Abbotsbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Abbotsbury Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all. Pupils and staff have a strong sense of belonging here.

Pupils described the school as caring and appreciated that staff are friendly towards them. Pupils cooperate with each other. They listen to and respect each other's ideas.

Leaders ensure pupils with special educational needs and /or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.

Pupils understand the school rules and know how they help them to stay safe. The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils behave well. They know who to speak to if they have any worries. Staff take pupil...s' concerns seriously.

They take appropriate action in keeping pupils safe, including when incidents of bullying occur. Adults and pupils have positive working relationships.

Leaders place importance on broadening the pupils' experiences.

Leaders encourage pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils have opportunities to go to the theatre, museums and attend sporting competitions. They have access to a variety of clubs and activities in school.

Staff encourage pupils to care for the environment. For example, members of the 'Green Team' take pride in helping to keep the school grounds clean and tidy.

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

Leaders have developed a curriculum with clear goals in all subjects.

The content pupils learn builds progressively as they move through the school. For example, adults supported children in the Nursery in listening to musical sounds with increased attention. By Year 4, pupils build on these strong foundations to compose musical pieces and write notation on the stave.

In a few subjects, teaching does not develop pupils' subject-specific vocabulary securely.

Leaders support teachers effectively in developing and using their subject knowledge. Teachers explain new information and ideas clearly.

They provide many opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their mathematical skills. For example, children in Reception confidently recognised and counted numbers from 1 to 10. Generally, teachers address any misconceptions that pupils have.

However, sometimes teaching does not revisit pupils' prior learning effectively. This means that on these occasions pupils do not secure deeper understanding, so that they are fully ready for new content.

Leaders' recent work to improve early reading has made a positive difference, particularly in Reception, and Years 1 and 2.

For example, books that pupils read match more closely than in the past to the sounds they know. However, this has not had time to show an impact on reading outcomes at the end of Year 6 in 2022. Leaders have prioritised staff training and development in phonics, including widening the range of decodable books available for pupils to read.

Staff focus on developing children's communication in the early years. Children access the phonics programme effectively and promptly in Reception. Leaders train teachers, so that the teaching of phonics is consistent.

Pupils, including those who are new to English, are well supported in learning how to segment and blend sounds when reading. Pupils who struggle to decode words have clear strategies to help them to increase their confidence. Adults help pupils falling behind with their reading to catch up in learning the sounds they need to know.

Leaders promote the love of books through reading marathons and visits to the school and local libraries. Pupils worked with a resident author to learn how to develop story plots and characterisation.

Leaders have created an inclusive and welcoming culture.

Staff have a secure understanding of how to support pupils with SEND within the school. Teachers adapt learning effectively to support pupils with SEND access the curriculum and achieve well. For example, pupils with SEND were supported to create musical rhythms.

Staff have well-established expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils are keen and concentrate well in lessons. Pupils' learning continues uninterrupted.

They listen to what teachers say and work independently. Pupils enjoy the challenges teachers set. Adults encourage children in the early years to show respect.

For instance, when holding and playing musical instruments correctly.

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils' wider personal development. They offer a wide range of activities to enrich pupils' education.

These include visits to various places of worship, such as a local mosque and synagogue. Pupils are taught about different religions, traditions, and festivals.

Staff acknowledged that leaders support their professional and career development.

Staff felt this has fostered a strong sense of teamwork. Leaders make quick decisions to make staff workload more manageable. Some newly appointed members of the governing body are securing a greater understanding of their roles and duties.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Those responsible for governance have full oversight of safeguarding. This results in a strong school culture of being vigilant.

Staff receive regular training and updates. They report any concerns promptly and appropriately. Leaders build partnerships with external agencies to provide support for pupils and families in need of help.

Pupils are taught about what to do if they are faced with local risks, such as extremism and radicalisation. Older pupils produce performances to share with younger pupils that reinforce their understanding of staying safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not secure important knowledge in pupils' memory.

This means some pupils are not able to deepen their knowledge and understanding by building on prior content. Leaders must ensure that teachers revise and check pupils' understanding frequently, so that they can secure crucial knowledge and skills ready for future content. ? In a few subjects, leaders do not ensure that teachers develop pupils' vocabulary and understanding consistently.

This leads to some pupils not securing their understanding in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that all teachers routinely check and develop pupils' understanding of subject-specific vocabulary across all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.

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