Docking Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Docking Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery Chequers Street, Docking, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 8LH

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Outcome

Docking Church of England Primary Academy and Nursery School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Rebekah Woodrow. This school is part of The Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies 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), Oliver Burwood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Beverley Tilman.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. The kind and nurturing relationships they develop with staff help them to feel safe. Staff give pupils the support that they need. This helps pupils to enjoy school, work hard and attend well. The school’s values of ‘courage, curiosity, confidence, collaboration and compassion’ are part of everyday life. Pupils are proud of their work and enjoy celebrating their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should behave. Improvements have been made in areas such as reading, mathematics and behaviour in the last two years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are numerous opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities, such as being part of the school and sports councils, leading acts of worship and raising funds for charity. Pupils learn how to stay safe when online and how to be good ambassadors for their school. In the early years class, pupils are supported effectively to follow routines and instructions well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of activities within and beyond the school. This includes a range of sports clubs, musical opportunities and involvement with the local church. Pupils learn about their local community and how to contribute positively as citizens. 11 February 2025

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

The school’s curriculum has recently undergone significant change in several areas. There has been a strong focus on improving standards in the core subjects, which has been successful. The curriculum is planned so that learning is sequenced in a way that supports the development of pupils’ knowledge well. However, some pupils, particularly in key stage 2, have gaps in their knowledge of the previous curriculum. These gaps are not consistently being addressed in some subjects because staff require further support and professional development in delivering the curriculum effectively. Sometimes, teaching does not address pupils’ misconceptions before they move on to harder tasks. As a result, there are times when pupils do not secure the key knowledge they will need for future learning.

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

Children make a strong start to their learning in early years. Reading is given a high priority. Skilled staff help children to learn sounds and develop early reading, writing and mathematics skills well. As pupils progress through the school, they become confident, fluent readers. The school and trust, in partnership with parents, have invested in developing reading resources that are high quality, used well and are greatly appreciated by pupils.

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

Pupils behave well in lessons and are highly engaged, showing enthusiasm for their learning. In the early years, children listen carefully when the teacher is talking, and they work hard on the activities provided to support their learning. Pupils contribute confidently to discussions and stay focused when given challenging activities. They also behave well at social times. They take turns and share equipment, and older pupils look out for the younger ones.

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

The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It identifies their additional needs quickly and works hard to communicate with parents well. Teachers receive precise information about how to meet the needs of pupils. Teachers use this information well so that these pupils get the support they need to access the full curriculum and achieve well.

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

Staff know how to identify any additional support that a pupil may need to remove barriers to their learning and attendance. The school works closely with families to improve attendance when required. This support for pupils and families means attendance has improved.

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

The school’s work to support pupils’ personal development has been well thought out. It provides pupils with a range of opportunities to develop characteristics such as responsibility through a programme of classroom lessons, which is supported by outdoor learning. Pupils relish taking on responsibilities and show considerable maturity, for example when acting as house captains or when representing their school in sports competitions.

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

Those responsible for governance monitor the school’s work closely. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development and put programmes 11 February 2025

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in place to improve these when required. Staff are positive about the support provided by leaders and believe that their workload and well-being are considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the recent curriculum changes mean that older pupils have gaps in their learning. As a result, these pupils sometimes struggle to understand the new content they are taught. The school must ensure that teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving them on to new learning.

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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 predecessor school, Docking Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2022.

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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. 11 February 2025

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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). 11 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Docking Church of England Primary Academy is a smaller than average-sized primary school. ◼ The school is a member of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school has a designated religious character of Church of England. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place on 11 July 2023. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within five school years of the previous inspection.

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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. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 11 February 2025

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. They also met with trustees and representatives from the board of governors.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading to an adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Garrett Ofsted Inspector 11 February 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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