Dundry Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management, by:
  • developing well-tailored learning support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND that helps them to catch up from low starting points
  • ensuring that leaders at all levels are well supported to further develop the monitoring of teaching, so that they swiftly intervene when it needs to improve.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by:
  • improving the consistency of phonics teaching, so that pupils consistently develop secure early reading skills improving assessment, so that teachers take full account of pupils’ starting points and provide appropriate work that challenges pupils to achieve their best
  • developing pupils’ fluency in mathematics, so that they routinely apply their understanding to reason and solve problems
  • ensuring that pupils apply their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to improve their writing.
• Improve the effectiveness of early years by:
  • ensuring that teachers use assessment information more precisely, so that they plan work that helps children to develop the necessary skills to achieve well
  • developing learning activities that spark children’s enthusiasm, sustain their interest and help them to make the progress of which they are capable. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to determine how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Over time, the school has been through a challenging period of turbulence and change. Senior leaders have worked resolutely to tackle weak teaching and develop a stable staffing structure. However, the pace of improvement has not been swift enough and teaching is still too variable.
• Leaders have not thoroughly monitored the quality of teaching for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. This has prevented them from intervening when teaching needs to improve. Until very recently, interventions were not sufficiently focused. Consequently, pupils have not made enough progress to catch up from their low starting points. Almost all disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are currently working below where they should.
• Several leaders are new to their roles. They have swiftly identified the main areas for improvement. For example, leaders recognise that too few pupils, especially the most able pupils, achieve greater depth in their learning. New leaders demonstrate that they have the capacity to effect the necessary changes. However, it is too early to evaluate their success.
• The school provides broad curriculum coverage across a range of subjects. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to develop their writing skills in other subjects. However, leaders do not evaluate the effectiveness of all subjects with the precision needed to recognise when teaching needs to improve.
• The school uses pupil premium funding to plan many suitable interventions for disadvantaged pupils. However, leaders do not thoroughly evaluate the impact of this support. This hinders them from intervening when pupils are making insufficient progress. Although additional teaching has a positive impact on some pupils’ progress, this is not consistently strong. As a result, the majority of disadvantaged pupils, several of whom also have SEND, are not attaining well.
• Difficult circumstances have hampered senior leaders’ efforts to improve the consistency of teaching. However, they demonstrate the capacity to raise standards. They have not shied away from tackling weak teaching to ensure that pupils are provided with a good quality of education. The executive headteacher works effectively with experienced leaders in the trust to help teachers to improve. Almost all staff who responded to the online questionnaire believe that leaders support them well. They say that leaders listen to them and that they feel respected and valued.
• Leaders have a consistent system of behaviour management. This is well understood by pupils and consistently applied by staff. Staff confirm that leaders support them in managing pupils’ behaviour.
• The school’s special educational needs coordinator, who is new in post, is an experienced leader. She is working closely with teachers to develop more sharply focused interventions. Leaders are developing their monitoring of the effectiveness of additional support for pupils with SEND and there are early signs of success. For example, pupils’ attendance is good and their confidence is improving. It will take more time to establish the long-term impact of leaders’ work.
• Leaders have made effective use of the physical education and sport premium funding to provide sports coaching and purchase sports equipment. Leaders have also targeted the use of funding to train teaching assistants and provide activities for pupils, such as caving and canoeing. However, leaders confirm that their evaluation of the impact of the funding has not been thorough enough to check its effect.
• The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the online survey and discussions are happy with the school. They typically comment, ‘the academy trust has made many improvements,’ and, ‘staff are dedicated, hardworking and incredibly supportive’.
• Pupils develop a good understanding of British values, because the school promotes its values, such as trust, honesty and friendship, effectively. These values are reflected in the school’s ‘golden rules’ and reward systems.
• Leaders provide pupils with an interesting range of opportunities to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils take part in fund-raising activities and have enjoyed participating in debating and sporting events. Pupils are supported to value diversity when they learn about different beliefs, cultures and values in religious education.

Governance of the school

• The chief executive officer of the trust makes effective use of regular meetings with governors to check their impact. Governors are committed to driving school improvement and ask probing questions to hold school leaders to account.
• Governors actively evaluate much of the school’s work through focused visits. This enables them to gain a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.
• Several staff changes have restricted the extent to which governors and trustees have been able to support school leaders to improve outcomes. Governors have not yet thoroughly evaluated the impact of pupil premium funding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders promote the importance of keeping pupils safe. The executive headteacher ensures that all staff are provided with timely updates to training. As a result, staff have good knowledge of the signs that might indicate a pupil is at risk.
• Staff know that they have a duty to keep pupils safe and have a clear understanding of how to report concerns. When necessary, safeguarding leaders refer concerns to outside agencies, so that pupils and their families receive the help that they need. They follow this up, to check that their actions are making a difference.
• The school makes the necessary checks to ensure that all adults working in the school are safe to work with children. The school meticulously records this information on the school’s single central record.
