Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Forest and Sandridge Church of England Primary School Cranesbill Road, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 7GN

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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

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The headteacher of this school is Scott James. This school is part of White Horse Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dan Nicholls, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ninna Gibson. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school where pupils flourish. The school’s meaningful values of compassion, respect, courage and humility nurture pupils and enable them to thrive. Pupils truly value their school and the education they receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. Pupils live up to these. The curriculum enables them to shine in each subject. This starts in the early years, where the nurturing environment develops children’s independence and curiosity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ethos of support and care, alongside a strong culture for learning, contributes to pupils behaving impeccably well. Bullying is rare. Pupils identify five trusted adults they can speak with if they are worried. As a result, they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy positions of responsibility, including as school councillors, house captains and sports ambassadors. Leading collective worship, singing in the choir, or taking part in the many clubs on offer are just a few of the ways that pupils develop their talents. Pupils learn to be active citizens in their local community. They enjoy donating to a local foodbank and choose charities to fundraise for. The school choir delights in performing for the residents in a local care home.

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

Reading sits at the heart of the school’s work. The love of reading begins in the Nursery Year where children act out some of their favourite tales. Children learn to read from the start of the Reception Year. They practise phonics by reading books that contain the letter sounds that they already know. This helps them build fluency and confidence. Pupils who find reading difficult, including pupils at an early stage of reading in key stage 2, receive high-quality additional help to support them to catch up swiftly. Older pupils read a range of high-quality texts with ease and expression.

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

The school and the trust have designed a curriculum that clearly sets out the important knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn and the order in which they need to learn it. The curriculum builds in regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and recall important knowledge and vocabulary. This starts in the early years. For example, in mathematics, children in the Reception Year learn mathematical phrases, such as ‘I can subitise with my eyes’ when recognising groups of numbers up to ten. Pupils in Year 2 learn to choose when to use different units of length when they measure objects. Trips to museums and other places of interest enrich pupils’ learning. For example, in history, pupils in Year 3 visit the Roman baths. This helps them to build a deep and rounded knowledge of Roman life.

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

Staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. They create specific and personal targets linked to pupils’ learning. Staff make adaptations to help pupils with SEND settle well and learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Staff check how well pupils learn regularly. They address any errors or misconceptions swiftly so that these do not hinder future learning. As a result, pupils secure a deep understanding of the important knowledge and vocabulary they need to be ready for the next stage of their education.

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The behaviour of pupils across the school is exemplary. Starting in the early years, effective routines enable children to work independently and use their time well. This continues throughout the school. If attendance falls below expectations, leaders work well with families to address it quickly.

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The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils are keen to support each other. ‘Well-being warriors’ promote positive mental health at social times. Pupils learn about healthy and unhealthy relationships. They discuss puberty with considerable maturity. By respecting the opinions of others, pupils demonstrate a deep understanding of fundamental British values. The school’s residential visits, open to all, support pupils to learn life skills and to engage in adventurous activities which help build their confidence.

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The trust has developed strong leadership at all levels. Trustees and those responsible for governance fulfil their responsibilities to a high standard. They offer support and challenge to ensure that the interests of pupils are prioritised. The trust and school actively consider staff workload and well-being. Staff value the high-quality professional development they receive. This continually strengthens leadership and teaching. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Parents appreciate and value the community at the school and the ‘encouraging and engaging staff’ who work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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Dates of previous inspection

20 and 21 November 2019, under section 8 of the education act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The White Horse Federation, a multi-academy trust of schools in Swindon, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.  The school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury. It received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in October 2019. Its next inspection under section 48 is due in 2026.  The school currently uses two registered 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 management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 11 and 12 February 2025

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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 held discussions with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the trust board and members of the local governors committee. He also met with the CEO, the primary director of education and other executive leaders in the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. 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 considered the

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curriculum in other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: met the designated safeguarding lead; checked the single central record of adults working in the school; took account of the views of 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 a range of school documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation documents and minutes of governance meetings.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunchtime. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered responses received on Ofsted Parent View, including free-text

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responses. They met with parents in person at the school gates. Inspectors also considered responses to the Ofsted surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Hansen Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 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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