2025

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that pupils can reach. As a result, pupils’ knowledge is sometimes not as secure as it could be. In a small number of subjects, the work pupils produce is not consistently of a high-quality.

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The school has appropriate systems to ensure that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Across the school, well-trained staff adapt the curriculum appropriately for these pupils. Due to the nature of their needs, the school has committed to a bespoke provision for a few pupils. These pupils are well supported by trained staff in a more suitable environment.

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Pupils have highly positive attitudes towards their learning. They listen intently in lessons and are eager to share their views. They work well together or on their own. Pupils learn that criticism can be helpful. They engage well with the regular feedback they receive about their attitude. Pupils have high expectations of themselves. For example, in weekly ‘reflection time’, they discuss how they have learned well. They set targets on how to improve.

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Right from the early years, the school focuses on pupils’ oracy skills so that they can speak and share their views clearly. Pupils learn to debate ideas and views with confidence. They use ‘talking hand’ gestures to respectfully agree or disagree. The provision for pupils’ personal development is well considered. It supports pupils to develop a secure understanding of diverse life in modern Britain. Pupils also learn about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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Staff speak highly of the supportive culture of the school. They appreciate the focused support on developing their practice. Governors have a clear vision for the school. They know their responsibilities well. Their regular checks of the school’s work are sharply focused on achieving the best outcomes for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the checks that teachers make on pupils’ knowledge do not always ensure that pupils are effectively building on earlier learning. Additionally, the school has not ensured that all the learning activities given to pupils reflect the curriculum ambition. As a result, pupils are hindered from developing detailed knowledge and producing work of a consistently high quality. The school should ensure that all learning activities and the checks made on pupils’ learning support pupils to achieve consistently well in all subjects. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 is 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors met with senior leaders of the school and considered a range of documentation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened as some pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also considered evidence about some other curriculum subjects.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during breaktime.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils and staff. Inspectors spoke to parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Claire Stylianides, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chrissie Barrington Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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