Harbury CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Harbury C of E Primary School Mill Street, Harbury, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV33 9HR

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Outcome

Harbury CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Lucy Bosley. This school is part of Arden Forest C of E Multi-Academy 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), Adam Walsh, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nick Moon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Harbury C of E Primary School is an inclusive school where staff and pupils celebrate equality and diversity each day. Pupils try their best to live by the school motto ‘love, learn, grow’. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. They enjoy school life. The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils achieve well, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Classrooms are calm, orderly places where pupils listen attentively and settle quickly to the tasks teachers set. Pupils enjoy spending time with friends at social times. The ‘thrive shed’ provides a safe space for reflection. Adults are on hand to listen to any worries or concerns pupils have. Pupils occasionally have minor disagreements. Most of the time they can resolve these themselves. A few who need help to regulate their behaviour get the right support. Pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the wide range of opportunities for them to develop new talents and interests. Rugby taster sessions, orienteering and archery days are popular, as are clubs for sports, dance, orienteering and choir. Trips to a war museum, space centre, river study and workshops help pupils to learn and remember more of the school’s rich curriculum. 4 and 5 March 2025

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is aspirational for its pupils. The curriculum is well sequenced so that important knowledge and skills build over time. In most subjects, skilled staff know what to teach and how to teach it effectively. For example, pupils learn to use a range of maps such as digital, ordinance survey and weather maps to learn the geography curriculum well. Pupils learn to make links between different periods in history. This builds their understanding of chronology over time. Teachers make sure pupils recall and build on prior learning. They use their checks to identify gaps in learning and plan appropriate next steps. However, in some subjects, teaching does not effectively support pupils to deepen and apply their learning so they know and remember more. This means that pupils do not learn the school’s curriculum as well as the school intends in these subjects.

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

Early reading is a high priority in school. Highly-skilled staff teach daily phonics lessons well. Pupils receive effective support to apply phonics knowledge when reading books that match the sounds they learn. Staff check how well pupils learn to read and identify any pupils who fall behind. These pupils receive the right support to catch up quickly. All this means that pupils get off to a great start in their reading. They read with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age. At times, poor posture or positioning and ineffective pencil grip impacts how well some pupils write. This is because staff do not remind these pupils of the school’s ‘ready for writing’ expectations. This impacts writing fluency and hampers the progress some pupils make in their handwriting as they move through the school.

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

Recent highly effective action to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has successfully strengthened this aspect of the school's work. Staff identify pupils’ additional needs swiftly. Pupils get the right support to enable them to be successful in school. For instance, sensory circuits and meditation enable some pupils to refocus so they are ready to learn. Additional adults, resources and tailored work, help pupils to engage in their learning. All this means that most pupils with SEND now achieve well in school.

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

Pupils find out about the world views of different religions. They learn about the importance of places of worship to different faiths, for example, when visiting a Gurdwara and the local church. A visiting Iman helps pupils to understand the importance of Ramadan to Muslims. All this helps pupils to respect difference and ‘love their worldwide neighbours’. Pupils proudly undertake responsibilities in school such as ‘shining lights,’ digital leaders and school councillors. They learn about democracy by voting for their preferred choices when naming the school’s ‘hedgehog tunnel’ or the river to research in geography. The community heritage hut and local energy initiative provide opportunities to consider local history and environmental sustainability. All this prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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

The trust and leaders want all pupils to ‘be the best person they can be’. Appropriate oversight of the school’s performance by the trust enables it to provide the right levels of 4 and 5 March 2025

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challenge and support to leaders. Teachers are positive about the support from leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

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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, teachers do not use the school's assessment information well enough to support some pupils to deepen and extend their learning. This means that some pupils do not gain a deeper knowledge of the school's curriculum as well as the school intends. The school should ensure that teachers have the right expertise to deepen pupil's knowledge in these subjects.  At times, poor pencil grip, posture and writing position are not addressed or corrected. This impacts on how well some pupils develop writing fluency, and hampers handwriting progress as they move through the school. The school should ensure all staff consistently follow the school's ‘ready for writing’ expectations so that pupils develop effective writing skills.

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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.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Harbury CofE primary school, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2013. 4 and 5 March 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 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined Arden Forest C of E Multi-Academy Trust in September 2022.  The headteacher of the school took up post in September 2022.  The school is a Church of England Primary School. The next section 48 inspection is due in 2026. The last section 48 inspection took place in February 2018.  The school uses one alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for its pupils.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector observed pupils at informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with the CEO, members of the local governing board and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the Diocese of Coventry. The inspector also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Ofsted Parent

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View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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