Dennington Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe, happy and well cared for at this school. They enjoy excellent relationships with adults and their peers. Pupils say bullying does not happen but, if it did, they know adults would stop it immediately.

Pupils are kind and supportive of each other. For example, the eldest enjoy taking care of younger pupils during their regular walks to church.

Pupils' behaviour is consistently good.

They work well in lessons because there are very few distractions. Play time is calm and orderly. Pupils show high levels of respect for each other and their physical environment.

They listen to others' views with interest. They are courteous and speak pos...itively about how everyone is included in the school. Pupils are confident that every child is welcomed and supported to do well.

Pupils benefit from the high expectations that adults have for them. They enjoy work that challenges them in different subjects. Pupils like reading and the wide range of books they can choose from the school library.

They speak passionately about the large number of trips that the whole school goes on. Pupils are rightly proud of their sporting success in a range of sports including dance.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious for pupils from early years to Year 6.

Work builds on prior learning, introducing new skills and knowledge gradually to support pupils' development. For example, in art, younger pupils learn to use one type of pencil to create tone and shading. Older pupils are then able to confidently explore line and tone using pencils of different hardness, inspired by the work of L.

S. Lowry.

Leaders use assessment carefully to monitor what pupils have learned.

Support from adults helps pupils to understand their work. If pupils fall behind, leaders ensure that targeted support helps pupils to catch up. This means that the vast majority of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access and enjoy the ambitious curriculum.

In most subjects, teachers are adept at supporting pupils. In mathematics, staff receive high-quality subject training. They are skilled at helping pupils to understand difficult concepts.

This helps to ensure pupils are confident and achieve very well in this subject. In a small number of other subjects, training is less embedded. This means that teachers are not skilled at delivering these curriculum areas as well as they could.

Therefore, a small minority of pupils, including those with SEND, are not supported in the most effective manner to access the challenging curriculum.

Reading is a priority. Leaders ensure that all pupils read high-quality books.

This ensures that pupils get better at, and enjoy, reading. Regular assessment identifies any pupils who may be falling behind. They are then quickly supported to catch up.

Older pupils are excited about the stories they read and are very well prepared for secondary school. In Reception and Year 1, children are making progress in their reading. However, some adults are not sufficiently well trained in how to best support children to learn phonics.

This means some children lack confidence in their reading and are not achieving as well as they could.

In the early years, children are happy and well cared for. However, although the curriculum is well planned, it is not being delivered sufficiently well.

Adults who support children in Reception do not always provide activities in the most appropriate way to enhance children's curiosity or to develop their language and communication skills. This means that pupils are not consistently well prepared for their next stage.

Pupils' behaviour is extremely positive in lessons and social time.

Leaders have very high standards for pupils' conduct, and these are consistently met. The atmosphere in school is inclusive and friendly and pupils work very well together.

Pupils access a rich set of opportunities for their wider development.

These activities are carefully planned to build confidence and cultural capital. For example, the recent school trip to London to see 'Matilda' included tube travel so that pupils understand how to use public transport in the capital. Pupils are extremely positive about the wide range of trips they experience and how this brings their curriculum to life.

Leaders, including trustees and governors, work closely together to improve the school. Staff are happy and feel supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are appropriately trained to identify signs that any pupil may be at risk of harm. They are confident reporting concerns through the school's recording system. Leaders follow up concerns and ensure that pupils are safe.

Leaders liaise with external agencies appropriately when needed.

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is constructed appropriately so, for example, pupils know how to stay safe on and offline in an age-appropriate manner.

Appropriate safer recruitment processes are in place and monitored by the trust.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adults who support children in Reception are not consistently knowledgeable in how to plan and deliver activities that enhance children's learning. This means that children's curiosity and language and communication skills are not developed as well as they should be. Leaders need to ensure that appropriate training and monitoring is in place to make sure that children are well prepared for Year 1 in all areas of their development.

• Leaders are not routinely monitoring the impact of curriculum delivery. This means that pupils, including those with SEND, do not consistently gain the same depth of knowledge across all subjects. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders are supported to develop the expertise of all staff, including teaching assistants, to deliver content and support pupils in the different subject areas.