Cold Ash St Mark's CE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cold Ash St Mark’s CE Primary School Cold Ash Hill, Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9PT

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Outcome

Cold Ash St Mark’s CE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this school. Warm relationships permeate the school. There is a strong sense of belonging, inclusion and community. The pupil buddy system helps children settle quickly when they join. Pupils include everyone successfully. For example, sports leaders run games for younger pupils at lunchtime enthusiastically.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school’s motto ‘our words and actions change our world’ well. Pupils reflect well on how their behaviour choices affect others. They understand the consequences of their own behaviours. Pupils strive to make a difference to the school community and beyond. The school teaches pupils about the importance of kindness, honesty and belonging. Pupils understand these core values and show respect for others. They love getting nominations for the ‘kindness tree’, the ‘respect wall’ and the ‘belonging puzzle’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and listened to. They work and play together well. Pupils’ motivation runs high . Staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils meet these. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, representing the views of many, wrote, ‘This kind and caring environment has given our daughter a great foundation to enjoy school life and learning.’

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

Pupils learn well. Published outcomes at the end of key stages 1 and 2 in 2023, were in line with the national averages. The school has the same high ambition for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff quickly identify and address the additional needs of pupils with SEND. For example, in-school staff ‘autism champions’ make sure that adults understand how to best support individual needs effectively. Teachers adapt the curriculum thoughtfully when needed. Pupils with SEND learn the curriculum alongside their classmates well. 19 and 20 March 2024

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In most subjects, the knowledge and skills that the school wants pupils to learn and remember are clearly set out. This builds well from Reception to Year 6. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is excellent. Classrooms are productive places to learn.

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In the stronger subjects, teachers teach new learning with clarity. In early years, children make a strong start in the nurturing environment. The newly designed outdoor area supports the development of children’s independence well. Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. Staff check pupils’ understanding in lessons systematically. Pupils remember key knowledge securely. For example, in physical education, pupils can explain precisely how to use their fingertips to dribble a basketball.

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In a few foundation subjects, the school is still refining the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. This affects how well pupils learn. In these subjects, because teachers do not know exactly what pupils have learned in the past, they cannot always build on what pupils know and can do. This makes it difficult for teachers to find out and address any gaps in learning as swiftly as they can. Linked to this, expectations are not always high enough. In these subjects, the tasks that teachers pick do not always help pupils to learn as much as they can.

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Teaching pupils to read is a strength of the school. In 2023, results in the Year 1 phonics check were significantly above the national picture. The books that pupils read match the sounds they know closely. Those pupils who need extra support in phonics and reading receive it. This makes a difference, and pupils soon catch up and read fluently.

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Pupils love reading. In early years, children join in with their favourite stories with gusto. Older pupils chat about their favourite books and authors happily. Pupil librarians love recommending books to younger children. On the whole, the school’s reading curriculum enables pupils to develop the skills to discuss characters and compare texts well. The school is currently refining the range of books and poems that pupils will study, including those to support pupils’ understanding of a range of cultures and traditions.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered wider development programme. They receive a broad range of enrichment opportunities. Pupils are eager to take part in all the school has to offer. Pupils’ attendance is higher than the national average. They adore the residential trips and the new challenges these bring, from abseiling and gorge walking to learning to make a bed. All pupils in Year 4 learn to play the guitar. Pupils love representing their school in sports, including cross country and footgolf. Pupils wear the school’s ‘sports badge’ with pride at being someone who has represented the school eight times. The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. It supports pupils’ mental health and pastoral needs very well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not ensured that the curriculum supports pupils to build on their prior learning securely enough. Teachers do not know, in these subjects, exactly what pupils have learned in the past. Expectations are not always high enough. This impacts what pupils remember and know in these subjects. Leaders should continue their work in reviewing their curriculum so that pupils learn and remember more across all curriculum subjects.

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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 November 2014.

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since January 2019. The deputy headteacher took on her substantive role in October 2020.  Cold Ash St Mark’s is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Oxford. The school’s last section 48 inspection was in October 2019.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. The inspector also heard 19 and 20 March 2024

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pupils read to a member of staff.  She also looked at other aspects of the school’s curriculum.  The inspector met with leaders, staff and pupils. She met with the five members of the governing body, including the chair.  She held telephone conversations with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Oxford.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. She considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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