Dove Bank Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Dove Bank Primary School Bagworth Road, Nailstone, Warwickshire, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV13 0QJ

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Outcome

Dove Bank Primary 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 Andrea Fletcher. This school is part of Life Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The school has an executive headteacher, Amelia Smith. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Chris Parkinson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anil Majithia.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a beacon of friendship at the heart of its diverse community. Everyone is welcome. Parents and carers value the warmth and support that the school provides for their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of the conduct and behaviour of all its pupils. Pupils understand and live by the school’s unwavering commitment for mutual respect. Classrooms are calm and studious places to learn. Social times are happy and harmonious, where pupils play well together. Pupils value the family feel that the school has. It is a safe place to learn, with trusted adults pupils can turn to about any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s ambitious aims for success and typically achieve well. Pupils are motivated to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is a high priority. Pupils flourish from a range of leadership roles to learn about responsibility. For instance, pupils contribute effectively to the school’s unifying ethos, through well-being ambassadors and roles that promote diversity and equality. Pupils are proud of their valuable input to school life. 25 and 26 March 2025

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

The school has a well-designed curriculum that is taught effectively. The curriculum sets out the important knowledge that pupils must learn. It builds on prior knowledge and provides opportunities for pupils to revisit previous learning. This helps pupils secure their understanding. Pupils recall their knowledge across a range of subjects. For example, they retell stories of significant events in history, in detail.

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

Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to explain new concepts clearly to pupils. Teachers create learning posters to capture key knowledge for pupils to remember concepts in mathematics and English. The school designs activities well to ensure that pupils are fully engaged in their learning. Teachers encourage pupils to talk about and explain their understanding. Everyone is supported to contribute ideas, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils respond typically well to teachers’ questions and extend their explanations using new vocabulary appropriately. On occasions, the school does not ensure the accuracy of some pupils’ vocabulary or their communication of their understanding.

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

Reading is taught well. This begins well with early phonics. The school ensures that staff use effective strategies to support pupils to read skilfully and often. Staff model new sounds well. They support pupils to practise what they learn. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. This helps to develop pupils’ reading fluency. Pupils enjoy learning to read. Those who struggle more with reading are supported to catch up.

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

Some pupils arrive and leave at different times of the year and so have less time at school to learn all the curriculum content. These pupils are supported to settle quickly and begin to catch up. Published outcomes do not fully reflect the positive impact that the school’s high-quality education has on pupils’ achievements because some pupils do not benefit from learning the school’s curriculum for as long.

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

The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils learn alongside their peers. They achieve well.

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

The positive ethos and consistent approach to behaviour is effective. Few reminders are needed for pupils to focus and concentrate on their studies. Some pupils are improving their attendance. However, despite actions to improve attendance, there are still some pupils who miss too much of the school’s high-quality education.

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

The school supports pupils’ personal development and well-being effectively. Pupils learn about the importance of equality and why discrimination is wrong. Pupils are knowledgeable about positive relationships. They understand how to stay safe online and how to be healthy. Pupils flourish from the many music events and performances they enjoy in the local community. They value residential trips and museum visits to support and enrich learning in history. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Leaders, including trustees and governors, are effective in their roles and legal duties. The school has taken effective action to refine and further develop the curriculum to improve the quality of education pupils receive. Staff appreciate the support from leaders and the collaboration that helps with their workload. The school’s engagement with the wider community is particularly effective. Many parents would recommend the school to others.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not ensure that pupils consistently use and apply the new vocabulary that they are taught. This means that sometimes pupils do not use this new vocabulary to explain their learning and show their deepening understanding. The school should support staff to ensure that pupils improve the accuracy in how they use and apply new vocabulary so that they deepen their understanding of this new knowledge.  Some pupils are absent from school too frequently. As a result, they miss important learning and have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should continue to improve the attendance of these pupils.

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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 predecessor school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2013. 25 and 26 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and she has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders, subject leaders and the chair of the local governing body. The inspector spoke with the chair of trustees, the vice-chair of trustees and the CEO.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector discussed pupils’ attendance and behaviour with school leaders. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 The inspector considered the views of parents who responded to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the online staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector held discussions with staff and with pupils.  The inspector considered a wide range of evidence, including some documents published on the school’s website.  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.

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Inspection team

Donna Moulds, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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