Ofsted says Combs Ford Primary School, in Stowmarket, has ‘good’ areas and some which ‘require improvement’

A primary school’s trust has recognised what improvements need to be made and is addressing them, its CEO has said following an Ofsted inspection.

Combs Ford Primary School, in Glemsford Road, Stowmarket, was inspected by the education regulator in February and found to ‘require improvement’ in the areas of quality of education and leadership and management.

Behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision were all rated as ‘good’.

The Ofsted report said there had been recent significant changes to leadership and staffing, and therefore the curriculum had not been developed or delivered as well as it should. However, the trust had set about addressing these issues effectively.

“The trust, those responsible for governance and school leaders, recognised that the school needed to improve,” the report said. “They have put in place clear plans to address this while also being considerate of staff’s workload and wellbeing.

“These plans are showing early signs of positive impact. However, more time is required.”

In positives, the inspection team said staff had high expectations for behaviour, children in the early years benefit from a well-planned and sequenced curriculum, and the school’s personal development provision is strong.

Daniel Jones, CEO of Children's Endeavour Trust, which runs the school, said: “There are lots of positives in the report, including the provision in EYFS [Early Years Foundation Stage], behaviour, personal development and SEND support.

“The school’s staff are dedicated to the school and community. It was affirming that their commitment and dedication was recognised in terms of their expectations and that the pupils are confident in them.

“There are areas for development, which the trust will work with the school to move forward determinedly. The report rightly stated that the trust recognises where improvements need to be made and has set about addressing these issues effectively.”

The Ofsted report said pupils at the school ‘are happy’ and added: “Pupils are confident that staff will listen to them and help them sort any issues out. This helps pupils to keep safe.

Pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions receive effective support and students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can access the curriculum effectively.

There are many opportunities for pupils to pursue their interests and they can take on roles such as on the school council or become eco-councillors, which support their learning about being responsible citizens.

Pupils have experienced some recent improvements to their learning, the report said, for example they now study a full range of subjects and benefit from a consistent approach to learning to read.

“However, all of this is relatively new,” said the report. “The changes are not yet fully embedded. Consequently, not all pupils achieve as well as they could.”

In terms of what the school needs to do to improve, Ofsted highlighted that: teachers do not routinely correct pupils’ simple handwriting or spelling mistakes or their writing of the sounds they have been taught in phonics; the school should ensure that all staff effectively and consistently deliver the newly agreed strategies across all subjects and classes; and the trust, governors and school leaders must ensure that their development of the curriculum is robust.

At the school’s last full Ofsted inspection, in 2011, which is before it became an academy, it was rated ‘good’.