Elworth CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Elworth CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and friendly school, where everyone values and celebrates the differences between people.

Pupils live up to the school's motto. Their actions show that they are ready, responsible and respectful. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident throughout the school.

Pupils treat each other with kindness and consideration. They understand that all pupils have the right to an education, the right to be safe and the right to be heard.The school sets high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)....

Pupils know that it is important to work hard and to behave well. In lessons, pupils work well together. At breaktimes and during lunchtimes, they play happily together.

Most pupils, including children in the early years, achieve well across a range of subjects.Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills and their confidence. For example, pupils carry out a number of roles and responsibilities, such as being play leaders, safeguarding team members and sports ambassadors.

Pupils also take an active part in charitable work. They value supporting causes within and beyond their school community. Pupils take part in activities that allow them to pursue their interests and talents.

For instance, they enjoy developing their skills by attending netball, hockey, choir and dance. They appreciate the extensive range of trips and visits linked to their learning, including mountain climbing, camping, kayaking and residential trips.

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

In most subjects, the school has designed a curriculum that carefully identifies the small steps of learning that help pupils to build and connect their knowledge over time.

Pupils achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few of the foundation subjects, it is less clear what pupils must know and remember. In addition, the order in which subject knowledge will be taught has not been identified.

This makes it difficult for pupils to build on what they already know.Lessons are calm and orderly. Pupils get on with their learning with minimal distraction.

Staff use their secure subject knowledge to explain concepts clearly. Pupils are keen to ask questions and to volunteer answers. They are resilient enough to try again if their answers are not correct.

Reading is a central focus across the school. Staff enthuse pupils about reading, whether this is in the phonics lessons or in the regular story time sessions. Books are everywhere in the school.

Reading is celebrated and prioritised from the early years through to Year 6. There is a well-thought-out phonics curriculum that is delivered effectively by well-trained staff. Children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, typically read books that are matched to their phonics knowledge.

Those pupils who find reading difficult receive effective support to catch up. By the end of Year 2, pupils are increasingly confident and fluent readers.In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies well to pick up on pupils' misconceptions.

Teachers adapt their teaching to help pupils make up for gaps in their understanding. However, this approach is less well developed in a few of the foundation subjects. At times, pupils are introduced to new subject content before their understanding of earlier learning is secure or accurate.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND early. It ensures that pupils with SEND have effective support in place. This helps pupils to access the full curriculum successfully.

The school regularly reviews how well pupils are progressing towards their individual targets and makes further changes to better support pupils as necessary. This enables pupils with SEND to learn and achieve well.A well-thought-out programme helps pupils to become kind and thoughtful young people who respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

Pupils learn that everyone is unique and understand that they should not judge others because they are different from themselves. Pupils also learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Members of the governing body have a good insight into the school. They assure themselves that pupils are achieving well. Parents and carers are supported in many ways to help their children's learning.

For example, the website provides useful information that helps parents to better understand what their children learn in school.Staff are overwhelmingly positive about how the school takes account of their workload when introducing change. Staff fully appreciate the professional development opportunities that they have.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the strategies that teachers use to check pupils' learning are not effective enough. This means that misconceptions are not identified or addressed before new learning is introduced.

This leads to gaps in pupils' understanding. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to check that pupils are learning curriculum content as intended. ? In a few subjects, the school has not identified what pupils should learn and remember, and the order in which new knowledge is taught is unclear.

This hinders pupils from building on their knowledge as they move through the curriculum. In these subjects, the school should finalise its curriculum thinking so that teachers know what pupils should learn and when this should happen.

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 September 2018.

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