Allington with Sedgebrook Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Allington with Sedgebrook Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Allington with Sedgebrook is a happy school.

Pupils enjoy coming to this school and attend regularly. It is a place where they feel safe. Relationships throughout the school are caring and professional.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and what they can achieve. Pupils play harmoniously together outside in mixed-age, and gender groups. Pupils build strong friendships.

They are proud to attend this school.

Pupils talk positively about the school values of hope, respect, ambition, forgiveness, truth and generosity.... One typically stated: 'People are kind and friendly because of our values.'

Pupils understand the importance of being responsible citizens. They have an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values. They show tolerance and respect for others.

One pupil said: 'Being different makes you special and we are all different, so we are all special. Being different is good.'

There are opportunities for pupils to change the school for the better.

Members of the school council and sports ambassadors talk proudly of the work they do. For example, they organised a 'spot the ball' and penalty shoot-out during a recent football tournament. This raised money for play equipment and local charities.

As one pupil said: 'I feel like I am making a difference at this school.'

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

The school is united in its ambition to do the best for every pupil. This ambition starts with reading.

Staff expertly deliver the phonics programme. They identify pupils if they start to fall behind and provide appropriate support to help them to catch up. Teachers carefully select reading books that match pupils' stage of development and needs.

Pupils read fluently. They develop into confident readers. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils have access to a wide range of books. Pupils read extensively. Teachers make daily class reading sessions fun.

Well-designed learning tasks help pupils to develop a deeper understanding of books. For example, pupils create their own films and show them, creating a cinema style event, including serving popcorn. This allows them to showcase the books that they have read.

Pupils recommend new books for teachers to read to the class. The school has successfully helped pupils to love reading.

The school has established an ambitious curriculum.

It has a clear vision for what the impact should be of the curriculum that staff deliver. It has identified the key knowledge pupils should learn and know. In mathematics, teachers present information clearly.

All staff model learning and vocabulary effectively. Teachers adapt learning to ensure that all pupils achieve well, including those pupils with SEND. However, there are some inconsistencies in the way a few subjects are implemented.

This means that learning is not always linked to previous learning or other subjects, and pupils do not recall prior knowledge. The curriculum helps pupils to explore learning beyond their own experiences. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils explore sports, such as boccia and wheelchair rugby.

Children in the early years settle well into the routines of the school. There is a happy and vibrant atmosphere. Staff model learning and vocabulary effectively.

Well-selected resources support children's learning. For example, the use of pictograms helps children to understand the concept of zero. The school has identified that the learning environment in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) is not always supporting children to work collaboratively, independently and for sustained periods.

The school has high expectations of pupils to behave well. Pupils live up to these expectations. They work well together in class.

Classrooms are typically calm and productive places. Pupils' attitudes to their learning are positive. They are attentive and eager to share their thoughts about their learning.

Pupils move calmly around the school. During breaktimes, pupils sit, talk, read and work quietly at tables.

The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to explore their own talents and interests.

Trips and visits help pupils understand different jobs and careers. Visits to farms help pupils to learn about agriculture and the work farmers do. In the early years, children visit centres where they role play a range of jobs.

Countryside days build an understanding of the characteristics of the local community. This helps pupils learn about sustainability and environmentalism.Pupils participate regularly in the life of the local churches, both writing and leading services.

The wide range of clubs provides pupils with broad experiences, such as playing in bands and taking part in various sporting activities.

The school cares for all in it, including its staff. Recent changes to some of the systems the school uses have helped with staff workload and well-being.

Staff feel well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are some inconsistencies in the way a few subjects are implemented.

This means that learning is not always linked, and pupils do not recall some knowledge that they have been taught. The school should make sure that leaders have a greater oversight of the implementation, and impact, of curriculum and that they have the mechanisms to check that pupils remember what they have been taught. ? The environment in the EYFSdoes not always enable children to work collaboratively with their peers and to focus on projects for sustained periods.

This means that children do not explore their learning as fully as they could. The school should continue to develop further the learning environment to create more opportunities for children to explore, and consolidate, their own learning.

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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2020.