Englefield C.E. Primary School

Inspection of Englefield C.E. Primary School The Street, Englefield, Reading, Berkshire RG7 5ER

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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 7 and 8 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school where pupils thrive. There is a strong sense of community, both within the school and beyond. The school’s vision of ‘sowing the seeds for a flourishing future’ permeates through all that it does. The school is ambitious for all pupils, and the curriculum enables them to achieve well. Pupils describe the school as ‘amazing’, ‘positive’ and ‘nurturing’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From early years onwards, pupils are exceptionally well behaved. They show high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. Staff know all pupils well and build strong, caring and trusting relationships with them. Pupils are confident about what to do and who to tell if they have concerns. Speaking for many, one pupil said that staff ‘always support us’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities that are available in school. They enjoy clubs such as choir, netball and beekeeping. Pupils play an active part in their community, including through supporting the local food bank and contributing to the ‘Englefield Flower Show’. The school uses the local environment to bring the curriculum to life. Pupils learn in the surrounding countryside and grow vegetables in ‘Ruby’s Garden’. These experiences help to deepen pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the wider world.

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

The school has designed an ambitious and aspirational curriculum for all pupils from the early years through to Year 6. Staff are adept at identifying and providing for the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All pupils achieve well because the school has very high expectations. They are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The school has ensured that teachers have had training on the curriculum to ensure they understand fully what must be taught. For example, in mathematics, teachers design activities that require pupils to revisit and consolidate the knowledge they have learned previously. This helps to strengthen their understanding. In a few subjects, the school is developing ways of checking what pupils understand and remember. Where this is the case, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are sometimes missed and pupils cannot see how learning connects and builds over time.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. As soon as children start in the Reception Year, they begin to learn letters and the sounds they make. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they learn. Extra support is provided for pupils who start to fall behind with their reading knowledge. In key stage 2, regular reading fluency lessons help pupils to read with confidence and expression. Pupils read a wide range of literature and enjoy class texts that are selected to support learning in other subjects. Pupils of all ages develop a real love of reading.

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

Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour. This begins in the early years, where children are motivated and engaged in all areas of learning. Teachers set consistent routines from 7 and 8 January 2025

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day one. These become habitual and children show impressive independence. Lessons are interesting and pupils want to learn. Some pupils need help, such as sensory breaks, to keep their focus. This extra support helps them to thrive. Pupils have high levels of attendance. This is because the school supports families well and promotes the benefits of regular attendance.

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The school’s work to support pupils’ wider development is a real strength. It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as residential trips, that help to build their resilience and team skills. Throughout the curriculum, pupils gain a strong understanding of diversity and equality. They learn skills to help them to navigate the world around them safely, such as road safety awareness, online safety strategies, and how to swim. Diversity awareness days inspire pupils’ well-being and understanding of how everyone’s minds work differently.

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Pupils attend a wide range of clubs that help to extend learning beyond the school day. The school places a strong emphasis on character development and how pupils can be excellent role models. Responsibilities such as being buddies, librarians and school councillors are just some ways pupils support others in the school. These roles help to build a strong sense of community.

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Leaders, including the governing body, have a strong shared vision of high-quality education for all pupils. Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders to develop professionally and to manage their workload and well-being. Staff morale is high due to the strong sense of team work that exists at the school. Parents and carers speak highly of the school. Parents said that they value the school’s nurturing quality and its family feel.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects in the wider curriculum, the school has not embedded an approach to successfully check pupils’ understanding. This means that, sometimes, pupils’ learning does not build on what they already know and gaps in knowledge are not addressed. The school should strengthen its approaches to assessment in the wider curriculum so that pupils develop a deep and interconnected understanding of their learning.

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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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is a voluntary-aided Church of England school in the Diocese of Oxford. Its last section 48 inspection took place in February 2023.  There have been several changes to the membership of the governing body since the previous inspection.  The school runs a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not currently use any 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. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He talked to representatives of the local authority and of the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also

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looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects in the curriculum.  Inspectors observed pupils read to a trusted adult.  Inspectors gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour and the school’s wider curriculum.  Inspectors looked at the school’s own evaluation and development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding 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.  Inspectors considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with parents to gather their views and opinions about the school.

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Inspection team

David Harris, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Rivers Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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