Swindon Village Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Swindon Village Primary School Church Road, Swindon Village, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 9QP

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Outcome

Swindon Village Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school rules, ‘be kind, be respectful, be the best you can be’, are at the heart of everything the school does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of being kind to one another. Children in Reception Year learn to share and take turns. Pupils learn about tolerance, patience and happiness. They understand that the school rules help them to know how to treat one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school values teach pupils about courage and determination. Pupils enjoy a challenge and strive to do their best. For example, in mathematics, they enjoy learning through practice and problem-solving. Pupils are resilient. They recognise that when things are tricky it makes them think harder and that this helps them to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are clear expectations for behaviour in the school. Pupils understand these. They listen well to adults and to one another. Pupils say that there is no bullying in the school. They know that there is always an adult they can talk to if they have concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to succeed. They design memorable activities to inspire learning. As a result, pupils talk about the many trips and events that help to bring learning to life. For example, the Year 6 railway trip to help pupils learn about the experience of evacuees during World War II.

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

The school has high ambition and expectations for all pupils. The school’s inclusive ethos means pupils receive the support they need to do well.

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

The school has created the curriculum to reflect the school community. They have considered what they want pupils to know and remember. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Children in the early years get off to a great start. They settle into Reception well and quickly learn the routines and expectations. The early years curriculum provides the foundations that children need to help them with later learning.

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The curriculum is well sequenced. It identifies how previous and future learning is connected. In some subjects, there is more work to do to make sure that the knowledge pupils need to learn is clearly identified in the curriculum.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help that they need to learn the same curriculum as their peers. The school is quick to identify pupils with SEND. The school provides effective pastoral support to help pupils with emotional and social needs.

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Teachers use subject specific vocabulary well to help pupils to develop their understanding. They check when pupils have misconceptions or are falling behind. Staff use this information to inform the next stage of learning. In some subjects, pupils do not always have opportunities to recall earlier learning. As a result, their knowledge and understanding are less secure.

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The school prioritises reading. Daily phonics lessons help pupils to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to be able to read. The school has ensured that staff who teach phonics have the training they need. Most staff use agreed strategies to support pupils with learning to read. Some pupils do not read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. This means that they do not read as fluently and as confidently as they could.

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The school helps pupils to develop a love of reading. For example, the school’s ‘ready steady read’ programme encourages pupils to read a range of high-quality texts and promotes regular reading habits at home. Pupils talk confidently about the books that they enjoy reading and their favourite authors.

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Pupils are polite and well mannered. Lessons are purposeful and children learn without disruption.

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The school’s ‘bucket list’ and personal development curriculum provide pupils with a range of learning experiences beyond the academic. Pupils learn about democracy and recognise how voting helps to make decision making fair. They have opportunities to vote in school, for example for the school councillors. Pupils have a range of leadership opportunities in school, such as the eco team, reading ambassadors and head boy or girl. This helps pupils to learn about responsibility.

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The school offers an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs. Pupils attend football, netball, coding, dance, creative writing, craft and photography clubs. These opportunities help them to develop their talents and interests.

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Pupils learn about different cultures. They visit local places of worship and can talk about different beliefs and religions. Pupils take part in debates. This helps them to learn how to consider people’s opinions that may differ from their own. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Most parents are positive about the school. They say that staff are caring and supportive. They appreciate how well the school communicates with them.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued by leaders and well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. As a result, they do not always get the help that they need to become fluent in reading. The school needs to ensure that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds that they know and are learning, to ensure that they develop fluency and confidence in reading.  In some subjects, pupils do not have appropriate opportunities to recall and embed earlier learning. As a result, sometimes, pupils do not develop a secure understanding of the knowledge that leaders intend for them to learn. The school should ensure that there are planned opportunities to recall and embed learning to help pupils to know and remember more in the long term across 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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013. 26 and 27 September 2023

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 1 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 No relevant changes since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other members of the school’s senior leadership team. They held meetings with governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in art, DT and computing. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted’s Parent View online survey. They also spoke with parents at the start of the school day. The inspector considered the responses to surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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