• Adults are diligent in ensuring that pupils are safe when they are in their care. Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Pupils know whom to go to if they have any worries.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not yet good. Leaders have not been sufficiently successful in smoothing out inconsistencies in teaching over time. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes are variable.
• The development of pupils’ early reading skills varies because the teaching of phonics is not consistently well matched to pupils’ ability. When work is too easy, this limits how well pupils achieve. Weak phonics teaching in the past has meant that several older pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders have recently provided training and developed additional teaching support to improve phonics teaching. However, it is not yet possible to determine its impact.
• There are some inconsistencies in teachers’ subject knowledge and the precision of their assessment of pupils’ learning. This limits how well they plan pupils’ learning. Where teaching is less effective, learning tasks are not pitched appropriately to meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils often achieve tasks easily because they have secured the relevant skills. For example, in the mixed class of Year 4, 5 and 6 pupils, pupils quickly and accurately calculated the volume and area of 2-D and 3-D shapes because they already knew what to do.
• Adults do not routinely intervene in pupils’ learning to check on their progress. This restricts them from identifying pupils’ misconceptions and modifying learning to consolidate pupils’ understanding.
• Teachers’ questioning is not routinely probing. This limits how well they can assess pupils’ understanding and extend their learning. Consequently, several pupils, including the most able pupils, do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Teachers consistently follow the school’s marking policy. However, teachers do not consistently pick up on grammar, punctuation and spelling mistakes in pupils’ writing. Therefore, pupils are limited in the extent to which they can apply and embed the skills they have learned to improve their work.
• Pupils’ fluency in mathematics is variable because the development of pupils’ basic mathematical skills is inconsistent. This impedes the effectiveness with which pupils can apply their mathematical skills to reason and solve problems.
• Until very recently, teaching has not consistently supported disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND to achieve well. As a result, the vast majority of pupils have fallen behind in their learning. Teaching assistants are now better deployed to provide additional teaching support. They provide careful explanations and scaffold learning tasks so that pupils understand what to do. They make good use of praise, which improves pupils’ confidence and encourages them to remain focused. When asked if additional help is beneficial, a pupil commented, ‘very much so’. However, these improvements need to be further embedded to maximise their impact.
• Teachers have positive expectations of pupils’ engagement in their learning. Therefore, even when learning activities do not consistently meet their needs, pupils do their best to apply themselves to their work.
• The school provides information to parents about how well their children are achieving. This helps them to understand how to support them. Pupils are routinely provided with homework to consolidate what they are learning in school. Pupils are motivated by the extended homework projects that teachers provide for them each term.
• Teachers’ planning of foundation subjects, such as science and history, is effective in helping pupils to develop their writing across the curriculum. For example, pupils enjoyed writing up the results of their investigations in science and recounts of their trip to Chepstow Castle.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Adults care about pupils’ well-being and form warm and supportive relationships with them. Pupils feel valued, which fosters mutually respectful relationships between pupils and adults.
• Pupils are confident and keen to talk about their learning. They are welcoming to visitors and proud to be part of the school community.
• Pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They can explain the necessary steps to stay safe online. Pupils say that there is no bullying in school and confirm that it would not be tolerated.
• The vast majority of parents are very pleased with how the school supports their children’s welfare. They typically comment that the school provides a ‘nurturing and warm environment’.
• Pupils who require extra help are provided with appropriate support to improve their emotional, social and mental health. This is making a positive difference to their self-esteem and confidence.
• Adults ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils have learned about refugees living in this country. They were also interested to visit a local foodbank. Pupils enjoyed comparing the Royal Wedding with a Hindu wedding.
• Leaders have sought the support of experienced leaders in the trust to remedy weaknesses in teaching, particularly for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. There are early signs that this is beginning to make a positive difference. Teachers are now starting to plan additional teaching support more effectively. However, more time is needed to develop this and evaluate its impact.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Adults have consistently positive expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Staff believe that leaders support them to manage pupils’ behaviour well. Pupils understand that they are responsible for their actions. As a result, they conduct themselves well in and around school. They respond quickly to instructions and usually settle to work without fuss.
• Pupils look after one another because they are considerate of each other’s feelings. Pupils understand and value the school’s golden rules. They enjoy receiving rewards such as ‘magic moments’ for positive behaviour. Pupils say that behaviour is usually good and confirm that adults quickly resolve any problems.
• Leaders have effective systems for monitoring attendance. They work closely with parents to promote the importance of attendance. As a result, pupils attend school regularly and arrive at school punctually, eager to start the day. A very small minority of pupils have higher absence for unavoidable reasons.
• Pupils are interested in learning and show resilience to stick at learning, even when it does not sufficiently challenge them. This helps them to stay focused in lessons.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes for pupils are too variable. In the end of key stage 2 tests in 2018, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was well below that of others nationally. Progress in reading and mathematics were particularly weak. This was a considerable decline from the previous year.
