Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School

Inspection of Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School Chapel Street, Upton Noble, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 6AU

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision ‘Let your light shine’ underpins the values at Upton Noble Primary School. Pupils have a strong understanding of the importance of honesty and friendship. Pupils are eager to succeed and achieve well. They live up to the high ambitions the school has for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Right from the start, the youngest children demonstrate this. Pupils are respectful of one another and adults. Strong relationships with adults support pupils to feel safe. They know that adults will listen to them and help with any worries or concerns. Parents and carers value the support the school provides to help pupils to flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have responsibilities they are proud of. Being school council members, well- being ambassadors and digital leaders provides opportunities for pupils to make a positive contribution to their school community. Older pupils embrace their responsibility to be a buddy to younger children. All of this supports pupils’ character development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities. They talk enthusiastically about the range of clubs on offer, such as running, coding and drama club. Pupils enjoy the trips and visits, including to the local museum. These opportunities enrich pupils’ learning and help them to nurture their talents and interests.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that helps pupils to learn well. It has set out what it wants pupils to learn and by when. Precise steps of knowledge support pupils to build on what they have learned before. For example, children in early years swiftly grasp concepts such as subitising. This helps pupils in key stage 1 to secure their knowledge of number bonds, which older pupils build on to understand place value. However, in a few wider curriculum subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge pupils need to learn. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in what they know and remember.

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

From the moment children start in early years, they develop a love of reading. Children retell stories and spontaneously sing nursery rhymes. Older pupils enjoy reading a range of texts by different authors. Books they read in class often support their learning. Children in Reception Year learn to read as soon as they begin school. The strong emphasis on phonics helps them to get off to a great start. Adults support pupils to decode and blend words well. Teachers use their checks on pupils’ phonics knowledge effectively to spot pupils at risk of falling behind. These pupils receive the support they need to catch up. They read books that match the sounds they know. As a result, pupils develop confidence and fluency in their reading.

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

The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are fully included in the life of the school. However, checks on how well some pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum lack precision. Teachers do 22 and 23 October 2024

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not routinely adapt the curriculum so these pupils build knowledge sequentially. This means that sometimes pupils with SEND have less secure knowledge than their peers in some areas of the curriculum.

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Clear routines from the start of early years, along with a strong understanding of the school’s values, help pupils to behave well. Most pupils are keen to make a positive contribution in lessons and share their ideas. Attendance has improved. The school supports pupils and their families to attend school regularly.

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Pupils know that tolerance and respect are important. They unanimously agree that ‘everyone is welcome’ at their school. Pupils learn about world faiths and cultures. They speak enthusiastically about visitors from different countries. Pupils learn about festivals from different religions and explore how countries around the world celebrate harvest. Links with the local church provide opportunities to forge connections with the wider community.

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The school plans a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils learn about how to stay safe, including when online. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to understand how to be safe in a range of different contexts. These include road safety, bikeability, swimming and fire safety. Pupils understand the importance of staying physically and mentally well. They know that a balanced diet and regular exercise support this.

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The governing body continues to improve the school with determination. Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas to develop. Staff appreciate the support they receive to manage their workload. They are proud to work at this school. There is a united vision to provide a high-quality education for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The key knowledge the school wants pupils to learn in some wider curriculum subjects is not precisely identified. This means that, in those few subjects, some pupils have gaps in what they know and remember. The school needs to ensure that in all subjects, pupils have access to an ambitious curriculum that helps them to build a rich body of knowledge and achieve highly.  Checks on how well pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum lack precision. Some activities are not adapted to help pupils build knowledge well. The school needs to ensure that teachers use assessment information effectively to adapt the curriculum so that pupils with SEND achieve well across all subjects. 22 and 23 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). 22 and 23 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Rachael Bisset (Executive Headteacher) Emma-Louise House (Head of School) Website www.uptonnoble.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the East Somerset Federation, which includes another two local primary schools.  The school has an executive headteacher and head of school, who work together to lead all schools in the federation.  The school is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2017, when the school was judged to be good.  There is a single governing body that operates across the schools in the federation.  The school runs a pre-school with provision for two-year-olds.  The school does not use any 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. 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 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff surveys, pupil surveys, and Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text replies. An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katharine Anstey Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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