Stanford In the Vale CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Stanford In the Vale CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this inspiring and inclusive school. Leaders have created a culture that promotes ambition, kindness and respect.

Pupils show a genuine care for one another and form strong friendships. Staff know pupils really well. Pupils love coming to this school, eager for the day ahead.

They admire their teachers and feel well cared for. Pupils are proud of how welcoming their school is and the opportunities available to them. These include forest school and a rich range of clubs.

Pupils know that staff have high expectations of their behaviour and ...what they can achieve. Pupils rise to these challenges, so they succeed in both their academic and personal development.

Pupils feel happy and safe because a committed team support them.

Mental health and the well-being of pupils are top priorities, especially for raising attendance and achievement. If bullying or unkindness happens, adults resolve issues quickly. Pupils have every confidence that staff will listen and help with any concerns they may have.

Parents appreciate that the school is at the heart of the community and brings everyone together throughout the year. One parent said, 'We love how confident and well nurtured the children are, and how well the children are bonded as friends.'

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

The headteacher leads with clarity and integrity.

All decisions are based on what is best for children. Leaders have built a curriculum that is vibrant and relevant. Leaders continue to develop teachers' skills to teach the curriculum well.

Leaders give time and support for all adults to hone their craft and subject knowledge, with training based on sound educational research. Well-chosen activities and resources help pupils to develop their understanding and strengthen long-term memory. As a result, pupils typically achieve well, particularly in reading.

Leaders recognise that in some subjects, such as physical education and mathematics, pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could. This is because leaders are not always explicit about the key knowledge pupils must understand and use. Assessment is not used consistently well.

For example, teachers do not always check pupils' understanding or give them sufficient time to practise the calculation methods taught. This means that the learning sometimes moves on in key stage 2 before the pupils are secure or ready. Leaders have already begun to address this and skilfully use expertise from local mathematics hubs to further improve teaching.

Parents praised the school's communication, especially in the early years when children first join the school. Staff work well with outside agencies to secure extra help and support when pupils need it. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and any pupils who need additional help to manage their emotions.

Leaders and staff possess a sound understanding of varying needs and are skilled in identifying pupils who may have difficulties.

Leaders prioritise reading across the school. Adults are well trained in how to teach pupils to read.

Pupils who need it benefit from extra help and time to practise reading. Children get off to a strong start in early years as staff prioritise opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills so successfully. As pupils move into Year 1, they learn to decode unfamiliar words with increasing confidence.

When pupils get older, they are introduced to a range of high-quality texts to inspire them. This helps them with ideas and introducing new vocabulary into their writing.

Behaviour in the school is routinely impressive.

Pupils follow the established and clear routines consistently. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes and focus on their learning so that no learning time is wasted.

Precisely considered extra-curricular activities and experiences enrich learning.

For example, pupils have the opportunity to take on leadership roles, such as community leaders, in the school council or as sports leaders, to promote the school's embedded values. As a result, pupils become confident ambassadors for the school and themselves. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning is of a high quality and underpins the strong sense of service.

The extensive range of clubs and opportunities help foster creative skills, development of healthy lifestyles and exposure to the musical arts. The personal development of every child is a considerable strength of the school.

Governors are completely in tune with the school's strengths and priorities.

They challenge and support leaders to pinpoint the impact of their work on raising standards in the school and enriching learning. Staff feel very supported and valued. Leaders inspire staff's commitment to working seamlessly together for the good of the pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are vigilant.

Leaders train staff well so they know what to look for and how to keep pupils safe. Staff understand how to report and record any concerns they may have about any pupil's welfare. Leaders follow up quickly on all concerns raised.

When appropriate, leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help they need in a timely way. Leaders challenge other professionals if they feel additional action is required. Leaders ensure that the statutory pre-employment checks on staff are carried out.

All record-keeping is meticulous and carefully checked.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers do not consistently incorporate effective assessment opportunities into their lesson designs. Nor do they always utilise opportunities within the lesson to check that all pupils are developing the intended understanding.

This means that some pupils do not acquire the knowledge and skills that they need. Leaders need to develop assessments so that teachers are systematically checking pupils' understanding of the essential content and all pupils are supported to embed this knowledge and use it fluently.

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 2017.