Stogumber CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly school, which sits at the heart of the community it serves.

The school is proud of the work they do to bring the school and local community together. Christmas cards from the pupils to local residents were warmly received and appreciated.

The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve.

It has made great strides in improving the quality of education for pupils. D...espite this, improvements are still in the early stages and are not having an impact on the quality of education pupils receive.

Pupils know that trusted adults are there for them when they need to share any worries or concerns.

Some pupils behave well. Older pupils focus on their work and are keen to contribute to class discussions. However, occasionally, some pupils do not follow the school's 'golden rules', and they disrupt learning for others.

Pupils benefit from the extensive range of personal development opportunities provided by the school. The school's determination to 'bring the world to the pupils' includes a trip to London, visits to the seaside and museums. This widens pupils' views of the world and broadens their horizons.

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

The school is determined that pupils will succeed and do well. However, the recent improvements to the curriculum design are in the early stages and have not yet had time to have an impact on pupils' learning as intended. The school has set out what they want pupils to learn and in what order.

This supports pupils to build knowledge sequentially in some subjects. For example, pupils use their recall of multiplication knowledge in order to add fractions with different denominators. In some wider curriculum subjects, the school has not yet identified the most important knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

In some lessons, teachers do not address pupils' misconceptions or systematically check that pupils have learned the intended curriculum. They do not effectively ensure that pupils have fully understood new concepts before moving on to new learning.

As a result, some pupils continue to make errors in their work and mistakes persist. The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are clear processes in place to ensure that pupils have achievable and realistic targets based on detailed assessment information.

Like their peers, pupils with SEND do not always benefit as much as they could from their learning.

The school uses an effective phonics programme to teach pupils how to read. This begins in Reception Year, where children learn to recognise letters and sounds.

Pupils continue to learn phonics through key stage 1 where they learn to decode and read words accurately. Pupils in the early stages of reading read books that match the sounds they know. However, at times, low-level disruption has a negative impact on pupils' learning.

As a result, pupils who struggle to read are not catching up quickly. Pupils enjoy listening to stories their teachers read to them. Older pupils read a wide range of literature.

They develop their comprehension knowledge through regular reading activities.

The school has implemented a new behaviour policy. Older pupils talk with confidence about the school's expectations as well as the consequences when the golden rules are not followed.

Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are polite and welcoming. Nevertheless, staff expectations of pupils' behaviour are sometimes not aligned with the school's policy. At times, low-level disruption persists, and learning is interrupted.

Attendance is a high priority for the school. The school uses effective systems to track patterns of attendance. Strong relationships with pupils and families supports this.

As a result, attendance is improving overall.

Pupils' wider development is a strength of the school. Pupils speak with pride about the opportunities they get to represent their school in local sporting competitions.

Pupils understand that everyone is different but know that tolerance and respect are important in the world they live in. Pupils develop their leadership skills in many ways, including in the school council, and being sports leaders and worship leaders. They understand they can make a difference to others, within and outside of their school community.

Since the appointment of the headteacher, the school, supported by the governors, has taken steps to halt the decline and make the necessary improvements. However, they recognise that there is still more work to do. Staff appreciate the care and consideration the school provides to manage their workload.

They feel well supported and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Expectations for how some pupils should behave are not high enough.

At times, low-level disruption is allowed to persist. As a result, pupils' learning, including in phonics, is hampered. The school must ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to apply the agreed policy for managing behaviour consistently so that all pupils can learn the curriculum well without disruption.

• In some subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge they want pupils to learn. As a result, there are gaps in what pupils know and remember. The school needs to ensure that the most important knowledge is clearly defined so that pupils build their knowledge sequentially.

• In some subjects, teachers do not routinely check for and correct pupils' misconceptions or gaps in their understanding. This leads to pupils' mistakes or misunderstandings not being addressed well enough. The school should ensure that teachers routinely identify gaps in knowledge and address misconceptions swiftly.

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 good 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 good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.