Stottesdon CofE Primary School

Inspection of Stottesdon CofE Primary School Stottesdon, Cleobury Mortimer, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY14 8UE

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Stottesdon CofE Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Stottesdon CofE Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade.

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The headteacher of this school is Katie Jones. This school is part of the Shropshire Gateway Educational 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), Katie Jones, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Leonora Castledine. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this kind and caring school. Parents and carers are grateful for the care and support their children receive. Stottesdon is a small school with a big heart. Pupils learn the importance of caring for their environment. They are ‘agents of change’, determined to offer their support to those who need their help.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. Many are ready for the next stages of their education. They learn the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to be successful when they leave this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe online and offline. They report concerns to trusted adults should they need support. They behave well in class and play kindly with each other at breaktimes. Older pupils support the running of the school. When children in the early years arrive at school, older pupils escort them to their classrooms.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to talk about the range of exciting opportunities they are offered to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy visiting places linked to their learning because this helps bring learning to life. A highlight for many is their trip to London. They visit museums, theatres and famous landmarks, many for the first time.

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

Children in the early years get off to a good start. They form close relationships with key adults, who understand their needs. Children enjoy learning and are inquisitive. They begin to read from their first days in school. Those in Nursery, learn rhymes and routines that help them to develop their language and vocabulary. Children who need extra support, receive this quickly and this helps them prepare for Year 1.

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

Pupils learn to read by the time they leave Year 1. Many can read fluently by the time they enter key stage 2. They enjoy stories about adventure and mystery as well as books about diversity and inclusion. Pupils read literature that is linked to topics that they learn. This helps them to understand different subjects in more depth. Pupils benefit from reading frequently. Some pupils need extra support to become fluent readers. The school ably supports these pupils so that they keep up with their peers.

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

The school’s curriculum has undergone significant change. Most subjects have new or adapted learning sequences with clearly identified knowledge that they want pupils to acquire. In subjects such as music, pupils develop a deep appreciation of the subject. Many learn to play instruments with increasing competence. There is work to do, however, in developing pupils’ writing. Some pupils at the early stages of writing do not form letters or punctuate sentences correctly. While some more developed writers are unable to write fluently and accurately.

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

Staff well-being matters to leaders. The pressures that they face are taken seriously and addressed. Staff receive training opportunities to improve their practice. Many feel that the training they have had on checking what pupils know and remember is helping to 3 and 4 June 2025

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improve learning. However, too often, misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge are not identified and addressed effectively. Some pupils continue to make the same mistakes and develop misconceptions.

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There have been recent changes to the leadership of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has worked quickly and effectively to identify the specific needs of pupils. They have developed a strong partnership with parents and outside agencies. Together, they put plans in place to remove barriers to pupils’ learning. Pupils with SEND benefit from a range of extra-curricular activities to develop new talents and interests. They are successfully included in all aspects of school life.

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The school’s work to improve attendance is impressive. They have significantly reduced pupil absence. The school works well with parents to help them value their children being in school each day. Where families require support, the school does all they can to help. Pupils act with kindness towards each other. They embrace belonging to their school family. Many look forward to attending their new schools, feeling prepared and excited.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is exceptional. Pupils display impressive character, acting as ambassadors for their school. Pupils value the school listening to their views. They make suggestions during school council meetings then see these ideas come to fruition. They tidy litter in their local area and enjoy being rewarded when they return to school. Many see it as their civic duty to support making their community a nice place to visit.

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Leaders are dedicated to their school community. They make decisions in the best interests of pupils. The trust knows the challenges the school has faced more recently and are determined to support and build capacity even further. The school is receptive to new ways of thinking and embraces change and challenge to improve their school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils at the early stages of writing do not form letters or punctuate sentences correctly. Some more established writers are not being supported to apply their grammar, punctuation or spelling knowledge accurately. This means that some pupils are unable to write fluently, while others do not consolidate important writing skills. The school should support all pupils to write to the best of their abilities to enable them to communicate their learning effectively.  The school has not ensured that some teaching consistently addresses the gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that some pupils continue to make the same mistakes and form misconceptions that persist. This affects 3 and 4 June 2025

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how well pupils achieve. The school should ensure that gaps and errors in pupils’ understanding are addressed systematically to enable pupils to gain a secure understanding of their learning.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of the Shropshire Gateway Educational Trust since September 2015.  This school runs a breakfast club provision.  This school currently uses one registered alternative provision.  This school has provision for two-year-olds.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in March 2018. Due to the pandemic there were delays to inspections. The next inspection will take place before August 2026.

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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 3 and 4 June 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 judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, early years leader, SEND coordinator and other subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees. He also met with five members of the local governing board, including the chair.  The lead inspector met with the school improvement advisor for the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to groups of pupils about their learning and looked at

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samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered evidence from other subjects, including history, geography, art and design and computing.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. Inspectors spoke to pupils throughout the inspection and held meetings 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 parents’ free-text responses. They met with parents in person at the school gates.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Large Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 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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