Ashleworth Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ashleworth Church of England Primary School The Green, Ashleworth, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL19 4HT

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this inclusive village school. The school motto of ‘respected and nurtured for uniqueness’ runs throughout the school. Leaders have high expectations and are determined that all pupils reach their full potential. Parents support this view. They comment positively on the pastoral care the school provides.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are happy and feel safe and say that adults care and look after them. Pupils are polite, confident and mature and say that everyone looks out for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times, where they spend time happily with their friends. Pupils say that bullying is rare but when it does happen, it is dealt with quickly by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive contribution to the community. Close links with the local church support their personal development well. Leaders plan a variety of activities and visits that broaden pupils’ experiences beyond their locality. Pupils value these opportunities and talk about the benefits they have on their well-being.

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

The school continues to provide a good education. All staff share high aspirations for their pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff value the leadership of the headteacher. They recognise her determination for all to succeed. Staff morale is high.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school. From the moment children start in Reception, they learn phonics. Leaders’ careful tracking of pupils’ phonics knowledge means that those who fall behind receive additional support to catch up quickly. Books match the sounds that pupils are learning. Leaders have invested considerably in new books that interest and excite pupils. Staff read to pupils daily. Older pupils say they enjoy reading. 7 October 2021

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Pupils become fluent and confident readers. They understand the importance of being able to read, and they talk enthusiastically about reading for pleasure. One pupil said, ‘Books make your imagination run wild!’

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Teachers deliver skilfully a well-planned mathematics curriculum. This results in positive pupil engagement. The curriculum is carefully sequenced and broken down into small steps. This ensures that pupils have a secure knowledge of number that builds over time. Pupils’ work, including pupils with SEND, shows they can confidently apply what they know in order to solve problems. Teachers’ effective and regular assessment ensures that pupils’ learning builds from accurate starting points. Pupils use their mathematical knowledge across other curriculum areas well, for example when drawing a Viking longship to scale in history and estimating temperature in geography.

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Some subjects within the wider curriculum are not as well planned as others. For example, in art, teachers are not clear about what younger pupils need to know to be ready to learn more complex knowledge. As a result, pupils are not building on what they already know and can do. Leaders recognise the need to identify the key knowledge pupils should know and by when.

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Teachers meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively in lessons. Learning is broken down into small manageable steps so that pupils experience success. Leaders keep a close eye on how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Pupils with SEND thrive in this nurturing and supportive environment.

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Leaders prioritise providing for pupils’ wider development. The school’s Christian values of respect, trust and generosity underpin leaders’ work. Staff provide pupils with rich opportunities to live out these values as part of the wider curriculum. Pupils’ personal development, self-confidence and well-being are promoted effectively through involvement with the church and local community.

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Governors share the ambition of school leaders. They are knowledgeable about the school’s work to strengthen subjects across the curriculum. They have sought external support to enable them to improve how they hold leaders to account. Staff appreciate the ongoing support from leaders and governors and know their well-being is prioritised.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff act in the best interests of pupils. They are vigilant and quick to act on any concerns. Leaders keep detailed records of the actions taken and follow up when necessary. Staff and governors take part in regular training to keep pupils’ welfare and safety at the forefront of their work.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations. They know who to go to if they have concerns or worries. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of risk, including how to stay safe online. 7 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subjects in the wider curriculum are less well developed than others. As a result, it is not clear what pupils should know and by when in order for them to build their knowledge systematically over time. Leaders, including those new to subject leadership, need to ensure that subject planning is carefully organised and sequenced so that pupils know more and remember more of the curriculum.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 in March 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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.

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Further information

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. 7 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10196723 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 March 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school works in a formal partnership with Churcham Primary School where the headteacher leads both schools.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school. At the most recent Section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in February 2016, the school was judged to be good.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, a representative from the local authority, groups of staff and representatives from the governing body. 7 October 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 read to an adult.  Inspectors looked at how the school keeps pupils safe. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. An inspector scrutinised the schools checks on recruitment.  Inspectors considered nine responses to the pupils’ survey and three responses from the survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks Ofsted Inspector 7 October 2021

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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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