Renhold VC Primary School

Inspection of Renhold VC Primary School Church End, Renhold VC Primary School, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK41 0LU

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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 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school. Kindness underpins the strong relationships that they build with their peers and staff. Pupils are sensitive to the needs of others. They notice when others need help and willingly offer support. Lunch and playtimes are pleasant events in the day. Pupils play well together on the playground. When friends fall out, they are well equipped to find positive solutions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has made many improvements to the curriculum. Pupils are benefiting from this work. Overall, they learn the curriculum well, including in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils achieve the high expectations the school now has in place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that learning is important. During lessons, they are inquisitive and typically focus on their studies. Pupils show the school’s value of perseverance when facing tricky tasks in lessons. Children in the early years have fun learning and playing together. They enthusiastically investigate the learning activities the school provides. In group discussions, they listen to others and make useful contributions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are prepared for life after primary school. They are aware of the risks that young people face at home, in the community and online. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.

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

As a result of the improvements made since the previous inspection, pupils now study an ambitious curriculum across all subjects. The school’s curriculum is well organised so that pupils, and children in the early years, build what they know over time. The school ensures that teachers have the skills to catch when pupils forget or misunderstand something. They can then provide timely support when it is needed. As a result, pupils remember much of what they have studied. However, the school does not routinely recognise when pupils have forgotten knowledge over time. This leads to gaps in their knowledge, and they do not recall important aspects of the curriculum.

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

Reading is a high priority at the school. Children in the early years develop their use of language and phonics. They are well prepared to learn how to read. Staff systematically follow the school’s approach to early reading. They provide effective support for pupils that find reading difficult, so that they do not fall behind. Most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1. Pupils enjoy reading and listening to staff read the high-quality texts from the school’s book collection.

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

The school has effective approaches to supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When pupils need extra support, the school swiftly identifies what they need. Working with external agencies, the school provides guidance for staff about how best to support these pupils. Staff follow the guidance and design learning activities that typically enable pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum well. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Pupils understand the new behaviour policy that was introduced in September. They show the school’s values and appreciate the rewards that they receive for their good conduct. Children in the early years understand the school’s expectations of their behaviour. They play well together, take turns and share play equipment. The school provides effective support for pupils who find it hard to manage their emotions and behaviour.

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Attendance has a high profile at the school. Most pupils attend regularly. The school works with external agencies and parents and carers to find solutions when pupils find it hard to go to school. However, the school has not ensured that some disadvantaged pupils attend school regularly. As a result, some disadvantaged pupils do not maintain regular attendance.

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The school ensures that pupils learn about controversial social issues. Pupils listen sensitively to the views of others. They respect others’ beliefs while holding onto their own. They are well prepared to live alongside the diverse lifestyles and beliefs found in modern Britain.

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The school and governors have built strong relationships with parents and staff. Parents are very positive about the school. Staff appreciate the way the school helps them maintain a reasonable workload. For example, the school makes sure that staff get sufficient time for professional development so that it does not add to their workloads.

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Governors, with the support of the local authority, carry out their duties effectively. They have navigated the school through a time of staff change. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that need improvement. They track the progress of the school development plan and hold leaders to account for the quality of the school’s provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not ensure that staff routinely catch when pupils forget or misunderstand something that was previously taught. As a result, pupils forget key knowledge. The school should ensure that staff check what pupils know and remember in the long term and provide any necessary support.  The support for disadvantaged pupils who find it hard to attend regularly is not fully successful. This means that some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school as often as they should. The school must devise support that ensures that disadvantaged pupils attend school regularly. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2024 along with some members of the senior leadership team, including the special educational needs coordinator.  This is a school with a Christian ethos within the Diocese of St Albans. The school received its most recent section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools in February 2019 and will be reinspected within the next 18 months.  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. 4 and 5 February 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. 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 chair of the governing body, governors, a representative from the local authority, the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, members of support staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: design and technology, history, mathematics and English, including early reading. 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

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also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, when moving around the school and during lunch and playtimes. Inspectors also considered a range of documents and other information about the behaviour, attitudes and the personal development of pupils.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Al Mistrano, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matt O’Grady Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 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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