• Outcomes at key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics have declined over the last two years. In 2018, the proportion of pupils reaching the standards expected for their age in these subjects was below that of pupils nationally. Few pupils achieve greater depth in their learning over time.
• Teaching does not routinely support pupils to develop secure skills in phonics. Consequently, too few pupils achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. For the last three years, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard has been below that of pupils nationally.
• Reviews of current pupils’ work highlight the fact that teaching activities do not consistently challenge pupils to make effective progress. As a result, only a very small minority of pupils, including the most able pupils, are working at greater depth in their learning in any subject.
• Additional teaching intervention for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND has not been sharply focused enough. Therefore, pupils have not routinely had the support they need to make good progress. As a result, most disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND have low attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school’s most recent assessment information confirms that pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is improving. However, it is still too variable and many pupils do not achieve what the school expects of them. As a result, over one third of pupils across the school have below-average attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders aspire to remedy the variability in teaching in order to improve outcomes. Consequently, they have recently set higher targets for pupils and implemented additional teaching support. There are early signs that some pupils are beginning to make better progress and some striking examples of strong progress. However, it is too soon to determine whether these improvements can be sustained.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leaders have taken insufficient action to improve provision and teaching. Consequently, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development over time is below that of children nationally.
• The quality of teaching is variable because the expectations of what children can achieve are not high enough. As a result, children are not sufficiently well supported to build their knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of learning. This hinders them from making the progress of which they are capable.
• Current children, many of whom entered early years with skills well below those typical for their age, are not catching up quickly enough. For example, they are not habitually encouraged to use their understanding of phonics to develop their writing. In addition, the most able children are not being sufficiently stretched to achieve what should be expected of them.
• Teaching activities do not usually encourage children to become fully absorbed in their learning. This is because they often lack purpose and do not prompt children’s curiosity. For example, children shredded pieces of polystyrene and cut cardboard boxes when using materials to make a ‘dinosaur home’. A child commented, ‘We’re meant to be making a dinosaur home, but we’re making a mess.’
• Adults miss opportunities to intervene in children’s learning, which hinders them from asking questions, assessing children’s learning and developing their skills. For instance, children draw pictures when making booklets about dinosaurs. However, adults do not encourage children to use the adjectives that they have learned in order to write about dinosaurs.
• An experienced early years leader from another school in the trust has only very recently taken on the role of early years leader at Dundry. She has swiftly identified the main targets for improvement and taken the necessary steps to put these in place. For example, she has provided phonics training and supported staff to develop resources in the outdoor area. However, these changes are very recent and the impact cannot yet be assessed. It will take time to fully develop and improve early years provision and teaching so that these have a consistently positive impact.
• Early years staff form effective partnerships with parents, which helps them understand how to support their children. Parents say that their children enjoy school and have settled well.
• Adults form kind and caring relationships with children. Adults understand they have a responsibility for keeping children safe and promoting their welfare.
• Children know what teachers expect of them and consequently they are polite and well behaved. Children respond well to instructions from adults and play cooperatively with each another.

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School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 145021 North Somerset 10088285 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 Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 77 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jen Hird Michelle Parsons 0117 964 7181 www.dundry.com office@dundry.com Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Dundry Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are three mixed-age classes.
• The school has undergone several changes to staffing and leadership in recent years. The predecessor school was judged as requires improvement at its last inspection in September 2015. It was subsequently sponsored by the Academy of Trinity in Radstock and the Dove Family Trust was established. By the end of 2015, the leadership team at Dundry had resigned. In January 2016, the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership set up an interim leadership structure at the school.
• The school formally joined the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership in July 2016. The trust is currently responsible for 17 schools in three different local authorities. The school’s work is overseen by a board of directors. The executive headteacher is also the executive headteacher of Trinity Church School in Radstock, which is also part of the trust.
• The vast majority of pupils are White British and no pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for special educational needs is below that of pupils nationally. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average.
• The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed English and mathematics lessons in all classes. All observations were carried out jointly with the executive headteacher or the early years leader. Together with leaders, the inspector scrutinised pupils’ work in English, mathematics and topic books in several year groups.
• The inspector reviewed the school’s self-evaluation and action plans. Several meetings were held with senior leaders to discuss the school’s latest assessment information. The inspector also reviewed minutes of governing body meetings, behaviour logs, attendance information and safeguarding records.
• The inspector held a meeting with a group of pupils to seek their views of the school. Several informal discussions were also held with pupils during lessons, and at breaktime and lunchtime. The inspector observed a teaching assistant listening to pupils read.
• Separate meetings were held with the chief executive officer of the trust, the special educational needs team, the early years leader and the subject leaders for English and mathematics. The inspector also met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors.
• The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in the breakfast club and after-school club, during lessons and at break- and lunchtime.
• The inspector talked to parents during the inspection to gauge their views of the school. The inspector also considered 42 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and 11 free-text comments. The inspector took account of 13 responses to the online staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector