The Harrowby Church of England Primary School

The Harrowby Church of England Primary School

Address: New Beacon Road, NG31 9LJ Unique reference number (URN): 138283

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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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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years get off to a great start. They progress well from their starting points and are increasingly well prepared for their transition into Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

The curriculum is planned to cover all aspects of the early years foundation stage. Children are provided with a wide range of carefully planned activities that help them to acquire the intended knowledge. Both inside and outside the classroom children have the opportunity to practise and rehearse what they have learned. They develop their fine motor skills using pipe cleaners, for example, when making pretend Christmas candy canes. This helps them to develop the skills they need to correctly hold a pencil and write and draw.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff check what children know and can do as they join the setting. They continue to make these checks and identify the right next steps for each child. Staff prioritise early reading and the development of children’s communication and language skills. Children engage well in phonics lessons. Staff identify the key vocabulary they want children to know and use in their learning activities. Staff model this language well and encourage children to develop their ideas as they speak. For example, as children create Christmas crafts, they practise words such as ‘nativity’ and ‘advent’.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders regard each pupil as unique. They work with tenacity to ensure that pupils’ needs are met. They identify the barriers that prevent pupils from learning promptly. This work begins in the Nursery Year or when pupils join the school. When needed, leaders involve external agencies to help them make the right decisions for pupils’ next steps. Pupils who are disadvantaged and/or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding or who have English as an additional language receive effective support. Additional funding is used wisely. Where appropriate, staff identify specific and appropriate targets that help pupils to progress through the curriculum, manage life in school and access the school’s wider offer. They continue to adjust the actions they take so that all pupils can experience success.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff receive training to develop the skills they need to meet pupils’ needs and provide them with the right help. Leaders offer additional expertise to staff. This helps staff to make decisions about the right course of action for each pupil. This work is effective.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious and confident that the school will continue to improve. They have established a clear vision that is shared by the trust, governors and staff. Leaders are acutely aware of the school’s context. They make intelligent and well-considered decisions with this local knowledge in mind. They have prioritised many of the right things, and the impact of this work is visible. For example, the school has established positive and effective working relationships with parents and carers and improved the teaching of phonics.

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Needs attention

Leaders are positive role models for all staff. They bring high levels of professionalism to their role. Staff are supportive of the work of the school. They are unanimously positive about the school’s leadership. They agree that leaders consider their wellbeing and take their workload into account. Staff benefit from well-chosen training opportunities that support the school’s key priorities for improvement.

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Needs attention

The trust and governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and the equality duty. There are clear lines of accountability that enable them to hold leaders to account for the decisions they make. Pupils’ best interests are front and centre in the school’s work. There is a sharp focus on the positive difference that the school is making for disadvantaged pupils.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that there is an appropriate offer in place to promote pupils’ personal development and wellbeing. They have adapted this programme with the school’s context in mind. For example, they have prioritised pupils’ physical activity. Many pupils enjoy the chance to attend an after-school sports club and participate in activities such as sports day and ‘mini Olympics’. Pupils’ mental health is also prioritised. The school provides additional pastoral support for pupils who need this extra help to feel good about themselves. Each week begins with a celebration assembly to highlight pupils’ personal achievements and raise their self-esteem. Leaders place the needs of disadvantaged pupils at the heart of the decisions they make as they continue to develop this aspect of the school’s work.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

The school has established an appropriate personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when online. They learn about fundamental British values. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the importance of respect for others. They know that it is wrong to be a bystander if someone is being singled out for being different. They agree that it would be right thing to do to offer help if they witnessed this behaviour.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

Pupils enjoy the opportunities and experiences the school offers. They list the Christingle service, a trip to the pantomime and a visit to the National Forest as their personal favourites. The school offers some opportunities for pupils to develop their personal interests and talents. However, pupils would benefit from a wider range.

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Personal development and well-being Expected standard

At the core of the school’s personal development and wellbeing offer is its relationship with parents and carers. Leaders go to great lengths to support parents. They recognise that by helping families, they in turn help support the pupils.

