Paulerspury Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Paulerspury Church of England Primary School High Street, Paulerspury, Towcester, Northamptonshire NN12 7NA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The head of school is Georgina Sensecall, who is responsible for this school and one other. This school is part of Innovate Multi 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), Lindsey Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Falvey. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming here. They appreciate the caring staff who want the best for them. They feel valued and known in this small school, at the heart of its village community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of every pupil. Pupils tend to achieve well. They are keen to learn and enthused by the interesting topics they study. They relish learning activities that encourage them to remember and think about what they have learned. Pupils value the many experiences provided by the school, including visits to interesting places and sporting or music events. These opportunities help pupils to discover and develop interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour around the school is calm and respectful. Pupils do their best to demonstrate the school’s values, such as ‘perseverance’ and ‘care’. They enjoy receiving awards in ‘celebration worship’ for their efforts. Older pupils are proud to take on roles such as being a house captain or school councillor. They are considerate and help younger pupils around the school. Pupils feel safe, and bullying is rare. Pupils know who they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious, engaging and well structured. In all subjects, the school has identified precisely what pupils will learn and when they will learn it. Teachers are supported well to ensure that they present new knowledge clearly to pupils. This means that pupils learn important vocabulary and build their understanding of key concepts. Pupils remember more over time. However, sometimes teachers have not designed activities that focus on the intended learning well enough. Therefore, pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could.

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

Reading is, rightly, an ongoing priority in the school. Phonics is taught well from when pupils join the school. This includes a sharp focus on supporting weaker readers to catch up quickly. Pupils read often from books that are well matched to the sounds they know. This helps them to become confident and fluent readers.

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

Across the curriculum there is a focus on oracy. Pupils learn subject-specific vocabulary well. This helps them to explain their thinking with increasing confidence. For instance, Year 4 pupils explain their understanding of human and physical features in Brazil. Communication and language are carefully threaded through learning activities from the moment children join in Reception Year. Teachers support pupils to structure their written and oral responses with increased care. Pupils become confident communicators.

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

The school identifies pupils who may require additional help and support effectively. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from adaptations made to help them to engage with classroom routines. However, at times, the targets that are set for pupils with SEND do not identify clearly enough what pupils should be trying to achieve. This means that learning activities are not adapted consistently well to meet the 29 and 30 April 2025

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needs of these pupils. Therefore, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could.

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The school weaves opportunities to promote pupils’ well-being and character development through all it does. Pupils learn to respect and appreciate differences, including different cultures, beliefs and family structures. They learn about making healthy and safe choices. This means that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils show positive attitudes to all aspects of school life. Clear expectations help pupils who are new to the school settle well. Pupils move around the school calmly. They follow routines and instructions without fuss. The school rightly maintains a focus on securing high attendance. Staff work closely with families to remove any barriers that may affect pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Consequently, attendance has improved.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the benefits of being part of a collaborative trust team, and the positive impact this has on pupils’ learning. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration of their well-being, particularly during recent changes.

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The trust and local governing body know the school well. They have a sharp oversight of the impact of the school’s recent actions for improvement. The challenge and support they provide ensure that the school’s development in all areas of its work focuses on providing the best for every pupil.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, learning activities are not designed effectively enough. As a result, some pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could. The school needs to ensure that learning activities enable pupils to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding, in order to achieve as highly as they can.  Some of the targets designed for pupils with SEND do not define clearly what pupils need to achieve. As a result, there are times when it is difficult for staff to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge to set appropriate targets for pupils with SEND and that it provides teachers with the information they need to adapt their teaching to help pupils with SEND achieve well. 29 and 30 April 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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of Innovate Multi-Academy Trust since September 2022.  The head of school was appointed in September 2024. There have also been a number of other staff changes.  The school is part of the Diocese of Peterborough. Its last section 48 inspection took place in June 2024. The next section 48 inspection will take place within five years of the date of the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast club on the school site.  The school uses the services of one unregistered alternative education provider.

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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 29 and 30 April 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the head of school and other school leaders. They also met with representatives of the trust and the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. 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.  Inspectors also met with subject leaders and reviewed samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development. They also met with leaders responsible for the provision

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for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They met with parents in person at the school gates.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Natalie Hackett Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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