Ettington CofE Primary School

Inspection of Ettington CofE Primary School Churchill Close, Ettington, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 7SP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that puts pupils at the heart of all it does. The three values of trust, respect and love are the central themes that run through every aspect of its work. Relationships are based on these. Pupils forge strong and purposeful relationships with adults. They also form meaningful relationships with their peers. Pupils intuitively look out for each other at social times. All of this helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that all pupils reach their full potential. This ambition is realised, and pupils achieve very well. This is demonstrated in how well they succeed with their education, but it extends beyond that. The school is also resolute in its ambition that each pupil leaves knowing they can play a positive part in society. Pupils already demonstrate ways in which they are active citizens who want to make a difference, and they do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. They are polite and courteous at all times. The genuine respect and care pupils have for each other is inspiring. As well as this, they have excellent attitudes in lessons. They want to learn and engage well with the learning opportunities provided.

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

Ettington Primary is a successful school. The curriculum has been intelligently considered. It starts in the early years and builds and deepens over time. Staff know pupils as individuals. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is highly inclusive. It identifies promptly the right support needed to help pupils with SEND. The skilled SEND team addresses any barriers to pupils’ learning without delay.

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

The school has started to consider how to check if pupils have learned the curriculum. However, approaches to identify whether pupils have key gaps or misunderstandings are not yet fully established. This is both in lessons and at the end of topics. The school has not identified the precise knowledge pupils should know and remember in a few subjects. This also affects how precisely the school can check pupils’ understanding.

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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. The setting is awash with interesting and varied activities that evoke children’s excitement and interest in learning. Children quickly learn to become problem solvers in a language-rich environment. Like pupils elsewhere in the school, they show good resilience to all aspects of learning.

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

Pupils start to read straight away. Reception-age children show an impressive understanding of phonics. They use their knowledge and skills to read well, decode unknown words and write simple sentences accurately. This is built upon in Year 1, where strong progress through the phonics curriculum continues. The school provides additional support for any pupil who needs extra help to keep up with their peers.

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

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary at all points of the school day. Incidents of poor behaviour are rare. However, if they do occur, the school supports pupils to reflect on what has 1 and 2 April 2025

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happened. This helps them to understand how their actions affect others. Adults model positive relationships. Pupils emulate these. Strong relationships start in the early years, where pupils forge friendships quickly and settle well. Pupils’ highly positive attitudes in lessons are evident through the pride and care they take with their work. Books are presented beautifully. Pupils produce high-quality written work across the curriculum. They achieve considerably higher than the national standard by the time they leave Year 6.

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The way the school supports pupils’ character development is of the highest quality. Pupils take an inherent interest in world issues and empathise with people experiencing difficulties. They see it as their obligation to support others. Pupils share their understanding of injustice by speaking out against issues, often on behalf of those whose voices are not heard. They know it is never acceptable to treat anybody differently because of how they look, any differences they might have or what they believe. The school is preparing pupils to be responsible and active members of society who can make a positive difference in an impressive way.

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The school is led very well. Leaders have a secure understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to do to make it even more successful than it already is. Governors have the same understanding. Staff feel supported, and they appreciate the efforts taken to manage their workload. Most parents and carers are overwhelmingly appreciative of the care, guidance and education their children receive. It is a happy, cohesive and highly effective team that works together in the interest of all pupils.

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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, the school has not clarified precisely the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. This affects how well some pupils build on prior learning and deepen understanding over time. The school should identify the key knowledge that is vital for future success within each topic and for each subject area.  The school has not determined how it will assess pupils’ ongoing understanding. This is both during lessons and at the end of a topic. As a result, sometimes, key gaps in pupils’ understanding are not addressed effectively enough. The school should continue to develop an agreed system for checking understanding so staff can respond to gaps in learning or misunderstandings without delay. 1 and 2 April 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Heather Fletcher

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school currently makes use of one registered and one unregistered alternative provision.  This church of England school is in the Diocese of Coventry. The last section 48 inspection took place in November 2023. Its next inspection will be in the academic year 2027/28.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection.

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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. 1 and 2 April 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 meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of other subjects, including English, geography and art and design.  The lead inspector spoke with four governors, including the chair of governors.

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 The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with the head of service for SEND in Warwickshire, a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  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 reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.

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 Inspectors talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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