West Meon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of West Meon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Church Lane, West Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 1LF

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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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 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this caring village school. They model the school’s values of ‘creativity, courage and respect’ wonderfully. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about completing local hiking routes, and how overcoming challenges helps them to grow in confidence. Pupils are kind and polite. Older pupils love their leadership responsibilities, such as being house captains. They care for younger pupils in the school and help to make sure that playtimes and lunchtimes are supportive, calm environments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils listen, take turns and respond well to instructions. Staff and pupils have very positive relationships. If any pupils find managing their own behaviour challenging, they receive considerate and effective support. Pupils attend school regularly. If any pupils are at risk of lower attendance, the school does all that it reasonably can to help pupils respond successfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the curriculum well. The school is determined for all pupils to succeed across the full curriculum. Staff are dedicated to meeting the needs of each pupil individually. By the end of key stage 2, pupils 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?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. In most subjects, sequences of lessons help pupils to build their knowledge effectively. For example, in music pupils learn to identify and describe ‘pitch’ linked to different instruments in an orchestra successfully. In history, pupils talk about their learning enthusiastically, with clear understanding of timelines and knowledge of different kings and queens.

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

Staff have strong subject knowledge. In most subjects, staff check pupils’ knowledge and understanding well to help adjust the curriculum and adapt learning for different pupils. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and ensures that lessons and resources are adapted to match their needs closely. However, some of the activity choices to help pupils learn the intended curriculum are not as effective as they could be. In some subjects, staff do not check how well pupils have learned the curriculum effectively. Some pupils do not build on their prior knowledge as strongly as possible. As a result, a small number of pupils do not achieve as highly as they could.

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

Reading is prioritised. The school has a sharp focus on phonics and early reading to help pupils build their phonics knowledge well. Staff deliver the phonics programme systematically. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive help and catch up with their peers quickly. Staff help pupils with SEND access the curriculum and succeed in their phonics learning. Pupils become confident, fluent readers with a genuine love of books.

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

Children make a positive start in the early years. Staff model positive relationships and effective behaviour management, celebrating achievements and supporting individual 28 and 29 January 2025

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children appropriately. Children in the early years focus and engage in their learning purposefully. They respond particularly well to early reading and mathematics activities, as well as the many opportunities for them to be creative, such as junk modelling or responding artistically to cultural events, celebrations and festivals.

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The school provides a wide range of opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests positively. School clubs are used well, including activities such as chess, art and sporting activities such as netball and football. Disadvantaged pupils consistently benefit from the school’s personal development programme. Educational visits help pupils to connect their learning meaningfully, as well as develop pupils’ resilience and sense of well-being.

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Pupils feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils learn about their physical and mental health thoughtfully. Pupils say, ‘We have learned what to do if you don’t feel very happy, and how to change it.’ The personal, social and health education curriculum has a strong impact on pupils’ character. Pupils learn how to be respectful, responsible citizens. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes develop to be very positive by the end of key stage 2.

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The school has a clear vision of high-quality education for all pupils. Governors and the whole school community work in partnership effectively. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities and contribute strongly to ongoing school improvements. Staff are united in their commitment to helping every pupil achieve highly. Staff appreciate how they are supported to help manage workload successfully.

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Parents and carers are supportive. They appreciate the commitment of the staff team and recognise the many recent positive changes under the direction of the new school leadership team. One parent summarised the thoughts of others, saying, ‘The school is warm, caring and nurturing. Children thrive here.’

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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 and subject areas, the school’s use of assessment is not consistently as effective as it could be. As a result, a small number of pupils do not build on their prior knowledge as securely as they could. The school should continue to refine its approaches, ensuring staff check pupils’ knowledge systematically, making precise adjustments to lessons and the curriculum where needed.  Some activity choices within some subjects do not give pupils the opportunities they need to deepen their knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils’ learning is not 28 and 29 January 2025

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as strong as it could be across all curriculum areas. The school should ensure that all subjects are implemented consistently well so that the curriculum, and pupils’ learning is strong across all areas.

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Hugh Garway-Templeman

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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.  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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders within the school and wider staff. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and history. For each deep dive, where possible, 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.  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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through the Ofsted online

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survey, Ofsted Parent View. They gathered the views of pupils and staff through the online pupil and staff surveys, as well as through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings, local authority visit reports and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Clare Vallence Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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