Abberley Parochial VC Primary School

Inspection of Abberley Parochial VC Primary School Apostles Oak, Abberley, Worcestershire WR6 6AA

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 March 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Abberley Parochial Primary School is at the heart of its community. Pupils and their families are warmly welcomed to school each day. The school is ambitious for all pupils. It sets high expectations for pupil achievement. Published outcomes confirm that pupils achieve well. They enjoy attending. The school does all it can to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time. The vast majority do. Parents and carers are extremely positive about the quality of education their children receive.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Staff consistently provide clear routines and apply the school’s high behaviour expectations. In classrooms, pupils listen attentively and engage in the learning tasks set. They enjoy interactive lessons. This helps them to maintain interest and focus. Pupil leaders organise age-appropriate activities and games during ‘happy playtimes’. Staff and the pupil well-being team are on hand to support and listen to any worries or concerns pupils have. Pupils are well-mannered, polite and well-behaved.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that the school is ‘an interesting, fun place to be’. They proudly take on responsibilities in school, such as being eco-warriors, lunchtime buddies, online safety leaders and librarians. Pupils value the worry boxes made available to them in school. They make good use of them. Pupils feel happy and safe.

p.2

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

The school has adopted an ambitious curriculum for its pupils. The knowledge and skills that pupils need to know are well sequenced with clear end points. Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. Pupils say lessons are interesting and teachers help them to learn in fun ways, particularly in mathematics. Work given to pupils helps them to apply their learning well. Pupils take great pride in their work. Teachers make checks on learning in lessons and at regular intervals. They use this information to plan next steps and address gaps in learning. All this means that pupils achieve well in school. They learn and remember more of the school’s ambitious curriculum.

p.2

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

Early reading is prioritised. Staff are highly skilled in delivering phonics lessons. Pupils learn to blend sounds to read simple words and sentences. They apply newly learned sounds when reading books that match these sounds. Pupils who fall behind are swiftly identified. While they are well supported to catch up in their phonics knowledge, some pupils do not get enough additional opportunities to practise their reading. This has an impact on the speed at which they become confident, fluent readers.

p.2

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

Children in the early years get off to a great start. Learning is carefully planned by skilled adults. It builds on what children know, understand and can do. Language and communication are prioritised. Children develop an effective pencil grip and form letters accurately. They investigate and hypothesise about how to free penguins frozen in the water tray. Children enjoy finding out about Africa while creating pastel drawings of the Savannah. They show the class rule of kindness by sharing and taking turns. All this means children are well prepared for the next stage. 18 and 19 March 2025

p.2

3

The additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. Pupils with SEND get the help and support they need to be successful in school. Staff adapt learning to support pupils to access the curriculum. External agencies provide specialist support such as speech and language therapy. Pupils with SEND achieve well in school.

p.3

3

Pupils learn about the importance of places of worship to different faiths when visiting a mosque, a church and a Hindu temple. This helps them to understand tolerance and respect. Castle and museum trips, workshops, residentials and geography fieldwork studies help pupils to deepen their knowledge of the curriculum. Hockey, football, ballet, French and computing clubs offer opportunities to encourage new interests. The work of the school council helps pupils to understand democracy. Pupils learn how to keep safe online and offline. They learn about healthy and safe relationships. The school rules help pupils to understand right and wrong, and they do. Pupils are respectful of others. The school’s personal development offer provides a range of opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons. However, there is work to do to strengthen this aspect of the school’s work so that it is coherently planned and set out.

p.3

3

School leaders, including governors, set the right priorities for the school. Rigorous checks on the progress of these priorities have brought about significant recent improvements. Governors hold the headteacher to account effectively for the performance of the school. In addition, the diocese and the local authority provide highly effective support and challenge. The school is now moving forward at pace. Staff value support from leaders to reduce workload and improve their well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils who have fallen behind in their reading do not get enough additional opportunities to practise reading. This has an impact on how quickly they become fluent, confident readers. The school should ensure pupils who need to catch up in their reading have regular and effective opportunities to practise reading so they read with the confidence and fluency expected for their age.  Although broad, the school’s personal development offer is not coherently planned and set out. The purpose of the offer is unclear at times, as is its intended impact. The school should strengthen the personal development offer so it is coherently planned and its purpose is clearly set out. 18 and 19 March 2025

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 18 and 19 March 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher took on the substantive headship role in January 2024. She was just appointed as the interim headteacher at the last inspection and was previously deputy headteacher at the school.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for its pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England Primary School. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due in 2027. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2020.

p.5

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. 18 and 19 March 2025

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. 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.  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.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of

p.6

6

safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body. She had a telephone conversation with a representative from the Diocese of Worcester and the local authority. The inspectors also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, parent discussions and the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Steph Withington Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7