Meare Village Primary School

Inspection of Meare Village Primary School St Mary's Road, Meare, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9SP

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have worked collaboratively to create the school vision of ‘today a seedling – tomorrow a flower.’ This permeates through the school. Older pupils are proud of the care they show towards younger pupils and children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to mediate and help one another when there are friendship issues. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident staff help them resolve issues if they arise. Pupils take their roles as well-being ambassadors seriously. They check and make sure their peers are well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around school, pupils conduct themselves calmly. They enjoy the activities for play, such as the bike trail. In lessons, a few younger pupils do not demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Staff respond to this, although sometimes this is not quickly addressed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take a proactive part through many leadership roles to contribute to school life. They vote democratically and have a good knowledge of how fundamental British values underpin their roles as pupil leaders. For example, the pupil council represent the school. The school council seek the views of others to discuss with leaders. Pupils enjoy the work they do. They feel listened to and their contributions valued.

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better?

Children in Reception class are well prepared with the foundational knowledge they need to prepare them for their next steps. Having a love of reading begins with the stories and rhymes the school plans for children to share. It grows through the school. Pupils have many opportunities to read a wide range of literature. The school ensures pupils in the early stages of learning to read progress well to secure their reading knowledge. When pupils need more help, staff focus on the sounds they need. Pupils enjoy reading to adults. The adults skilfully support pupils to become more fluent in their reading.

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better?

The school has planned a broad curriculum. When new leadership joined the school, the school focused on deepening some foundation subjects. Although the school monitors its processes, it does not effectively quality assure the full curriculum. As a result, the school does not have clarity on some areas for development. For example, the order pupils learn in a few parts of the curriculum is not well sequenced and so pupils do not build on what they have previously learned. When this happens, pupils recall less.

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better?

In mathematics, children in Reception class learn their number bonds through the learning activities planned for them. Older pupils talk about their mathematical knowledge and describe how they use procedures. The school has explicitly planned the vocabulary it wants pupils to know across the curriculum. This helps pupils to have a wide range of language to talk about their learning. 9 and 10 July 2024

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need. Teachers have training from professionals to enhance their knowledge about the specific needs of pupils. This helps them to adapt the learning for pupils. As a result, they make sure the next steps set for pupils with SEND are appropriate.

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Pupils, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, attend school well. The school ensures there are robust systems to track how well pupils attend and what might be the barriers when pupils do not attend well. The school uses alternative provision specifically to support the individual needs of pupils. It carefully selects provision and monitors how well it can provide additional support.

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Pupils enthusiastically learn about and discuss inclusivity and respect. As a school, the work to understand different characteristics has led to deeper empathy and understanding among pupils. For example, pupils produced a short film about racism which they shared with the community. The school uses ‘umbrella questions’ to encourage pupils to debate a broad range of themes. Some parents comment on how this thinking continues at home.

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The school plans a well-structured personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils learn about relationships and body changes in an age-appropriate way. More recently, the school has focused on pupils being active and keeping healthy. Pupils enjoy the one mile walk around the school, using the time to look at nature and talk to their peers.

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The governing body has supported the school through a period of change. Governors are outward looking and use their expertise to challenge and support the school. The new headteacher has shared a clear vision for the school which staff embrace. The school plans professional development to develop the expertise of staff and subject leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not effectively check some parts of the curriculum. As a result, the school does not have a well-informed knowledge of the specific areas for improvement. The school needs to develop the expertise of subject leaders to monitor the impact of the curriculum well.  A few parts of the wider curriculum are not well sequenced. As a result, pupils do not build on their prior learning when they learn new content. Teachers do not have the detail they need to assess how well pupils are moving through the 9 and 10 July 2024

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curriculum. The school needs to ensure all foundation subjects are well sequenced so pupils can remember more of 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' 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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 February 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher commenced her role in January 2023. Prior to this, an interim headteacher had been in post.  Apart from Year 6, pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.  The school uses four unregistered alternative provisions.

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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

 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. 9 and 10 July 2024

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, the 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 looked more widely at subjects across the curriculum, such as art and history.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, subject leaders, and staff. They also met with the governing body, including the chair.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to talk about their experiences of school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered key documentation, including school development plans and minutes of governors’ meetings.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey, pupil survey and Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Dadds Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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