Underwood Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone at this welcoming school tries to live out the school's motto 'Being the BEST we can be!'. The school helps pupils to believe in themselves.

Pupils learn to value the experiences and successes they have together. This starts in the Reception Year with the 'wow wall' where children display work that they are proud of.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

They treat each other with respect. In the Reception Year, children follow clear routines and concentrate well. All pupils enjoy warm relationships with staff, who they trust to ...help them if they have a worry.

This helps them to feel safe.

Pupils want to do well. They enjoy learning.

They know how important reading is. They love listening to their teachers read and choosing books from the library. Pupils work well together.

For example, they prepare for the annual summer dance with their class.

Pupils contribute to their school community. Playground buddies, sports ambassadors and shed monitors make sure that everyone has plenty to do at lunchtime.

There is a growing range of clubs and activities such as multi-skills, fencing and gardening club, whose members were delighted with their beautiful crop of rhubarb.

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

Leaders have worked with great focus to review and improve the curriculum. They have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils to 'learn for life'.

They have thought carefully about how each subject will contribute to this ambition. Leaders have set out the vocabulary, knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn at each stage. Some aspects of the curriculum are not as fully developed as others.

This means that in some subjects, teachers are not always clear about what to teach and when. Leaders have clear plans to complete their curriculum improvement work.

Teachers explain new learning clearly.

They provide tasks to help pupils remember what they have learned before. This is especially effective in mathematics. Teachers make effective adaptations to their teaching to meet pupils' needs.

Teachers ask well-judged questions to check pupils' learning or to deepen their understanding. Sometimes this does not always benefit every pupil. Leaders make effective use of assessment to identify gaps or misconceptions in pupils' learning.

Staff make sure that pupils get the help they need to catch up. Pupils' work and contributions in lessons show that they learn well. Pupils' progress and attainment match national averages.

The exception to this, last year, was phonics. Leaders have taken effective steps to address this.

Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme.

They have ensured that staff receive effective training to develop their phonics teaching expertise. Children learn phonics from the start of the Reception Year. They learn to apply their phonic knowledge with confidence.

Pupils who need help to improve their reading get effective support to catch up with their peers.

Children in the early years get off to a very strong start. They have warm, secure relationships with staff.

They benefit from a learning environment that leaders have set up to promote communication and creativity. Children are independent. They listen well.

They enjoy thinking of solutions to problems such as how to make their kite stronger or ways to count large sets of objects accurately.

Pupils know what is expected of them. They know and understand the school's core values of kindness, respect, honesty, forgiveness, determination and humility.

Staff encourage them to show these values in daily life, and they do. This helps them to develop their character. Pupils also learn resilience.

Pupils said, 'You learn from your mistakes.' Leaders plan educational visits and activities that enhance pupils' cultural and social awareness.

Governors perform their duties well.

They have developed how they work to support and challenge the school. They are mindful of leaders' and staff's well-being. Staff appreciate how new approaches to the curriculum support them in their planning.

They are proud to work here. Parents support the school. One parent reflected the views of many when they said, 'I love the community presence the school provides.'



Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that staff receive the training they need to perform their safeguarding duties well. Staff refer any concerns to leaders, who take prompt action.

They make sure that pupils get the help they need either in school or from external agencies. Leaders work closely with parents.

Through lessons, assemblies and visiting speakers, pupils learn to keep themselves and others safe.

For example, they learn about water safety and e-safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some areas of the curriculum are not yet fully developed. Where this is the case, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge pupils should learn at each stage.

This means that sometimes teachers are unclear about precisely what to teach and when. Leaders must persist in their plans to fully develop all areas of the curriculum so that teachers know exactly what to teach so that pupils learn well 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 2018.