Heddington Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Heddington Church of England Primary School Church Road, Heddington, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0PJ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Heddington Church of England Primary is a school where inclusivity shines through. Staff ensure that each pupil is considered in everything they do. This reflects the school’s values, which include respect, trust and friendship. The warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils are special. Staff know and understand pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils are happy and safe. They are extremely proud of their school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary in lessons and during social times. They demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. Pupils are exceptionally polite and well mannered. They accept each other’s differences and show tolerance and empathy when their friends experience challenges.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for its pupils. Pupils are keen to learn and achieve well. In most subjects the school makes checks to find out what pupils know and can do. This supports pupils to build on their previous learning. However, in a few subjects this is not yet the case.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is outstanding. Pupils take pleasure in the rich opportunities on offer, such as music, drama and sports. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides significant pastoral support to pupils and their families. Parents are delighted with the school and appreciate all that it does for them.

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

The school’s work to resolve previous weaknesses in the curriculum has been swift, thorough and effective. It has strengthened the teaching of phonics and identified key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember across wider subjects. For example, pupils in geography confidently explain the concept of climate change and the impact on the thickness of ice in Greenland. The clear expectations of what pupils will learn ensure that in early reading, staff quickly identify any pupil who is at risk of falling behind and help them to keep up. However, the school recognises that checks on what pupils know and remember are not fully established across all subjects. This means that in some curriculum areas, gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain, including for children in the early years.

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

Learning in the early years provides children with a firm foundation on which to build. Children learn how to socialise as well as how to work independently. They start to build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. Behaviour and personal development in the early years are outstanding. This is because staff form strong relationships with children and their parents prior to them starting school. Once in school, children settle quickly. They rapidly learn the behaviours expected of them. This means that children are well prepared for Year 1. 1 and 2 October 2024

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The school is ambitious for pupils to develop a love of books and become fluent readers. Children begin their reading journey from the moment they start in the early years. Staff are skilled in the teaching of phonics and early reading. They carefully select books to ensure they precisely match pupils’ phonics knowledge. As a result, pupils develop into confident readers. Story time is a firm favourite. Children and staff enjoy these times and are eager to participate.

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Clear systems are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. The school works closely with other agencies, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure pupils with SEND receive the right support and adaptations. This ensures equal opportunity to enable all pupils to develop a broad body of knowledge.

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The school provides pupils with plentiful opportunities to expand and develop their interests and talents. Pupils speak enthusiastically about how creativity, one of the school’s values, is at the forefront of the activities on offer. They welcome the opportunity to express their creativity through art, music and drama. Pupils attend a range of clubs, which are open to all and are well attended.

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The school’s work to develop pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as the residential trip to the Isle of Wight. Such opportunities develop pupils’ perseverance, resilience and leadership skills. Pupils relish the roles and responsibilities offered to them. These include being house captains and reading ambassadors. Pupils learn how to become thoughtful and caring young people who respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

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The school is proactive in finding out what children and families need and how best to provide it. The school promotes positive mental health across the community and offers effective support and guidance to those who need them.

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Leaders, including governors, have a detailed knowledge of the impact of the school’s work. Governors hold the school firmly to account for the quality of education and care pupils receive. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school has not fully established effective systems of assessment that check pupils’ learning. Therefore, pupils do not remember some of the most important knowledge they need for their subsequent learning. The school must ensure that assessment is effective to support pupils to know more and remember more. 1 and 2 October 2024

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Heddington Church of England Primary School is a voluntary-aided school. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2024.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 October 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector held telephone conversations with education advisers from the local authority and the Diocese of Salisbury.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult. Pupils in Year 4 and Year 6 were also listened to reading. Story time was visited in Reception Year and key stage 1.  The lead inspector sampled pupils’ work in English and science.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school development and improvement plans and governors’ minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. The inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and scrutinise how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys and to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text replies. An inspector also spoke to parents at the start of the day.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Jelley Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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