Stanton Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:
  • developing pupils’ ability to clearly explain their thinking, using subject-specific vocabulary and knowledge
  • increasing pupils’ progress in writing by implementing leaders’ plans and making the most of opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in the wider curriculum.
• Improve teaching and learning in the early years by increasing opportunities in the Nursery for development of knowledge and skills so that children are ready for the next stage in their education.
• Improve governance by:
  • ensuring that governors have clear information to enable them to accurately measure the impact of new initiatives and the use of financial resources on pupils’ achievement
  • developing governors’ skills in holding school leaders to account.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the previous inspection, leaders have taken a full and fresh look at teaching, learning and the curriculum. They have built on and fully embedded initiatives that had not had sufficient impact and introduced new ways to teach and engage pupils in reading and writing. The senior leadership team is clear about current strengths and knows what still needs to be done. There are clear plans to achieve this.
• In the approaches to mathematics and reading, leaders have ensured that both teachers and support staff have had the appropriate training. Staff are highly enthused by the new methods and can see the difference that they have made to pupils’ progress. Leaders have high expectations of what can be achieved and have supported staff in a positive way where they needed to improve their subject knowledge to be able to teach effectively.
• Leaders have worked with all teachers to plan a new approach to delivering the wider curriculum beyond English and mathematics. This is designed to enable pupils to apply their writing and reading skills in subjects such as history and geography. This is at an early stage of implementation and evidence of its impact on pupils’ attainment in writing is currently limited.
• At the time of the last inspection, there was a perception from some parents and carers that the school was not providing a good quality of education and, for a minority, this is still the case. Leaders have been proactive in providing many opportunities to engage with parents. They are regularly invited in to ‘open classrooms’, where they participate in the lessons as their children’s ‘talk partner’ rather than just being an observer. Many parents volunteer to help in forest-school sessions where pupils learn outdoors. Leaders also have events just for parents, both as a forum to raise concerns and to provide advice on how to help their children learn. The new special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has met many parents of pupils with SEND and has plans to meet them all in time.
• The SENCo ensures that all pupils with SEND are receiving appropriate support. She has led training, resulting in staff having greater awareness and knowledge about specific areas of need.
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) are well supported. They take part in some specific NQT courses but also access other training opportunities, for example through the work on mathematics. They value the emphasis that leaders place on having an appropriate work/life balance.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is decreasing over time. However, funding is used appropriately. Funding primarily supports two key areas – that of the emotional support worker (ESW) and that of teaching assistants working with pupils to fix gaps in learning on the same day as they occur.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively. Previous use of funding has made staff more confident and they teach PE lessons confidently, with a clear skills focus. The funding has also enabled pupils to take part in a wide range of activities, such as indoor athletics, and, for those who are most able in PE, additional coaching and competitions.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has undergone substantial change in membership in the last few years. At the time of the inspection, the chair had been in this post for only four weeks. However, she brings a wealth of experience in the education sector to the role. The governing body as a whole is smaller than average but governors bring relevant skills to support the school’s development. They also provide a direct link to the armed forces, as there are a significant number of pupils from service families.
• Governors are increasing their understanding of the school’s work. They have become regular visitors to school and those in the local community are beginning to feel that they can approach them with questions about the school.
• Governors have engaged fully with the support available from the local authority and have also sought out additional specialist advice, for example linking up with a national leader for governance. Governors have taken the school development plan and used this to form their own action plan. Individual link governors take responsibility for major areas and are clear on what they need to do to ensure that the school is providing a good level of education.
• Not enough time has passed for governors to monitor how effective the new ways of teaching are or whether the financial investments in these and the use of additional funding are effective. They are beginning the process of holding leaders to account for the improvement in pupils’ achievement linked to these issues.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff are clear on what they should do if they have a concern about a pupil. They know what the risks are to pupils’ safety. Leaders follow up any concerns promptly and effectively. Pupils feel safe in school and the majority of parents agree that their children feel safe in school. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, both when out and about and when online. All appropriate checks have been carried out on adults who are regularly in the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

• In mathematics, the school has adopted a ‘mastery’ approach to teaching. The aim of this is for all pupils to master mathematics, with some supported to make connections with the help of physical or pictorial resources, and others extended by the use of a demanding question that makes them think and apply their understanding. There is a high focus on pupils developing fluency with number and fully understanding mathematical ideas to reason and solve problems.

