Alphington Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Alphington Primary School Wheatsheaf Way, Alphington, Exeter, Devon EX2 8RQ

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Alphington Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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The headteacher of this school is Sharon Tarr. This school is part of Exeter Learning Academy 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), Rachel Shaw, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Suzannah Curtis.

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Outcome

Alphington 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?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They know that staff care about them and want them to do well. This helps all pupils, especially pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to settle well and make progress through the curriculum. Pupils are keen to learn and show curiosity in their learning. Younger pupils often bubble over with excitement about their new-found knowledge and are keen to share this with visitors. They are quick to follow adults’ instructions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about the improvements to the activities they can do at lunchtime. Newly appointed ‘junior play rangers’ take their responsibilities seriously and make sure other pupils play safely. Pupils are clear on how they are expected to behave. Pupils behave well and are thoughtful about each other, both in class and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils attend clubs, including football and dance. Breakfast club before school and the after-school wraparound care are popular, and pupils appreciate the range of activities that they participate in. Pupils enjoy the trips and visits that have been built into the curriculum. They particularly enjoyed making chocolate as well as their visits to the local museum and to the zoo. All these experiences contribute well to pupils’ personal development. 4 and 5 March 2025

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

Trust and school leaders have continued to build on the school’s successes. Recent updates to the curriculum design have raised the level of ambition. However, there is more to do, and the trust has invested in further training for staff.

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

The curriculum in many subjects is structured well and organised so that pupils build their knowledge over time. Where the curriculum is designed effectively, teaching staff are clear about the most significant knowledge that pupils need to learn. They also have a secure understanding of how to make sure that pupils understand what is being taught. In classes, teachers are quick to notice any misconceptions that pupils have and rectify them. However, in a few subjects, the curriculum is less well developed. The school has not successfully identified the critical knowledge that pupils need to remember or ensured that staff use effective teaching approaches. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge as securely in these subjects.

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

Work to improve pupils’ reading is strong. From the moment children start in the early years, there is a clear focus on phonics. Well-trained staff implement the school’s chosen phonics curriculum carefully, ensuring that pupils are taught to read well. Pupils who struggle to read are supported well, and most catch up quickly. Staff and volunteers make sure that pupils read with an adult regularly. This is helping pupils to read more fluently and with greater accuracy.

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

In the early years, children benefit from a range of activities that provide them with the essential knowledge they need, such as recognising numbers and how they increase along a number line. They work well together, ‘inviting’ each other to the zoo and sharing objects. Staff have high expectations of children with SEND and ensure that they are supported effectively. Consequently, they achieve well.

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

The school is inclusive and caters for the needs of pupils with SEND effectively. Staff are swift to identify and assess any additional needs that pupils might have. The development of ‘Owl class’ means that those pupils who would benefit from even more personalised support, do so. Most pupils who have complex needs split their time effectively between the specialist provision and their mainstream class.

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

Most pupils attend school regularly. The school’s actions to support pupils’ attendance, such as early morning routines, are having a positive impact on those pupils who do not attend as well.

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

Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school. Staff use their knowledge of relevant issues to teach pupils about the risks they face in their community and more widely. Consequently, pupils know how to keep themselves safe. The school has a range of enrichment activities built into the curriculum. Pupils recall visits and events that support their broader personal development, such as how to stay safe when using technology. Many pupils participate in sports activities and clubs, including football and dance, which contribute to their understanding of healthy lifestyles. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Staff appreciate the care that leaders take to ensure they are supported well. They enjoy working at Alphington. Trust leaders and those responsible for governance are very active in the life of the school and know its strengths and development areas well. Most parents are positive about the school and how well their children achieve. A few parents remark on improvements that could be made to communication. Nonetheless, parents and pupils are very positive in their views about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of foundation subjects, the trust has not ensured that staff have the subject and pedagogical knowledge they need to develop and implement the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge sufficiently in these subjects. The trust should ensure that the curriculum is well designed and implemented across the full range of subjects.

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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 November 2019. 4 and 5 March 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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Exeter Learning Academy Trust, a group of four primary schools.  The school operates a breakfast club before school and wraparound care at the end of the school day.  The school’s nursery provides education for two-, three- and four-year-olds.  The school does not make use of any 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and teachers. The inspector also met with the CEO, the chair of the trust board, two local governors, a trustee and some parents and carers.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. In addition, the inspector spoke with subject leaders about the curriculum.  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 observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour and to gather information about school life.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments, and the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Iain Freeland, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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