Colwall CofE Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Colwall CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The staff and pupils of Colwall CofE Primary School welcome everyone. Staff have created a calm and purposeful atmosphere.

Staff know pupils as individuals. Pupils come to school happy, feeling safe and ready to learn. They know that they can talk to an adult if they have any concerns.

Staff resolve any disagreements, including any potential bullying issues, between pupils promptly.

Leaders have high expectations. They have planned an ambitious curriculum where learning builds upon what pupils can already do.

Pupils study a good range of subjects and learn we...ll. They particularly enjoy creative work. Teachers are skilled at adapting the work for pupils, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Across the school, pupils behave well in lessons. They concentrate on their work, listen to their teachers and work well together. They become articulate.

Pupils treat each other and adults with respect. At social times, they make effective use of the playground equipment.

Pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibility, for example as directors or school councillors.

School trips, such as to the nearby car factory, help them to put their learning into context. Pupils enjoy and benefit from a range of extra-curricular activities, particularly in music. Some are preparing to sing in a concert.

Pupils take part in competitive fixtures in a wide range of sports.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. Children start learning to read when they join Reception.

They follow a structured programme that ensures they learn about letters and their sounds. Staff encourage pupils to read at home, providing children with books matched to their phonic knowledge. If pupils start to fall behind, staff work with individual pupils to identify the difficulty and to help them overcome it.

However, in the teaching of phonics, a few staff are not consistent in how carefully they put the programme into practice. Across the school, pupils read widely, including non-fiction books and a range of poetry. They are confident and enthusiastic readers.

Children get off to a good start in the Reception class. Across the school, leaders have planned learning so that it takes good account of what pupils have learned in the past. For example, in geography, pupils learn about a country and its physical features before tackling how these affect the people in it.

In each subject, leaders have set ambitious end points for the end of key stage 2.

Teachers are knowledgeable. They deliver the curriculum that leaders have planned effectively.

Leaders have addressed the weaknesses reflected in the 2022 published outcomes at key stage 2. Teachers check on what pupils know. They use this information to shape future learning.'

Flashback' questions at the beginning of lessons help pupils to recall and remember key knowledge. Teachers of mathematics use diagrams and physical equipment well. As a result, pupils make strong gains in their knowledge.

Leaders have identified well the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers know how best to meet their particular learning needs. As a result, these pupils follow the full curriculum and learn well.

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Staff establish effective routines for managing pupils' behaviour from the start of the early years. Teachers implement the behaviour policy fairly, and pupils concentrate well in lessons.

They take care over their work, especially in key stage 2. Disruption to learning is uncommon. Pupils show consideration for each other and courtesy to adults.

Staff provide high-quality pastoral care for pupils. They have supported pupils whose well-being suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. Pupils have valuable opportunities to take on positions of responsibility.

They appreciate the initiatives taken by their peers, for example to improve recycling.

Leaders are keen for pupils to see themselves as global citizens. They have chosen reading texts from different traditions.

Pupils learn about a range of cultures, for example through the curriculum in art and music. They take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, including orchestra, rock band and art club.

The new headteacher has identified effectively what needs to be done to further improve the school.

He has secured the trust of the school community. Recent staffing changes have led to few opportunities for subject leaders to check on the effectiveness of the curriculum. Staff say that leaders are always ready to listen to their views and are considerate of their welfare.

Governors are insightful and active in their support. The board provides effective oversight of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained in the school's safeguarding procedures. They provide updates when any new issues emerge. Staff are vigilant and know how to manage the risks that pupils face.

When staff raise a safeguarding concern, leaders take the right steps to involve other agencies so that children and families receive the help that they need.

Leaders make the necessary checks on the staff who join the school. Leaders keep and maintain accurate records.

Governors support safeguarding arrangements effectively.

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including from risks online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that all staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well, for example identifying individual misconceptions and modelling the formation of letters.

As a result, some pupils do not always receive the quality of support that they should. Leaders should ensure that all staff are fully trained in all aspects of phonics teaching, and that they put that training to consistently good use. ? Recent changes in the leadership of the school have meant that subject leaders have had only occasional opportunities to monitor how the subject that they lead is being implemented.

They are therefore not in the best position to support their colleagues. Senior leaders should make sure that subject leaders have regular opportunities to check on the implementation of different subjects to enable them to make further refinements to the curriculum and to provide staff with additional guidance.

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 October 2012.