Good

• A teacher visited Shanghai to develop understanding of the mastery approach. In addition, two Chinese teachers visited the school to demonstrate teaching methods and to assist staff in planning sequences of learning. The deputy headteacher is seconded every fortnight to work with teachers elsewhere in the local mathematics hub on this mastery approach. As a result of this professional development and better subject knowledge held within the school, teachers are enabling pupils to make strong progress.
• Leaders have successfully supported teachers who needed to enhance their own confidence in, and knowledge of, how to teach mathematics. Teachers demonstrate how pupils can use subject knowledge and vocabulary to properly explain what they have done, for example in solving a puzzle, but pupils are at an early stage in this development.
• To teach reading and writing, leaders have introduced an approach that bases work around a core text. There are some links beginning to be made with topics in history and geography, although this is not yet fully embedded. There are often activities in the forest area or in art that are introduced with a story. Pupils are engaged in the stories and texts read and are enthusiastic about reading and writing.
• Pupils’ writing is prominently displayed around the school. Teachers model and expect a cursive style of writing and pupils work hard to improve their style. Some pupils are at an earlier stage than others, but most have made improvements in this school year.
• Phonics teaching is effective, although some pupils struggle to say the sounds they know to write words correctly.
• Teaching of French is a strength in key stage 2. The school has been awarded the Silver Linguamarque certification as recognition of this and Year 6 residential trips to France further their foreign languages work.
• There is regular discussion between teachers and pupils in lessons and pupils are often asked to talk to partners about their ideas. These partners change regularly. There are fewer opportunities for pupils to explain ideas to the whole class or to debate opinions. In work, pupils are increasingly asked why they think something or to explain what their findings show, but they are less confident in expressing this with a reason, whether verbally or in writing.
• Support staff work closely with teachers to identify pupils who need additional help to achieve the day’s learning objectives before a gap in learning is created. This can be pupils of all abilities at their individual level. They find what the difficulty was and ensure that the pupil understands on the same day. Support staff also provide some pupils with revision of topics that have been taught before they come up again in order to refresh their memories.
• The school’s chosen method for providing feedback to pupils and assessing their progress against objectives is used consistently across the school by both pupils and teachers. Pupils feel confident when teachers tell them how well they are doing but are equally clear that, when they do not understand, staff will help them quickly to do so.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• There are four key values in the school: reciprocity, resilience, resourcefulness and reflectiveness. Pupils are able to clearly explain what these mean and how they try to show them in their life at school. Pupils that demonstrate these values receive awards. Pupils who gain a number of awards, including those linked to behaviour, add themselves to the ‘roll of honour’ for the week and this is publicly celebrated.
• The school is a core part of the village community. Pupils proudly displayed their work in the village hall as part of the First World War centenary memorial work. There was a large turnout, both of parents and other local residents. Pupils enjoy spending time in a garden dedicated to the lives of ‘four friends’ from the village who died. They have made objects with poems and special thoughts for display in this space.
• Pupils study a range of cultures in their history and geography work, recently learning about China, which was linked to the mathematics project. Teachers ensure that a wide variety of visits out and visitors to the school are part of the curriculum, from visiting an Anglo-Saxon village to meeting a beekeeper.
• All pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 meet in weekly mixed-age groups for ‘Every Child Has an Opinion’. The agenda is set by the leadership team but meetings are led by Year 6 pupils. All pupils have the opportunity to give their ideas in these meetings but they do not currently include open discussion or debate.
• Pupils do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. They are clear that it is ‘good to be different’. They support peers with additional needs well.
• The emotional support mentor works with pupils who need additional help with emotional and social skills across the school, including specific support for service children. This work has contributed to the good behaviour of pupils and improvements in attendance.
• Pupils are encouraged to keep themselves healthy. The PE and sport premium funding has enabled the provision of extra lunchtime sports clubs and a wide variety of equipment to play with. There are several climbing frames and ‘trim’ trails. Pupils take part in physically active sessions in forest-school sessions weekly, climbing trees and building dens and obstacle courses.
• Pupils who attend the breakfast and after-school clubs are well cared for. They enjoy playing with a wide range of games and activities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Relationships between teachers and those in their care are positive. Pupils are rewarded by points for different learning behaviours, which they value.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school is sensible. They play in mixed-age and mixed-gender groups. They follow staff instructions quickly. In assemblies, they are attentive and join in.
