Ashton Keynes Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Ashton Keynes Church of England Primary School Gosditch, Ashton Keynes, Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 6NZ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this welcoming and inclusive school. Expertly led by the headteacher, everyone strives for pupils to ‘shine bright’ and ‘reach for the stars’ in all they do. This helps pupils get off to a great start in their education at Ashton Keynes Church of England Primary School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils show high levels of respect towards each other. Pupils’ extremely positive attitudes to their learning extend beyond the classroom. They know how to manage their own behaviour. Staff trust them to do the right thing, and they do. Bullying is rare. Staff step in quickly to sort out any issues that arise. Pupils feel very safe and well looked after and enjoy attending school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders meticulously plan wide-ranging experiences to enrich the curriculum. Pupils relish the chance to get involved with leadership opportunities. These include the worship council, well-being ambassadors, reading buddies and organising lunchtime clubs. Pupils say there is always something interesting going on.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are unreservedly positive about the education their children receive. They hold the school in high regard. Many commented that the school ‘encourages children to shine as individuals’ and ‘instils a love of learning’.

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better?

Staff and governors express great confidence in the leadership of the headteacher. She has created a culture of mutual respect and teamwork. Staff morale is high. Support for staff workload and well-being is considered carefully by leaders. Governors share the same ambitions. They are committed to the school and provide the right balance of challenge and support to help the school move forward.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Staff select well-chosen books to help widen pupils’ vocabulary. Visits from authors inspire pupils to read from a range of texts and discuss social and moral dilemmas. For example, older pupils learn about the issues around refugees, loss and bullying. By the time they leave Year 6, pupils can read confidently.

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better?

The school’s revised approach to phonics teaching is working well. From the start of Reception Year, most children can read and write the sounds they know. This continues into Year 1. Teachers know how to teach phonics. Leaders provide coaching and guidance to staff, so they have the expertise needed to teach phonics consistently. This is beginning to have a positive impact on the few pupils who struggle to read fluently.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and well-thought-out curriculum. They have mapped out what they expect pupils to learn and by when. Subject leaders have sequenced learning so that pupils’ knowledge builds progressively over time. For example, in design technology, pupils draw on their prior knowledge of switches to design an 25 and 26 January 2023

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illuminated poster. In mathematics, teachers revisit number facts, so pupils gain confidence in solving problems. However, in a minority of subjects, leaders have not fully defined the knowledge and concepts that pupils must learn and remember. As a result, even though published outcomes in 2022 were strong, pupils do not deepen their knowledge sufficiently in a few areas of the wider curriculum. Furthermore, some subject leaders do not reliably know how well pupils learn across the school in these areas of the curriculum.

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Teachers use ongoing assessment well in most subjects to find out how pupils are doing. They use ‘star challenges’, including in Reception Year, to develop rigour in lessons. Pupils say this provides them with the right level of challenge and support. Consequently, pupils become immersed in their learning and show impressive behaviour.

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Leaders place no ceiling on pupils’ learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils benefit from an inclusive and caring ethos. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND early and accurately. They adapt learning activities and give them the help they need to experience success.

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Staff provide pupils with a wealth of experiences to support their personal growth and development. The rich array of trips, clubs, music lessons and outdoor learning, including the ‘11 by 11’ promise, is impressive. Pupils spend time in the ‘cosy cabin’ to resolve their worries. They understand how using the running track and playing sports keeps them fit and healthy.

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Leaders weave the school’s Christian values, such as compassion and respect, across the curriculum. Pupils give back to the community by performing with the local choir and visiting a nearby care home. They celebrate differences and stand up to discrimination. Visits from experts encourage pupils to aim high for the future. By the end of Year 6, pupils leave school as responsible and confident individuals.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have secure systems in place to keep pupils safe. They train staff well, so they know the process for identifying and reporting concerns. The safeguarding team communicate swiftly with external agencies. They act in the best interest of pupils to secure the help they need. Leaders ensure that adults who work at the school are safe to do so.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils about important issues, such as online safety and first aid. Pupils can name trusted adults they can talk to if they have any concerns. 25 and 26 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking does not make clear the precise content they want pupils to know and revisit. This means that pupils do not gain the depth of understanding in these subjects as well as they could. Leaders must ensure that in all subjects, they identify the components of essential knowledge and check how well pupils know and remember what they have been taught.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 25 and 26 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Michelle Collier-Bromelow

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher took up post in September 2020.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is in the Diocese of Bristol. At the most recent section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in May 2017, the school was judged to be outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff. The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and several other governors. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For 25 and 26 January 2023

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each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with curriculum leaders and looked more widely at documentation in design technology, computing and personal, social and health education.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The lead inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. Inspectors talked to governors, staff and pupils about how the school keeps everyone safe.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how leaders support their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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including parents’ free-text comments, and the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Marriott Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 January 2023

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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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