Durley Church of England Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Durley Church of England Controlled Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an aspirational, caring and successful small school that thinks big. Pupils flourish academically and emotionally.

Parents and carers say that the school 'feels like an extended family'. The warm atmosphere across the school is underpinned by shared values of love, respect and forgiveness. Everyone is welcome here, and everyone has a chance to shine.

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils feel safe, joyful and proud of their school. Inspired by the dedication, compassion and high expectations o...f staff and leaders, pupils show impeccable respect and care towards each other and their environment.

Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum. The school prepares pupils well for their next steps and for life in modern Britain.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is superb.

Staff adapt lesson activities skilfully in order to help everyone achieve their best across the subjects. Furthermore, all pupils are included in the rich extra-curricular offer. There are opportunities for all, including sports events, celebrations of music and character-building residential trips.

Visits to sites of historical interest boost pupils' knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm further. The school ensures that nobody misses out. Disadvantaged pupils benefit especially well from the ambitious and inclusive ethos of the school.

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

Children in early years thrive with impressive support for their first steps in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has well-established routines, with expectations high for all. Phonics teaching is consistently effective, enabling children to learn sounds and develop confidence to read with success.

Support for pupils who find reading tricky is excellent. Knowledgeable staff provide precise help to identify misconceptions and give valuable direction. As a result, pupils learn to read with fluency, confidence and enthusiasm, enjoying a wide array of books.

The curriculum is planned with precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Staff teach subject-specific language to help pupils learn and remember key content securely over time. The school prioritises professional development to keep teachers' subject knowledge strong.

Teaching is effective across different classes and subjects. Teachers check what pupils know with insightful diligence, identifying sharply how to extend learning further.

Staff work together to check frequently where help is needed.

This close attention to detail ensures that the school identifies pupils' needs with precision. The school adapts and reviews resources and adult help to provide effective support for all. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils produce high-quality work. For example, in English, pupils' writing in Year 6 is detailed, expressive and accurate. Leaders and staff are reflective and dedicated, regularly looking how to make teaching and learning even better.

Recent developments in mathematics have boosted pupils' skills and expertise further, helping them to apply concepts for more advanced problem-solving. By the end of Year 6, pupils are brilliantly prepared for secondary school.

Conduct around school is excellent.

Pupils who need help with their emotions benefit from high-quality pastoral care. Classrooms are calm, industrious and focused. Learning is not disrupted.

Outside, playtimes are joyous and active. Pupils mix happily across the different age groups. Older pupils are proud to be positive role models for younger children.

Pupils keep active through a range of games, while others clear leaves to help care for the environment. The school's work to ensure high attendance is another success. Absence rates are very low.

Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND attend highly alongside their peers, arriving on time and ready to learn the school's broad and engaging curriculum.

Pupils learn about online safety and healthy relationships to prepare them for wider society. Visits to places of worship extend to include a range of faiths.

Pupils celebrate difference and oppose prejudice. They learn about fundamental British values through the curriculum, assemblies and leadership roles. Meaningful responsibilities include sports leadership, where pupils plan and deliver activities for younger pupils.

These roles help pupils to make a tangible difference to the lives of others. This includes collaborations with other schools to widen pupils' experiences.

Leaders at all levels make decisions wholly based on what is best for all pupils in the school.

Morale is buoyant, as staff feel empowered and valued. Parents are unanimous in their praise from the moment their children join the nurturing early years class. One parent represented the views of many when describing the school as 'a community where all children are included and feel valued'.

Governors use their extensive skillset to provide robust support and challenge. The school has maintained the impressive standards seen at the last inspection.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 outstanding for overall effectiveness in May 2019.