• Pupils seldom use prejudicial or inappropriate language. Leaders have dealt with rare incidents in the past rapidly and in the appropriate way.
• There are robust systems in place for encouraging good attendance, which are effective.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The progress of pupils from key stage 1 to key stage 2 is in line with national averages in reading and mathematics. In 2018, this was lower in writing. Pupils’ books show that across the school they are making strong progress in reading and mathematics. They are beginning to make good progress in writing as well. Displays of every pupil’s work through the year outside the classrooms help to motivate pupils to continue to improve.
• The attainment of pupils at key stage 2 in 2018 was in line with the national average in reading and above average in writing and mathematics. The proportions of pupils achieving the higher standard or greater depth in all three were also above national averages. Attainment at key stage 1 was also above national averages in reading and mathematics. At key stage 1, few pupils achieved the higher standard in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils’ work shows that the vast majority are working at the appropriate standard for their age. Most-able pupils are being challenged, particularly in their mathematics work.
• Pupils are proud of their work. They have the stamina to write at length.
• In Year 1, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check was slightly above the national average in 2018. Virtually all pupils achieve this standard by the end of Year 2. Pupils read fluently and make good use of their phonics knowledge.
• At the end of Reception, the proportion of pupils being at a good level of development was slightly above the national average in 2018. Evidence from the school’s records of children’s activities this year shows that the current Reception children are making strong progress.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress from their own starting points, especially when they have the opportunities to apply their skills in different areas.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years are happy and enjoy school. They are made welcome every day and settle quickly into their classrooms.
• Children benefit from a large, well-resourced outside area. They enjoy digging in the mud and making their own creations out of natural materials. During the inspection, a ship had just been installed and children were making their own pirate name labels and then playing pirates on the boat.
• There are opportunities for pupils to take controlled risks. They play in another boat that rocks. They climb on a ridge and ride their bicycles down a steep slope. Staff model positive behaviours and help children develop their social skills, such as how to ask for a turn on a bicycle.
• Children also regularly play in the forest-school area, using simple tools and developing teamwork as they join together to build structures and investigate the outside world.
• In Reception, teachers use assessment well to identify what children need to learn next. Teaching includes focus times within the day, when children are directed to playful activities that develop skills such as fine motor skills, the blending of sounds and the ordering of numbers on a line.
• Children also apply their early reading, writing and number knowledge in outside play. Clear teacher demonstration of letter formation and sound pronunciation helps children to develop these skills.
• This is less well developed in the Nursery. Most activities are fun but there are not enough experiences planned in which children can develop specific skills to support their learning. Children with SEND are supported well by adults but, along with others, are not being prepared well for learning in Reception.
• Children’s welfare is well supported. The spaces for learning are safe and checked daily. The safeguarding of children is of the same good quality as elsewhere in the school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 124547 Suffolk 10053174 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Karen Sewell Susan Chapman 01359 250 225 www.stantonprimarysch.co.uk head@stanton.suffolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20 February 2018

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Around one third of the pupils have a parent serving in the armed forces.
• The school moved onto the current site, previously a middle school, in September 2016.
• The school operates its own breakfast and after-school clubs.
• School leaders work on an informal basis with three other local schools to provide peer support.
• There is a separately run and Ofsted-registered pre-school, Stanton Pre-School, in rooms that are part of the school building. These are separately accessed and leased directly from the local authority.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed teaching and learning in every class. Some of these observations were undertaken alongside members of the senior leadership team.
• A wide range of pupils’ workbooks were looked at by the inspection team.
• The inspection team met with representatives from the local governing body and the local authority adviser. They met with senior leaders, middle leaders and new teachers. The 27 responses to the staff survey were considered.
• A group of pupils met with an inspector. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally in lessons and at playtimes.
• An inspector visited the school-run breakfast club.
• The inspection team scrutinised the school’s website and a range of documents, including assessment information and the school’s self-evaluation.
• Pupils read to inspectors and talked about their reading preferences.
• The 65 responses made by parents to Parent View were considered. The inspection team also spoke to some parents before school.

Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Heather Hann Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector