Avening Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Avening Primary School High Street, Avening, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8NF

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Outcome

Avening Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils wear the school’s values, known as ‘REACH’ (respect, engage, aspire, collaborate and hope), proudly on their jumpers. They know what these mean and live by them. For example, pupils show great respect and kindness when they hear each other read as part of the school’s ‘reading buddy’ scheme.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils also like to play and build dens in the garden and wooded areas, including children from the Reception Year. These provide high-quality opportunities for pupils to learn about themselves, relationships and the world around them. Pupils feel safe. They told us that bullying is never tolerated and is dealt with swiftly. Pupils and adults work harmoniously in a peaceful environment, for the benefit of all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children get off to a strong start in the Reception Year. They behave well, often helping each other and being a source of encouragement. Pupils continue to have positive attitudes to learning throughout the school, which helps them to achieve well. Pupils are keen to join in. They successfully build on prior knowledge and learn relevant skills to establish a strong foundation for the future.

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

Leaders want the very best for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have looked deeply at what they want pupils to learn in every subject. They make sure that pupils can build knowledge in a well-sequenced order, taking account of the pupils’ different abilities and backgrounds. Leaders arrange interesting activities that give pupils valuable experiences beyond the school’s walls, such as carol singing and theatre visits.

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

The headteacher and her team make sure that most pupils who fall behind catch up quickly. Teachers think carefully about what each pupil needs in order to achieve well, including those pupils with SEND. Teachers plot precise next steps so that these pupils 6 February 2020

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can join in with the learning around them. This works well and makes everybody feel included.

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Teachers have clear expectations of what they expect pupils to learn, including children in the Reception Year. As a result, teachers plan sequences of work so that pupils can easily recall things they have learned previously. Pupils can apply what they have learned from one subject to another. However, in a few subjects, such as mathematics, the precise building blocks are not securely in place. Consequently, some pupils do not reach the very highest standards of which they are capable.

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Reading is at the heart of what the school does well. Teachers prioritise reading and make it fun for all. Pupils told us about their favourite books and authors. Pupils enjoy reading in class and around school. The library is bright and inviting. It is well used by pupils of all ages. This reflects the positive attitude that the whole school has to reading.

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Pupils understand the importance of reading. Starting in the Reception Year, children enjoy the daily phonics programme and reading books with adults. However, some teachers are not clear enough about when sounds or words should be introduced. This prevents a few pupils from gaining the knowledge and skills they need to read fluently. Teachers do not check well enough to find out what pupils know. As a result, some teaching and reading books are not always matched closely enough to pupils’ abilities.

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Leaders work well to develop pupils’ interests in the world around them. Pupils learn to be resilient and considerate members of the school community. They know how to communicate through the school council, which develops their understanding of democracy. Pupils can relate the school’s values to different world faiths and religions. This gives them deep understanding of the lives of others in preparation for life in modern Britain. The ‘REACH’ values serve pupils well in helping them to be ready for the next stage in their lives.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that pupils’ safety and well-being are paramount. Staff are trained well and understand fully the school’s safeguarding procedures. As a result, they are vigilant and take swift action to protect pupils, including their work with other professional agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They can recall a recent visit from a police officer about online safety and anti-bullying. Pupils told us what to do in the event of a fire at school. Staff also provide effective support to help pupils cope when they are finding the going difficult, including those with mental health needs. 6 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, including mathematics, the curricular goals are not sufficiently precise. As a result, a few pupils are not achieving the very highest standards of which they are capable. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum identifies the smaller steps of knowledge pupils require to achieve ambitious goals.  The phonics programme does not take enough account of the small steps some pupils need to take to progress well, particularly those who need to catch up. Teachers do not always know when to introduce the next set of sounds or words to help pupils most. As a result, a few pupils struggle to read with confidence and fluency. Leaders need to ensure that teachers can rapidly identify gaps in pupils’ phonic knowledge and know how to address these swiftly.

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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 a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 6–7 October 2010.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 6 February 2020

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 6 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122381 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Catherine Wheatley

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 February 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is set in the rural village of Avening. Most pupils also attend from local towns and villages. The number of pupils is increasing.

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Information about this inspection

 We worked with different leaders and teachers during the course of the inspection. These included: the headteacher; curriculum leaders for English and phonics, mathematics, and personal, social and health education (PSHE); and the emotional literacy support assistant.  We also met with representatives of the governing board. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the school’s local authority adviser.  We scrutinised the school’s safeguarding records, including the single central record, and evaluated the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding procedures. This involved talking to staff and pupils about their understanding of safeguarding, bullying and health and safety.  We undertook deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and PSHE. This involved visiting lessons, talking to pupils, looking at pupils’ work and talking to teachers. 6 February 2020

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 We checked Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and took account of these views during the inspection. We also considered the pupil and staff surveys. We held a further meeting with teachers to consider their workload.

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Inspection team

Stewart Gale, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gareth Simons Ofsted Inspector 6 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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