Sutton CofE VA Primary School

Sutton CofE VA Primary School

Address: High Street, SG19 2NE Unique reference number (URN): 109626

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils’ attendance is high. Leaders are forensic in how they monitor attendance. Their laser- sharp focus means that if a pupil’s attendance begins to drop slightly, they step in early to get things back on track. As a result, pupils miss very little school. All staff share leaders’ sky-high expectations around attendance. Consequently, pupils and their families understand how important it is to be in school on time and attend regularly, which they do.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils pay close attention in class and consistently display highly positive attitudes towards their learning. This creates an environment where pupils learn well and progress through the curriculum. The school provides expert guidance for the occasional moments when pupils need support to adapt their behaviour. Social times are abuzz with activity and laughter because adults place great trust in pupils to behave and conduct themselves responsibly and sensibly, even when not directly supervised. Pupils know the value of excellent behaviour, so they do the right thing at all times. They use and share the plentiful, much sought-after, playground equipment with maturity and responsibility.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils’ needs are consistently well identified. Whether at the start of Reception, or if they join the school mid-year, leaders are quick to pick up any barriers to pupils’ learning or well- being. Systems and processes are well developed to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the right support at the right time. For example, the few pupils who have additional support with phonics receive sharply focused sessions that are closely matched to what pupils need to learn. This is because the assessment of pupils’ needs is accurate and rigorous. Well-trained staff use assessment information wisely to check on how well strategies and interventions are working. This ensures that pupils consistently receive the most precise support they need.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use the pupil premium funding well to provide both academic and wellbeing support in a timely manner. This supports disadvantaged pupils to learn well and broadens their horizons through a range of different opportunities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders do not hesitate to draw upon external expertise if this is needed to support a pupil. Engagement with families is particularly effective. This ensures that everyone involved in pupils’ lives is working together in their best interests.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have an accurate view about what the school does well and where more work is needed to make things even better for pupils. They have led the transition of the school from being a lower school to a primary school skilfully over the past few years. They have achieved this while retaining a focus on providing high-quality education and care for pupils. Pupils sit at the very heart of leaders’ decision-making. Staff benefit greatly from a rich professional learning offer. This has had a notable impact on pupils with the quality of the curriculum and how well pupils learn this content. Pupils' success in the wider curriculum has particularly strengthened. Similarly, training and leaders’ drive for continued improvement have enhanced the quality of provision in mathematics and phonics.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school is a central part of the local area. Relationships with the community and with parents are very positive. Parents are highly complimentary about the school and rightly place great trust in leaders. Staff are proud to work at the school. They are extremely well supported in terms of their wellbeing and workload.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors carry out their statutory duties very well. They keep a close eye on the working of the school and know with accuracy what is working well and what needs to improve further. They provide highly effective challenge to leaders but balance this with equal measures of support where this is needed.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Leaders have a deep and detailed understanding of the context of their school. They know that some pupils do not routinely interact with people from backgrounds or with beliefs different to their own. Consequently, leaders take deliberate and highly successful action to ensure that pupils have a well-rounded view and experience of the world around them. As a result, pupils are highly respectful of difference and speak with conviction about why they should understand and respect those who have different beliefs and come from different cultures to their own.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils develop into well-rounded citizens as a result of their opportunities and learning about life in and beyond the local community. They benefit greatly from a broad personal, social and health education curriculum that helps them develop as young people. They talk confidently and maturely about topics, such as growing up and the changes they will see and feel in their bodies and minds. Pupils understand the importance of looking after their physical and mental health. The school’s 'Talk Time' provides an opportunity for pupils to share worries or concerns with a trusted adult and to find solutions.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Staff ensure that pupils understand risks they may face in life as they grow older. This is taught in a highly age-appropriate manner. As a result, pupils have a secure grounding in, for example, how to stay safe online. They know how to spot a potential scam, how to respond to inappropriate contact online or how to report content that may upset or worry them.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

