Elmswell Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Elmswell Community Primary School Oxer Close, Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP30 9UE

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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Outcome

Elmswell 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?

The school provides an environment that puts its vision of ‘nurturing a community of learners’ at its heart. Pupils enjoy being part of that community and feel safe and happy. They know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Pupils know what bullying is and are confident that adults will sort it out for them on the rare occasions that it happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ learning. Pupils rise to this challenge. They achieve well overall. They enjoy learning their interesting curriculum, which is brought to life by trips and visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a consistent approach to behaviour in the school. In class, pupils listen carefully and engage well with their learning. They are polite and respectful to each other because that is how the staff treat them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils relish the opportunity to take on responsibilities, such as house captains and junior road safety officers and supporting lunchtimes in the ‘calm corner’ and as playleaders. This helps pupils to develop confidence and care for younger pupils. Pupils talk enthusiastically about residential visits in key stage 2 and see these as an important part of their journey through the school as they develop social skills and resilience.

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

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. It sets out clearly what pupils need to know and is taught effectively by teachers because they have strong subject knowledge. The school focuses on developing pupils’ vocabulary. Pupils use specific words correctly when 25 and 26 February 2025

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explaining what they have learned. For example, Year 4 pupils talk confidently about their work on digestion using words such as saliva, bolus and intestine.

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The school carefully identifies, and puts in place, the extra support pupils might need with their learning. Teachers ensure that they adapt teaching and activities so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as others. As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress in their learning.

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Children make a good start in early years. They learn important reading, mathematics and writing skills, such as how to form letters correctly. However, some older pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their skills in letter formation and joining. As a result, these pupils struggle to write quickly and fluently. The quality and presentation of their writing across all subjects do not always reflect the high standards the school expects.

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Pupils’ learning to read is prioritised. Children in Nursery learn to listen carefully to sounds in their environment. As they move through the school, pupils learn to read well. Staff deliver the phonics programme with confidence. Regular checks mean any pupil who falls behind with their reading gets extra support to help them catch up. Pupils enjoy reading and being read to. They quickly become fluent and confident readers. Younger pupils develop confidence and fluency by reading books matched carefully to their phonics knowledge. Older pupils benefit from a well-stocked library and high-quality texts being read to them daily.

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In many subjects, particularly reading and mathematics, teachers use their checks on what pupils know to inform what they are teaching next. However, in some subjects, teachers do not always use their checks on pupils’ understanding as effectively. This means teachers sometimes move on to new learning before pupils have a secure understanding. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their learning.

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The school provides plentiful opportunities for pupils to develop their interests, talents and character through visits and activities that enhance the curriculum. For example, the music curriculum has been strengthened with the introduction of cello and violin teaching. Workshops in school, such as steel pan and gamelan, have helped to raise pupils’ awareness of music from other cultures. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and when in the local community. The school provides effective emotional support for pupils through the use of trained adults.

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Governors are clear about the strengths of the school and what it needs to do to continue to develop. They have clear oversight of the school’s work so they can provide effective challenge and support to school leaders. Staff are proud to work at the school and feel leaders listen to them. The school supports staff to manage their workload. Leaders strive to make decisions that are in pupils’ best interests. They have a strong vision for the school. As a result, parents and carers say staff really care for their children and appreciate the opportunities to come in and learn about the work of the school, for example through the ‘curiosity cafes’. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not use information about what pupils know to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and inform future learning. This means that pupils are not able to build on their learning from what they already know. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment information effectively across all subjects to inform their teaching so that it helps pupils build a deep body of knowledge over time. This should be done in a way that does not add to teachers’ workload.  Some pupils do not have enough opportunities to revisit the transcription skills set out in the school’s handwriting programme. As a result, the quality of pupils’ writing does not always reflect the high standards the school expects. The school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop their transcription skills and fluency so that written work is of a consistently high standard across all year groups.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2016.

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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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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school roll has increased significantly. The school is now a two-form entry primary school. There is a Nursery class that currently takes place on mornings only. Extensive building work has taken place, including addition of a new studio and classrooms.  The school does not currently use any alternate provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and senior staff in the school, members of the governing body, including the chair, and representatives from the local authority.  The inspector met with other staff, including teachers and curriculum teams. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their work and looked at samples of pupils’ work with leaders, including the headteacher.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey and of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also gathered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Heather Hann, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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