Eastington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well at this school.

They respect each other and staff. They take pride in everything that they do. Pupils make a highly positive contribution to the life of the school.

Pupils actively support the well-being of other pupils. Pupils in Year 6 support and play with younger pupils at breaktime. Pupils say that bullying is rare.

They know that staff deal with it swiftly if it does occur.

Leaders have high expectations, and pupils follow them without question. As a result, this is a happy and harmonious school.

Everyone feels part of a productive team.

Leaders encourage pupils to eat healthily, do physical exercise an...d take care of their mental health. For example, on the day of the inspection, all key stage 2 pupils played in a tag rugby tournament.

The after-school clubs available to pupils support leaders' ambitions further. Pupils enjoy attending them.

Older pupils understand their different stages of growth, and how they are affected by them.

They have a mature understanding of equality and diversity. They know about protected characteristics within the Equality Act 2010. They understand fundamental British values, and why they are important.

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

Leaders have put in place a well-sequenced curriculum. They have thought carefully about how to manage this in the mixed-age classes. However, leaders have not paid close enough attention to teachers' subject specialisms and expertise.

At times, therefore, expectations of what pupils can achieve is not high enough.

Teachers use assessment well to check what pupils can remember following their learning. For example, they recap and ask questions frequently.

They also make sure that pupils remember subject vocabulary, and what it means. Leaders, including governors, make sure that assessment is effective, without being burdensome for staff.

Reading is a success in the school.

Staff have received training on how to deliver the new phonics scheme effectively. From Reception Year onwards, pupils learn phonic sounds, and use this knowledge to spell words accurately. In Reception, some children can already write simple sentences independently.

Weaker readers use their phonic knowledge to sound out words, and become more confident readers as a result. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know, which helps them to practise efficiently. Pupils, throughout the school, enjoy going to the library.

Staff advise pupils carefully about what to read, either at home or at school.

Leaders have made writing a priority following the COVID-19 pandemic. They focus on handwriting and on supporting pupils to build their stamina to write longer pieces.

Staff ensure that all pupils write legibly and apply punctuation and grammar correctly.

The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This develops their knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know and can do with increasing fluency and independence.

As a result, pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils learn as well as their peers.

Pupils, from Reception Year onwards, consistently have very positive attitudes and commitment to their education. They show motivation and persistence in the face of difficulties.

On the very rare occasion that any pupil struggles with this, leaders take intelligent, fair and effective action to support them. Consequently, pupils succeed in their education.

Pupils are reflective, and staff encourage them to consider awe and wonder in the world around them.

Pupils are invited to contribute their ideas about how behaviour is managed in both the classroom and the playground. This means that pupils behave very well and have a secure understanding of right from wrong, which starts in Reception. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum prepares pupils to be ready for their next steps in education successfully.

Pupils demonstrate many traits that will make them effective citizens of the future.

Governors support and challenge school leaders competently. They are rightly proud of the school and its achievements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Recruitment checks are secure and up to date.

Staff have received training on the latest aspects of the 'Keeping children safe in education 2022' statutory guidance.

Leaders have considered ways to respond age-appropriately to Ofsted's review of sexual abuse. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when online and how to form healthy relationships with others.

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, expectations of what pupils are capable of are not high enough. Where this is the case, pupils are not challenged sufficiently to develop their subject knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum, in all subjects, is suitably ambitious.

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