East Meon Church of England Controlled Primary School

Inspection of East Meon Church of England Controlled Primary School Chapel Street, East Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 1NR

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 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 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school and appreciate that staff are ‘on their side’ and ‘want the best for them’. Should pupils have any worries, they know who to talk to. Pupils are confident that their concerns are taken seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to meet the school’s recently redeveloped high expectations of behaviour and achievement. The school has rapidly improved both behaviour processes and the quality of education. Pupils now find lessons more engaging; they consider that behaviour is much improved and that the school is calm. On the few occasions where extra help is still needed, pupils recognise how staff help them to improve their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a strong appreciation of the importance of fairness and treat each other well. They are proud to have friends across year groups. Pupils know the school’s values and use these to shape the positive way they behave in lessons and when playing with their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning in the school’s outdoor area. They participate in a wide range of trips and activities, ranging from sports clubs and music to performances and theme days. These varied opportunities help pupils to develop their different talents and interests.

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

The school is currently redeveloping its curriculum. Some subjects are more embedded than others. In the subjects that are well developed, the curriculum precisely identifies and sequences the knowledge that pupils need to learn across each year group. For those subjects where sequencing is less precise, leaders have specific plans to bring these curriculums up to the same high standard.

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

Teachers know pupils very well and regularly check what they know and remember. Any knowledge gaps or misconceptions are identified and addressed. The work given to pupils helps them to build upon the information and skills they have already been taught. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to recall what they have learned previously so knowledge can be applied with confidence.

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

The school recognises that previous outcomes in phonics have not been strong enough. It has made impactful changes. Phonics teaching is now precise and consistent. Pupils use the reading techniques that they have learned. When required, the school provides carefully targeted catch-up support for those pupils who need additional help. This builds their reading fluency and confidence. Wider reading is an important part of pupils’ daily routine. Pupils of all ages are keen readers. They frequently reach for a book, for example in breakfast club or between activities.

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

The school is highly inclusive. Staff are diligent in understanding the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Well-trained staff provide in-class support and make adaptations to learning to help pupils with SEND learn well. Pupils with 25 and 26 February 2025

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more complex needs are included in lessons and get the extra help that they need. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The school is highly ambitious for children in early years. The well-planned curriculum helps children develop the skills and knowledge that they need in readiness for key stage 1. The school takes careful account of what children already know and need to learn. It puts the right help in place to help children secure new skills. Staff develop children’s communication and language through activities to promote turn-taking, sharing and talking together.

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The school’s new classroom routines and expectations help pupils to focus on their learning. However, there remains some inconsistency in how well these expectations are followed by pupils. As a result, learning is sometimes slowed. The school is working to remove this issue through training, communication with home and consistent, high expectations. However, pupils rightly recognise behaviour to be much improved recently. They are keen to rise to the school’s high expectations of behaviour and conduct. Pupils kindly welcome any visitors to the school and treat each other with respect.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe. The school provides first-aid training so that pupils are confident to help themselves and others. It prepares pupils well for the online world through online-safety teaching. However, pupils’ understanding of equality, diversity and the key beliefs and features of other faiths and cultures is less strong. The school is working to strengthen pupils’ understanding in these areas.

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Leaders, including governors, have a clear and ambitious vision for the school. The school has been successful in making the necessary changes to ensure rapid improvement. This is recognised by staff, who are positive about working at the school. Parents are supportive of the school and appreciate the ethos, which combines a friendly and nurturing approach with high expectations for all.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully developed and does not precisely identify the knowledge that pupils need and when they need to know it. Consequently, pupils do not learn as much as they could. The school should continue to implement the curriculum in these subjects so that the essential knowledge and skills that pupils need build securely over time.  The school has not ensured that all staff implement the behaviour policy securely and consistently. This means that in some instances pupils do not pay attention in lessons and, therefore, do not learn as well as they could. The school should continue its work 25 and 26 February 2025

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to ensure that all staff have the skills and confidence to address interruptions to learning so that all pupils can learn as well as they should.

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 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.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. The school received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in June 2023.  The headteacher took up post in January 2024.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection of the school 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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, SEND coordinator, curriculum leaders and other staff.  The inspectors met with the chair of governors, other members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also viewed a range of pupils’ work from other foundation subjects.

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 The inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ed Mather, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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