Stogursey Church of England Primary School

Stogursey Church of England Primary School

Address: Tower Hill, Stogursey, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA5 1PR Unique reference number (URN): 147326

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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 Expected standard

Leaders place a clear focus on attendance. Leaders analyse attendance information carefully, identify patterns and tackle poor punctuality and absence. Attendance for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is close to the national average. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to remove barriers to regular attendance and this is improving attendance across the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils are polite, kind and welcoming. They generally follow the school rules to be ‘ready, safe and responsible’. Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. The school is calm and orderly, which helps pupils focus on their learning. Staff typically apply the behaviour approach fairly and consistently. They provide high-quality pastoral support. Pupils speak positively about this available help and feel confident to share any worries or concerns with the adults in school. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils of all ages play well together during social times. Those with SEND enjoy playing alongside their peers and can do so successfully, because of the thoughtful plans the school makes to support them.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme is a strength of the school. Pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities that nurture their interests and talents. Work with children's charities, the armed services and visiting speakers enriches pupils’ experiences and helps them understand the wider world. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils benefit fully from this offer.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs. Through collective worship and the curriculum, they develop an understanding of Christianity and other world religions and celebrations, including Diwali. This helps pupils appreciate different viewpoints.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum supports pupils how to stay safe, including online. Pupils learn how to cross roads safely, for example, when outside the school gates. They know how to protect personal information, when using the internet.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop an understanding of fundamental British values. They know that democracy is a fair process and experience this first hand when electing the school council. They recognise that everyone is unique and they show respect for others. Pupils understand that sometimes some classmates need extra help and know why this support matters.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about positive relationships. They understand that all families are different and come in a variety of different forms. Pupils talk with maturity about body changes and know this learning prepares them well for their teenage years.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils understand the role they play as an active citizen. They recognise the role and sacrifice made by past generations of citizens who fought for peace. Pupils know they can

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Needs attention

make a difference to others less fortunate than themselves. For example, pupils help the school to raise money for different charities and donate food at the harvest festival.

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Achievement Needs attention

Across the school, pupils have gaps in their reading, writing and mathematics knowledge. This is the legacy of high staff turnover and inconsistencies in teaching. These gaps affect how pupils achieve. Published outcomes at the end of key stage 2, the Year 1 phonics screening check and the Year 4 multiplication check reflect this. Although results in grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading show some improvement in 2025, outcomes remain well below the national average. Pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

While pupils learn a wide range of subjects, they do not always remember important knowledge from previous learning. In subjects such as geography, leaders have identified key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and when. However, some pupils struggle to recall learning. For example, pupils cannot connect their learning about oceans to their earlier work on rivers.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching of the curriculum is not effective enough to support pupils to learn as well as they could. Teachers do not consistently check and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on. Learning activities are not adapted well enough for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who face other challenges. Consequently, pupils do not develop the important skills they need to succeed in their learning. This includes handwriting, spelling, punctuation, sentence construction and number fluency. This hinders the progress that some pupils make across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have refined the curriculum to reflect the changes made to the class structures. It is broad and ambitious and leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of this curriculum and the way in which it is taught. They have clear plans in place to ensure that teaching closes gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The current programme of professional learning is beginning to build teachers’ confidence and develop their subject expertise. However, it is too early to see the full impact of this work to ensure that staff deliver the curriculum consistently well across the school.

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Early years Needs attention

The early years curriculum has not previously shown how children build the knowledge and skills needed to be well prepared for Year 1. This led to a disjointed experience between Nursery and Reception. Recent changes to improve the curriculum from 2-year-olds to Reception are still developing, and gaps remain. Some children are not gaining the knowledge and skills they need across all areas to be ready for the next stage. Staff interactions with children vary. Opportunities to develop children’s ideas and vocabulary do not always match leaders’ intentions. As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged, do not develop the language skills needed to progress well through the curriculum.

