Caunton Dean Hole CofE Primary School

Inspection of Caunton Dean Hole CofE Primary School Manor Road, Caunton, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 6AD

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this small, caring and nurturing school. They show respect and kindness, reflecting the school’s values. Pupils enjoy their learning. They fulfil the school’s high expectations for them to achieve well in all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite to each other and to adults. Pupils enjoy welcoming visitors and are proud of their school. Positive relationships enable pupils to flourish and feel safe. They know that trusted adults are available to provide bespoke support in the case of any worries or difficulties.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s distinctive close-knit family ethos is evident. For example, at lunchtime, the whole school gathers for ‘family dining’. Older and younger pupils interact naturally and happily. Pupils welcome opportunities to develop independence as they help to clear the dining hall or prepare resources for collective worship.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The attractive, spacious outdoor areas promote pupils’ wider development, and their physical and mental well-being, very well. Pupils benefit from regular opportunities to broaden their horizons beyond the village. This includes taking part in residential activities, day trips and immersive themed ‘collaboration days’ at other schools.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum is well designed in all subjects. Careful thought has been given to the school’s context and the particular challenges of having mixed-age classes. The curriculum securely reflects the school’s ambition for all pupils to know and remember more as they progress through the school.

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

The school has responded positively to the increased number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ individual needs are quickly identified. Teaching is carefully adapted to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum and receive the support that they require. Pupils with SEND flourish and achieve well at the school.

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

Reading, and a love of books, are prioritised. There is a well-considered approach to early reading and phonics. This begins straight away in the early years, through a sharp focus on early reading and language development. The well-trained staff team provides extra teaching for pupils of any age who need to catch up. As a result, pupils become fluent, confident readers.

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

Staff have secure subject knowledge. They generally give clear instructions that enable pupils to understand new information. Pupils are well supported to apply this knowledge to different situations to solve a range of problems. Staff check pupils’ understanding and quickly step in to address any misconceptions. This is especially strong in English and mathematics. In a few other subjects, the work set is not as well matched to the intended curriculum, or the needs of mixed-age classes. Some pupils struggle to recall what they have learned. This inconsistency is reflected in the work that pupils produce. In these 4 and 5 June 2025

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subjects, pupils’ knowledge and skills are less well embedded than in other areas of the curriculum.

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The school has considered the needs of children in the early years in the mixed-age class. This has ensured that those very young children, although few in number, benefit from a well-designed early years curriculum that promotes their development across all areas of learning. Children in the early years benefit from bespoke support that prioritises their essential language development and communication skills.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attendance. There are strong systems for checking and analysing patterns and incidents. As a result, appropriate support is quickly arranged so that pupils behave well and maintain good rates of attendance.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider personal development well. The personal, social and health education curriculum covers a broad range of themes. This ensures that pupils develop a well-informed awareness of modern British society. Pupils demonstrate thoughtful understanding of equalities, explaining that ‘it’s about treating others as you want to be treated’.

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Leadership and governance are strong. After an unsettled period in recent years, there is now greater stability in leadership. This has ensured that the school’s provision is secure in all areas. Staff are well trained and receive support for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the work given to pupils does not enable them to build sequentially on what they have learned. As a result, there are gaps in some pupils’ knowledge. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to choose learning activities that support pupils to learn the key knowledge set out in these curriculum areas.

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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. 4 and 5 June 2025

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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 June 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Charlotte Butcher (executive principal) Alan Brown (interim principal) Website www.cauntondeanhole.notts.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive principal is responsible for this school and one other local school.  The executive principal took up her role in September 2023. The interim principal took up his role in April 2024.  Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with SEND who have joined the school. The proportion of pupils with SEND has risen to 50% of the total on roll.  Over the last two years, the school has received external support from the T.E.A.M Education Trust, a multi-academy trust. This includes the appointment of the interim principal from elsewhere in the trust.  Caunton Dean Hole is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in June 2017.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  Although the school’s age range is 3-11 years, at the time of the inspection there were very few children on roll in the early years phase. As such, inspectors have not

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Information about this school

awarded a separate judgement for the early years. 4 and 5 June 2025

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

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive principal, the interim principal, and other senior and curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair and some other members of the local governing body, representatives of the local authority and the diocese of Southwell and Nottingham. The lead inspector held discussions with representatives of the T.E.A.M Education Trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. 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

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Information about this inspection

samples of their work.  The inspectors reviewed curriculum information and samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects.  The inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and at other times of the day.  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.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirk Hopkins Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 June 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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