The school arranges visits, such as the 'Bedford cultural tour' to provide rich opportunities for pupils to develop an understanding of life in modern Britain, while the 'school parliament' gives pupils a voice to ensure that they feel heard and respected and that their opinion matters. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well represented across these opportunities.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils learn and achieve well. They progress through the curriculum successfully, remembering much of what they have been taught. Younger pupils generally secure their knowledge of phonics, mathematics and writing skills to help them learn the curriculum as they move through the school. However, some pupils do not secure the knowledge and skills they need to become proficient writers. This affects how well they apply their writing skills when producing longer pieces of work.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn well from their varied starting points. They too develop the important knowledge and skills they need to be ready for the next stage of their education. The school prepares children in Reception effectively for their move to Year 1. On the whole, pupils have the academic and social skills they need to be successful in their next stages.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have strengthened the curriculum and the way it is taught over time. Pupils remember much of what they are taught because new knowledge builds on the solid foundations laid previously. This is true for subjects such as history and science, as well as for English and mathematics.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils receive high-quality teaching to learn how to read. Staff teach a clear and coherent phonics programme skilfully. Similarly, pupils benefit from effective mathematics teaching. This has been a recent focus of the school. Leaders’ work in this area is bearing fruit. Pupils secure important mathematical concepts because staff have detailed subject knowledge and explain new ideas clearly. They make regular checks to ensure pupils remember what they are taught.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have recently introduced a renewed writing curriculum. While this is paying dividends, with pupils developing greater quality and consistency in their writing, leaders recognise that more remains to be done. They are taking the right steps to refine the teaching of writing so that pupils secure and develop the knowledge and skills they need to become proficient writers by the time they leave the school in Year 6.

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Early years Expected standard

Children settle well in the Reception class. They quickly learn the routines of the classroom. This is evident in the way they share, take turns and work together. Children enjoy the warm and caring interactions they have with staff. Not only do these interactions help children feel well cared for and safe, but they also help them to develop the important vocabulary and language they need to be successful.

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Early years Expected standard

As children find their feet in Reception, they develop their own independence quickly. They look after equipment and their classroom with pride. Children become increasingly resilient when faced with challenges in their learning or play.

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Early years Expected standard

Children learn to read well. Stories, rhymes and poems are in abundance, and the skilfully taught phonics programme helps children ready themselves for Year 1 as confident readers. At times, children do not benefit from carefully designed activities to help them practise and consolidate their learning. While children benefit from the tasks they complete, leaders know that there is more refinement needed in how activities sharply focus on the most important knowledge and skills children are learning and developing.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from warm and positive relationships with adults. They bound into school each day with smiles and chat aplenty. They enjoy the company of their friends. Whether playing football, building a sun dial or exploring the forest area, there is much to do in the playground. Older pupils delight in helping and supporting their younger peers whether outside or in the dinner hall. Pupils enjoy their time in school. They rarely miss a day at school; their attendance is high.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff have a deep and accurate understanding of pupils’ individual needs. For example, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from well-tailored provision to overcome barriers they face with their learning. Similarly, staff provide the right care and guidance to pupils who need support to adapt their behaviour.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave extremely well. They work hard and concentrate in class, readily offering answers to their teacher's questions during lessons. The firmly established culture of respect means that they see one another as individuals. The school's ethos supports pupils to learn and celebrate their own beliefs along with the beliefs and cultures of other people. This helps prepare them well as they step out into the wider world.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit greatly from the rich and varied wider opportunities on offer. The 'Sutton Challenge' encourages pupils to help families and neighbours with activities, such as cooking, cleaning and working to reduce energy use. Pupils take great pride in receiving their medals to acknowledge the difference they make in their school and local community.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that teaching enables pupils to understand and apply the writing process confidently, strengthening their grammar, spelling and composition skills across the curriculum. • Leaders should ensure that the activities children complete in the early years are precisely designed to help children practise, apply and secure their learning across all areas of learning.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Darren Brooker.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, members of the governing board, a representative of the local authority and a number of other staff members during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Christian religious character. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2025.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. The school has transitioned from being a lower school to a primary school. The school now admits pupils in Years 5 and 6.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk . Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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