Horspath Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Horspath Church of England Primary School Blenheim Road, Horspath, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX33 1RY

p.1

Outcome

Horspath Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Serena Courtney. This school is part of The River Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Paul James, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jeremy Long.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this friendly and happy school. They appreciate being part of a close community where everyone knows each other. Friendships commonly extend across year groups. Younger children happily play with older pupils who act as role models by showing consideration and kindness. At playtime, they share the play equipment and invite others to join in their games. Small acts of kindness are frequently seen with pupils helping each other and members of staff.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve the best they can. Staff promote these through the school’s values of ‘Responsibility, Courage, Kindness and Justice’. Pupils learn how to demonstrate these and why they matter. They reflect these in their positive attitudes to learning across the school. Across lessons, pupils complete learning activities keenly, working with focus and purpose. This supports them to achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Successes are championed by the school. Pupils enthusiastically anticipate the weekly celebration assemblies. They enjoy finding out who will be recognised as ‘values champions and star workers’. They value how the school celebrates these through events such as ’headteacher tea parties’. This ethos of recognising individual and collective achievements motivates pupils and supports them to develop self-confidence. 17 December 2024

p.1

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum. Since the previous inspection, it has rightly focused on ensuring that the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary are identified across subjects. In the majority of subjects, these are carefully arranged, which helps pupils build a secure understanding over time. However, in some subjects, this is not yet the case, which hinders pupils’ understanding of how key knowledge links together over time. The school has recently prioritised pupils deliberately revisiting aspects of important earlier learning across the curriculum. This approach is not yet fully embedded, and, in some subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

p.2

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. In the early years, staff use this expertise to promote children’s use of language and develop their independence strongly. Across the school, when explaining new learning, teachers break down complicated ideas. They use demonstrations and modelling to support pupils’ understanding. Teachers typically highlight aspects of knowledge that can be easily confused, helping pupils avoid these errors. A range of approaches to check pupils’ understanding are mostly used well. However, in some subjects, these approaches are not focused on whether pupils understand the essential knowledge they need to learn. As a result, aspects that pupils understand less securely are not addressed successfully, and so they continue to have gaps in their knowledge.

p.2

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

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are promptly identified. Staff draw on pupils’ individual plans to make appropriate adaptations to learning activities. Teaching assistants skilfully support groups of individuals across lessons. This includes using bespoke strategies that support pupils with more complex SEND to progress well through the planned curriculum.

p.2

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

Reading is prioritised. Children learn phonics from the start of Reception. Changes to the approach for teaching phonics have strengthened the targeted support for pupils struggling with early reading. This ensures that they catch up quickly. The school promotes the enjoyment of reading through diverse and engaging texts across the curriculum.

p.2

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

Pupils behave positively across the school. This begins from the word go in the early years where children are supported well to develop the routines they need to learn. Across the school, pupils are taught to identify and understand their different emotions and share ways they can manage them. They recognise how the school’s high behaviour expectations help them to focus on learning. Pupils uphold these expectations with calm and orderly conduct in lessons and during social time. They respond promptly to staff instructions and work well with each other.

p.2

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

Preparation for life in modern Britain is effective. The school promotes pupils’ understanding of ways to stay safe, including online, carefully. Pupils learn about wider society and diversity by exploring different backgrounds and cultures. This helps pupils to develop informed views and to value differences. They learn about important issues in society and contribute to fundraising for some of these causes. A range of leadership 17 December 2024

p.2

3

opportunities, from librarians to play leads, provide pupils with the experience of having responsibility. Through the school council, pupils share their views about changes in the school and contribute to events in the local community.

p.3

3

The school tenaciously identifies and sustains changes that further improve pupils’ achievement. Governors closely track the impact of these actions. They, along with the trust, provide appropriate support and challenge. Staff enjoy working in the school. They reflect positively on the well-being support provided, which helps them to focus on teaching well.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The arrangement of important knowledge in some subjects does not support pupils in understanding and linking important ideas over time. This hinders pupils’ understanding over time as they do not make or recall links between important concepts. The school needs to ensure that, across all subjects, the order in which knowledge is taught and how it is revisited supports pupils in knowing and remembering more over time.  In some subjects, the methods used to check pupils’ understanding do not always identify the aspects of knowledge that pupils do not securely understand. Consequently, pupils can continue to have knowledge gaps. The school should ensure that the methods used allow teachers to identify and correct errors in pupils’ knowledge so that pupils develop an accurate understanding of the important ideas.

p.3

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 17 December 2024

p.3

4

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.

p.4

4

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2012.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 17 December 2024

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 10 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the River Learning Trust.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Oxfordshire. Its last section 48 inspection took place in May 2018.  The school has some mixed-year-group and some single-year-group classes.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 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. 17 December 2024

p.5

6

 The inspectors met with the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and teachers. The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing board and the trust.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of their work.  The inspectors observed playtime activities.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school. They considered the school’s development plan.  The inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the additional free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke with some parents at the school

p.6

Inspection team

Phillip Blagg, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Mary McCarthy Ofsted Inspector 17 December 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7