Essex Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Essex Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this welcoming and aspirational school. They know they are kept safe and can name a member of staff they would talk to if they had any concerns. Pupils trust that their worries will be dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. They are very enthusiastic about their learning and produce work of excellent quality across the curriculum.

By the time they leave the school, pupils achieve highly and are well prepa...red for the next stage in their education.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They listen carefully, are highly motivated and show respect and kindness towards adults and each other.

Pupils are confident when sharing their ideas with their peers and can build on each other's learning and explanations. They understand the importance of education and can link what they are learning to future careers and opportunities in the wider world.

The school provides pupils with a wide range of carefully considered enrichment opportunities.

Pupils enjoy visits to galleries, museums, and other places of interest. Pupils also appreciate the free after school clubs, such as dance, football, and yoga.

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

A love of reading is promoted across the school, for example by visits to the school library and the use of a 'book bus' in the playground, where pupils can access texts at lunchtime.

As soon as they enter Nursery, children start being introduced to sounds and stories, and in Reception, children start learning phonics. Staff confidently and effectively teach pupils to blend sounds to read words. Pupils successfully read books linked to sounds they know.

The school identifies any gaps in pupils' understanding and supports them to keep up with their peers.

Pupils benefit from a broad and highly ambitious curriculum. Across each subject, leaders have broken down the knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and have identified the end points pupils need to reach.

Teachers ensure that pupils have many opportunities to revisit what they have previously learned, and they regularly check what pupils can remember from previous lessons. Consequently, pupils' knowledge builds well across the curriculum.

There is a focus throughout the school on pupils developing their learning through discussion.

For example, in Year 5, pupils share their methods for identifying parts of a decimal number, while in Year 2, pupils discuss how people might have been affected by the great fire of London. Through these discussions, pupils become increasingly confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and ideas.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in school life.

The school identifies any needs as quickly as possible. Staff work effectively with a wide range of professionals to ensure that pupils with SEND receive additional specialist support where needed. Staff adapt teaching effectively to tailor learning to pupils' needs, and they monitor the progress that pupils make.

In the specially resourced provision, pupils are well supported and access the curriculum at a level appropriate to their needs. Staff use visual and sensory resources effectively and support pupils to communicate their ideas and needs in different ways.

Pupils are polite, helpful, and friendly.

They behave impeccably, both in classrooms and around the school. A particular strength is how they interact with each other respectfully and use each other's thoughts and ideas to enhance their own learning. The school is doing all it can to improve attendance.

It works closely with families and a wide range of external agencies to identify and overcome the barriers to good attendance.

The personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils benefit greatly from the range of external visitors that enrich the curriculum, including a dinosaur show for early years and music workshops where pupils get to celebrate different languages.

Pupils are proud of the ways they contribute to the school. They can represent the pupil voice by being a school councillor, becoming a computing ambassador and leading assemblies about how to stay safe online. Pupils are given opportunities to debate different issues.

Diversity and equality are celebrated, and pupils understand British values.

Staff feel supported by leaders and know that their workload and well-being are taken into consideration. Leaders are always seeking ways to further improve the school.

Governors are proud of the school's high levels of achievement and of the inclusive education provided. They hold leaders to account while remaining supportive.

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 March 2019.