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Achievement Needs attention

Over time, pupils have not been well enough prepared for the next stage in their education. There continues to be a significant number of pupils who have not secured the key skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Leaders are addressing this at speed. For example, the school’s phonics programme is now embedded. Staff check that pupils remember new sounds, and pupils receive extra help when they need to keep up or catch up. As a result, more pupils have the early reading skills they need, and recently the gap between all pupils and disadvantaged pupils has closed. Pupils benefit from the greater focus that has been placed on key skills, with the exception of handwriting. There is more for the school to do to ensure that pupils learn to form letters accurately right from the start so that they can write fluently and legibly.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. A significant number of disadvantaged pupils is persistently absent. However, leaders are taking appropriate action and are starting to address this. They go to great lengths to communicate to parents the message that it is vital for their child to be present in school every possible day. Leaders can show that this work is beginning to make a difference. Nevertheless, there is still more to do.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have established a positive learning environment. They have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know that they come to school to learn. They understand that they should engage in their own learning and not make it hard for others to learn. Incidents of poor behaviour, including any reports of bullying, are dealt with effectively. Leaders use this information well to understand the reasons why some pupils find it difficult to manage their feelings. Staff provide a wide range of appropriate and sensitive support for such pupils. Leaders respond swiftly to any concerns that pupils raise. Pupils trust the adults to give them the help they need. As a result, the school day is calm and purposeful from start to finish.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is not consistently well delivered across the school. Sometimes, staff do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can do. However, where teaching is more precise and expectations are higher, pupils experience greater success.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders provide staff with a range of training and support. This includes developing the skills staff need to adapt the curriculum for disadvantaged pupils. This support helps these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers. However, leaders recognise that further expertise is needed to ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently across subjects and key stages. Leaders have prioritised teaching the essential knowledge that pupils need to succeed, such as reading, times tables and spelling. This work is making a positive difference to the progress that pupils make. Nevertheless, there is more for leaders to do.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school's curriculum is suitably broad and ambitious. The trust has worked closely with leaders to develop a curriculum that identifies the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember at each key stage. They have carefully considered how this can work in mixed-age classes. The curriculum is set out in a logical order so that pupils can build their knowledge over time.

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

Pupils are happy at The Harrowby Church of England Primary School. They are proud of their school, and there is a strong community spirit. Every pupil is exceptionally well known. Staff take great care to make sure that pupils are ready to learn. If pupils find it hard to settle as they arrive, staff provide extra support and attention. Staff make sure that pupils do not waste time. They start learning as quickly as possible. If pupils are late to school, they are greeted warmly and then told, ‘Let’s get on with our learning.’ Despite this welcoming environment, too many pupils do not attend frequently enough.

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

Leaders have identified clear values that help pupils to understand how they should behave. These values are based on the word ‘HEART’. Pupils know that they need to show hope, empathy, aspiration, respect and trust to live up to the leaders’ high expectations for their behaviour. Relationships between staff and pupils are built on kindness. There is a well- embedded approach to behaviour management that is followed consistently by staff. As a result, right from the early years, children behave well. They feel safe here.

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

Pupils engage in their learning and work cooperatively with each other in lessons. They say that they like learning and name their favourite subjects as history, mathematics and writing. They are confident when introducing themselves in French. They have lots of fun at social times and do not worry about bullying. Nevertheless, too often, pupils do not receive the high-quality teaching they need to learn as well as they could. This means that pupils are not always well enough prepared as they move to the next stage in their education.

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Next steps

• Leaders should strengthen curriculum delivery by ensuring that staff have the expertise and high expectations needed so that pupils secure the key knowledge and skills required so they achieve at least in line with national averages. • Leaders should improve pupils’ handwriting so that pupils form letters correctly and write fluently, with increasing speed and accuracy. • Leaders should continue to improve pupils’ attendance so that more pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, attend school on every possible day. • Leaders should extend opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests.

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Team inspector:

Damienne Clarke, His Majesty's Inspector

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About this inspection

This school is part of Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust, which means that other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jacqueline Waters-Dewhurst, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jerry Woolner.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this 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 Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the coordinator with responsibility for special educational needs and/or disabilities and the education development adviser for the trust. The lead inspector met with the deputy CEO, the chair of trustees, the director of education and other members of the trust board. The lead inspector held a further meeting with 2 governors, including the chair.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke to pupils informally throughout the inspection and met formally with 2 pupil groups. Inspectors met with a group of staff and spoke to parents at the start of the school day.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

Currently, the school is led by an interim executive headteacher who also leads another school in the trust. A new headteacher has been appointed and will take up post in January 2026.

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About this inspection

The school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Lincoln. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2020.

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About this inspection

The school provides a before- and after-school club.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Executive Headteacher: Mrs Lianne Cook 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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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. 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

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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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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