Stoborough Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Stoborough Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sits at the heart of the community. Leaders make the most of opportunities to explore local culture.

Pupils enjoy their trips to the Dorchester Roman Town House and learning about Wareham's Royal Saxon sword. Many community groups support school projects. Pupils develop an understanding of what their neighbourhood has to offer.

Leaders set high expectations through the school rules of 'ready, respectful and safe'. Pupils behave well. They are highly attentive in their lessons and polite in their interactions.

Leaders take any rare incidents ...of bullying seriously. As a result, pupils do not worry about bullying. All staff and pupils model the school's values by showing 'confidence, compassion and curiosity'.

Pupils feel happy and safe at school. They use their class 'worry boxes' to share any concerns. Pupils are confident that adults will help them.

Pupils have a genuine voice in their school through the many leadership opportunities available to them. Members of the eco-team are proud of their environmental work to look after the school site. The pupil governors represent the views of their classmates when meeting school leaders.

Pupils feel listened to. Their contributions make a difference.

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

Leaders are ambitious for everyone.

They support pupils to become the 'best possible person they can be', with a zest for life and a love of learning. Leaders have designed an engaging curriculum that allows pupils to develop an understanding of the world beyond Dorset.

Leaders prioritise reading as being the key to unlock all learning.

Pupils develop strong fluency and comprehension skills. They learn how to read from the moment they first begin school in Reception. All staff are well trained and use a phonics-based approach.

Reading books match the sounds pupils are learning. Staff check pupils' reading development thoroughly. They ensure that older pupils who need extra help receive it.

All pupils are familiar with their reading routines and participate with enthusiasm. They become confident readers. Pupils enjoy their daily story sessions and visiting the school library.

The pupil librarians help them to choose books to take home and share with their family. There is much excitement when pupils read to the school dog.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge across the curriculum.

In mathematics, leaders use pupil assessment information and staff reviews to adjust the curriculum accordingly. Starting in early years, staff model, and expect children to use, appropriate mathematical vocabulary. Pupils practise their mathematical methods and then apply them in problem-solving.

Pupils justify and explain their mathematical reasoning successfully. As a result, pupils become confident mathematicians.

Across the wider curriculum, leaders have recently reviewed the essential content that pupils need to learn.

This also includes how they check pupils' learning. Teachers feel well supported by subject leaders. They share useful information with families about their children's learning.

However, in some subjects, curriculum improvement is recent. As a result, in these subjects, pupils cannot always remember and use their previous learning. For example, in history, pupils have not yet built a secure chronological awareness.

They struggle to place time periods in relation to each other.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported across the school. Leaders make sure that staff know how to identify these pupils.

Teachers adapt the curriculum and provide appropriate resources so that every child learns well.

Leaders support pupils well with their wider development. Pupils discuss local and global events.

They develop a strong moral sense of right and wrong and are willing to challenge injustice. They have been supported to write letters to external bodies about issues that are important to them. Pupils believe their school is welcoming to all.

They are accepting in their outlook and show understanding about diversity.

Governors know the school well. They are rigorous in the way they work with school leaders to check and strengthen improvement work.

Staff feel that their workload and well-being are considered. They value being part of the school team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding procedures are robust. Leaders ensure that through regular training all staff know how to identify and report any concerns. There is a climate of curiosity, with no concern being too small.

Leaders appropriately refer concerns to external agencies to secure support for their families. They follow up these concerns and check that actions are in the best interests of children at the school. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe through their personal, social and health education.

They appreciate being consulted on their views about safety on the school site. Governors routinely check the effectiveness of the school's procedures.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, improvements to the curriculum are recent.

As a result, pupils cannot always remember important knowledge and make links with their previous learning. Leaders need to ensure that teaching of clearly sequenced knowledge and skills in these subjects is effective. ? Recent changes to the curriculum mean that assessment in a few foundation subjects is not consistently in place.

As a result, subject leaders and teachers do not always know how secure pupils' understanding of key knowledge is. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is used effectively to check how well pupils build their knowledge and skills in all subjects.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.

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