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Early years Needs attention

Despite these weaknesses, relationships with children and families are warm. Children generally follow routines and begin to develop a sense of independence. Reading is a priority. Leaders promote story time well, and children enjoy listening to and retelling a wide range of stories. Phonics teaching is usually secure. Children in the early stages of reading, learn to read letters and sounds and build words. Those who struggle to read, generally, receive the support they need to catch up.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Systems to identify pupils’ needs and remove barriers to learning, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have not been effective enough over time. Staff do not always use pupils’ support plans effectively and some strategies do not reduce the challenges pupils face. This limits how well some pupils progress through the curriculum. Recent training helps staff understand pupils’ needs better and pupils' targets in support plans are now clearer. However, this work is still at an early stage and practice remains variable.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school has a clear strategy for its use of additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Leaders identify pupils’ barriers accurately and understand the school’s context well. However, they have not reviewed the impact of their actions closely enough. As a result, they do not yet know whether the support in place is helping pupils as intended.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work with external professionals to support pupils with SEND. For example, staff have made suitable changes to the environment so pupils with disabilities can learn alongside their peers and take part in school life.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Decisions made by the trust and governors to improve the curriculum and teaching have not yet led to rapid improvement in pupils’ outcomes as intended. Leaders have a clear and accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities to improve. They continue to focus on areas needing improvement, especially the consistency of teaching and improving pupils' achievement. However, it is too early to see the full impact of this work to secure positive outcomes and experiences for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Despite past weaknesses, leaders act in pupils’ best interests. They are ambitious for all pupils. Leaders have worked strategically to create a staffing structure that is now stable. Governors and trustees understand their responsibility to keep pupils safe. The early work to improve pupils’ attendance is having a positive impact. Increasing numbers of pupils now attend more regularly and benefit from greater continuity in their learning.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders prioritise staff development based on the school's key areas for improvement. Staff value this training, but they have not yet had enough time to embed new learning in their classroom practice. Leaders and governors are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing. Staff speak positively about working at the school and feel proud to be part of the community. Parents and carers recognise the period of change but appreciate the nurturing relationships staff build with pupils and families.

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

Many staff, including the executive headteacher, are new to the school. Despite this, they know pupils and families well. Staff build warm, caring relationships and pupils feel happy, safe and quickly develop a sense of belonging.

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

However, pupils’ learning experiences vary from the early years onwards. Teachers do not check understanding well enough, so misconceptions remain and gaps in knowledge persist. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in national curriculum tests. They struggle to recall previous learning, especially in reading, writing and mathematics. This means they do not build the knowledge needed to be ready for secondary school.

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

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not consistently supported as well as they should be. Learning is not adapted well enough to meet their needs and this affects how well they achieve.

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

Leaders, governors and the trust are ambitious for pupils. They have worked to manage a difficult period for the school, but their actions have not yet secured improvement quickly enough.

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

Behaviour around the school is typically calm and purposeful. Pupils follow routines and respond well to adults’ expectations. Pupils generally learn without interruption. Older pupils support their younger peers, particularly during social times. Bullying is rare and pupils trust adults to deal with concerns swiftly.

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

Attendance is a high priority. Leaders are relentless in their drive to support families to overcome any barriers that prevent pupils from attending well. This is starting to improve attendance rates.

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

Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities that broaden their understanding of the world. Visits, including trips to museums and a castle, enrich pupils' learning experience. Visitors to the school provide pupils with an insight into different careers and possibilities for the future.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that pupils secure the important knowledge and skills they need in writing, composition, spelling and mathematical fluency. Leaders should make sure that staff adapt the curriculum to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with other barriers to learning, progress well through the curriculum from their starting points.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should ensure that pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics improves, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leaders should support staff to develop the expertise they need to consistently develop children's language and vocabulary through high-quality interactions across all areas of the early years provision. Leaders and governors should monitor the impact their actions are having with greater rigour in order to tackle the weaknesses that exist, particularly with the curriculum and pupils’ achievement, so pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Quantock Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Chrysta Garnett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Cheryl Louise Govier.

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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 executive headteacher, special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, teaching staff, the chief executive officer, the chair of the trust board and representatives from the local governing board.

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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 religious character. It is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. Its last section 48 inspection took place in 2018.

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About this inspection

The school also, under the same registration, runs provision for 2- and 3-year-olds.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been significant changes in staffing.

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About this inspection

Executive headteacher: Rachel Rood 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.6% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 14.5% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 20.0% 16.2% Close to average

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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 standard 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 standard 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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