Abbey Meads Community Primary School

Inspection of Abbey Meads Community Primary School Hugo Drive, Abbey Meads, Swindon, Wiltshire SN25 4GY

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Abbey Meads Community Primary School provides a high level of care for all pupils. The school is inclusive and welcoming. Staff develop highly respectful relationships with pupils. Pupils and parents and carers value the strong sense of community the school develops. The headteacher has high ambitions for all pupils. He instils a strong sense of cooperation and teamwork. There is a culture of high expectations for all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable in lessons and around the school. They diligently follow the routines teachers set. Bullying is very rare. Pupils say that leaders deal with it rapidly and effectively. They feel very happy and safe at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a well-constructed curriculum. Leaders place a high priority on pupils’ academic and character development. Pupils explain how the school’s values of respect, responsibility and kindness strengthen everything the school does. Staff expect pupils to be as independent as they can be. They insist that pupils make the maximum effort in all activities and subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff strive to work effectively with parents and carers. Parents and carers and staff praise the leadership at the school. Many comment on the sense of nurture and support given to every child.

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better?

The curriculum is carefully crafted and is broad and ambitious. Knowledgeable subject leaders have set out the essential concepts they expect pupils to learn. There is a clear sequence of learning that runs from early years to Year 6 in all subjects. For example, in mathematics, teachers give pupils work so that new knowledge builds on what has gone before. Teachers use assessment well to help pupils improve on previous learning before moving on to something new.

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better?

Leaders inspire pupils to develop a love of reading. They are determined to ensure that all pupils can read. The reading areas and library are full of interesting, stimulating books for pupils to enjoy. Through the curriculum, leaders ensure a sharp focus on pupils’ language and communication skills. Children in Nursery enjoy listening to and acting out stories. In Reception Year, well-trained staff guide and support children in developing their spoken language. This continues into key stage 1. Staff provide well-planned, extra support to help pupils who struggle to read. This helps them to catch up quickly. Teachers read to pupils, which excites their enthusiasm for reading. Older pupils readily share books with their reading buddies. In key stage 2, pupils enjoy a rich diet of carefully chosen books. This helps pupils to develop vocabulary and fluency, as well as their comprehension skills.

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better?

Teachers and leaders assess pupils’ understanding regularly. However, in a few subjects, these checks do not always show how well pupils know and remember 16 and 17 May 2023

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what they have learned. As a result, pupils do not have the same depth of knowledge in these subjects as they do in others.

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Leaders provide effective additional support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND benefit from suitable care and support. Teachers quickly get to know pupils’ precise needs. They adapt their approach to ensure that pupils with SEND learn well. Consequently, pupils with SEND successfully learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Leaders and staff have the highest expectations for pupils’ conduct. It is excellent. In early years, children quickly learn to play together and how to share. Pupils know why it is important to do the right thing. Through positions of responsibility, older pupils instil pride in others and in all they do. They help friends in need and are role models for younger pupils. Their attitudes towards learning are exemplary. Pupils love coming to school and attend well.

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The school offers exceptional opportunities beyond the academic. The support for pupils’ well-being makes a tangible difference to the school. Leaders develop pupils’ understanding of other faiths, cultures and beliefs. The school council and active ambassadors provide pupils with an extremely strong model of how to act for the good of others. Pupils join many extracurricular clubs. The opportunity to play a musical instrument and take part in sports deepens their cultural development. The school creates a community of responsible, compassionate young citizens.

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Governance and trust leaders hold senior leaders to account effectively. They know what is going well in the school and what needs further improvement. Together, governors and trust leaders ensure that staff workload is considered, and staff are well looked after. Staff agree that leaders support them to do their job well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise keeping pupils safe. The procedures for the safe recruitment of staff are thorough. All staff, including governors, receive high-quality training. Staff are confident to notice and report any signs of concern. This vigilance means that leaders are proactive in seeking the right support for pupils. Leaders act quickly to offer support to families in need of help. They meticulously record their actions and check that these make a difference.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep safe. For example, pupils know the potential risks of social media and the internet. 16 and 17 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders do not have a secure understanding of how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum. This means that, in these subjects, assessment does not precisely identify whether pupils secure the knowledge leaders expect them to. Leaders should use assessment to check what pupils know and remember in their subjects and use this information to prepare them for the next steps in their learning.

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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Blue Kite Academy Trust. This is a multi-academy trust of 11 primary, infant and junior schools in the Swindon area.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The 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, school leaders, representatives of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, 16 and 17 May 2023

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looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.  An inspector reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. An inspector met with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Fortey Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 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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