Sandlings Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Sandlings Primary School Easton Road, Sutton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3TD

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Outcome

Sandlings 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 love their school. They are delighted to see friends in the morning. They attend regularly and on time. Pupils, staff, governors and parents and carers refer readily to the school’s caring, nurturing, family feel.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations. It expects good behaviour and focused learners. Pupils respond positively by working hard and behaving exceptionally well. Staff regularly highlight the school’s agreed approach to learning, ensuring that expectations are consistently applied. Pupils approach their work conscientiously and responsibly. They have confident attitudes to learning and are polite, considerate members of the community. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils trust staff to help and support them if they have worries. They know adults care about their well-being. As a result, pupils feel safe. Pupils take enormous pride in how well they all look out for the needs of others, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They respect that everyone is different and know how to include other pupils at school. They enjoy each other’s company. They delight in upholding the school’s rules, such as being kind.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop personally. For example, they learn about different cultures, faiths and beliefs and how to stay mentally and physically healthy. They are well prepared for life beyond school.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has ensured that the curriculum allows pupils to build successfully on their prior learning across the full range of subjects. 13 and14 May 2025

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The curriculum is carefully designed to meet the needs of the school community, particularly given the high mobility rate. The school reviews its curriculum and delivery carefully to ensure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the right content at the right time. As soon as new pupils arrive, the school effectively identifies any barriers to pupils’ learning. Staff understand pupils’ strengths and individual needs well and provide any adaptations to teaching that are required. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Staff have strong knowledge about the subjects they teach. They use the correct terminology and explain subject matter to pupils clearly. Staff are skilled at checking what pupils know and remember. This ensures that pupils build securely on what they have previously been taught. For example, children in the early years enjoy searching for the best materials to attract bugs as they study the natural environment. They are taught to describe the materials they find and explain their reasons. Pupils build on this learning in subsequent years to widen their understanding of animal habitats.

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Teaching places great emphasis on pupils’ speaking skills. This enables pupils to talk confidently about what they have learned over time. However, sometimes teachers do not ensure that pupils apply their knowledge of key vocabulary, grammar, spelling and punctuation effectively enough in their writing. This prevents some pupils from achieving as highly as they could in some subjects.

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Reading is a priority across the school, starting in the early years. The phonics curriculum is well thought out and implemented. Staff teach reading skilfully. Pupils enjoy learning new sounds and words. They practise their reading regularly. Staff check carefully what pupils know and can do. Pupils who need additional support receive it through well- planned and highly effective teaching. Pupils enjoy visiting the school’s well-stocked library. Pupils become confident, fluent readers.

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Children get off to a flying start in the early years, where they learn the routines and behaviours that set them up for future success. The school has high expectations of pupils’ conduct, and pupils diligently strive to meet these. Pupils listen carefully in lessons and work effectively with each other. Relationships are kind and supportive. Pupils’ behaviours and attitudes are incredibly positive.

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The school prioritises pupils’ personal development well. This is a strength of the school. Adults want all pupils to thrive and to become well-rounded, healthy and mindful citizens. Pupils quickly feel welcome, starting on arrival with the school’s ‘Welcoming Wings’ induction programme. Every year, each class democratically votes to choose their class name and devise their class rules. This adds to the strong sense of belonging. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously, including as school councillors, ‘line leaders’ and librarians. They are proud to contribute to the school community. They enjoy the range of clubs and events that the school provides. Pupils become thoughtful, responsible and independent. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Governors have a thorough understanding of the school and undertake their 13 and14 May 2025

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responsibilities extremely well. Staff greatly value the support from school leaders to ensure their workload is manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school does not ensure that pupils are able to apply in their writing the subject-specific vocabulary or the grammar, punctuation and spelling knowledge they have been taught. This means that, at times, pupils’ written work lacks precision. The school should ensure that pupils are able to apply their knowledge in their writing across the curriculum.

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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 the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.

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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. 13 and14 May 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). 13 and14 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  A large proportion of pupils join or leave the school during the school year.  The school does not use 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.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum with leaders.  The inspector met with senior staff in the school, including the headteacher and the 13 and14 May 2025

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deputy headteacher.  The inspector met with the chair of the governing body and other members of the governing body.  The inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with other school staff, including teachers and support staff.  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 took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and governing body minutes and local authority visit reports.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school and discussed behaviour with pupils throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke with some parents during the inspection. The inspector also

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considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and14 May 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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