Upton-Upon-Severn CofE Primary and Pre School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Upton-Upon-Severn CofE Primary and Pre School School Lane, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcester, Worcestershire WR8 0LD

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Outcome

Upton-Upon-Severn CofE Primary and Pre School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school, where they feel safe and supported. There is a strong sense of community, including close links with the local church. Pupils enjoy learning and the many different activities and trips on offer. They say that bullying is rare and that adults help them sort out any problems. Pupils enjoy their learning and talk about curriculum subjects with enthusiasm. The school’s vision is based on the geese analogy of working together. Pupils say, ‘We will get further if we work together.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders at all levels demonstrate a clear vision for the school. They have high expectations. The school’s values are part of everyday life in Upton-upon-Severn Primary. Pupils rise to follow them and are keen to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are positive about the school and comment on how well their children are supported. Many parents would recommend the school and say that teachers ensure children do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons is positive. Pupils engage well and contribute respectfully. They work together and show consideration to their peers. This is evidenced in the way they move around the school during unstructured times. They enjoy their responsibilities and carry out their leadership roles with pride.

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

Pupils get off to a positive start when learning how to read. Daily lessons are delivered with expertise and skill. This ensures that all children are well prepared for reading and 29 and 30 April 2025

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writing. All staff support phonics development at various times of the day. Staff understand the phonics programme and teach it well. The school ensures that children who require extra help receive the support they need to keep up. This means that pupils learn to read and enjoy books. Pupils produce increasingly high-quality work across the curriculum by the time they reach upper key stage 2. Most pupils achieve well in English.

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Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to succeed in mathematics. They have introduced a new programme for mathematics to improve the quality of teaching and raise standards. The sequence of learning is now clear and builds pupils’ skills and knowledge systematically. Pupils enjoy the ‘fluent in five’ sessions that take place daily. Most pupils enjoy mathematics. The ‘do it’, ‘twist it’, ‘deepen it’ approach is moving learning forward. Teachers regularly check pupils’ progress through the curriculum. This helps them to identify gaps in pupils’ learning in mathematics and plan pupils’ next steps effectively.

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There is an ambitious curriculum. Teachers have high expectations. They know what the pupils should learn. Most subjects are designed well to help pupils learn and build knowledge step by step. However, in some subjects, what pupils need to learn is not sequenced coherently. Pupils do not build their knowledge securely and find it difficult to make connections between their learning over time. For example, some pupils have difficulty recalling their knowledge of world religions, faiths and celebrations.

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The school’s provision for special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Teachers adapt and tailor learning appropriately for pupils when necessary. Pupils with SEND make positive progress through the curriculum.

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The early years environment is well resourced and purposeful. Adults have effective interactions with children. These help children to explore learning and develop their vocabulary and ideas well. Children apply their phonics knowledge with increasing confidence in reading and writing. They enjoy practising and using their mathematical vocabulary.

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Attendance is an ongoing concern for the school. Leaders work proactively with families to support pupils in attending school regularly. However, some pupils have persistent absences and miss valuable learning.

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Pupils show respect for each other’s views, beliefs, opinions and differences. They talk confidently about discrimination with regard to disability, age and race. They show a clear understanding of the importance of equality and fundamental British values such as the rule of law.

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The school offers many different opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons through its ‘Beyond the Curriculum’ offer. There are a range of trips and activities for pupils to enjoy such as residential experiences, theatre visits, festivals and performing in choir concerts. The school takes an active part in bell boating, sports competitions and events such as the local arts and music festivals and church celebrations.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, learning is not coherently sequenced. This means pupils do not build their knowledge securely and find it difficult to make connections between their learning over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out precisely what pupils should know and when in all subjects so pupils learn well across all subjects.  The school’s work to improve the attendance of some groups of pupils has not had the required impact. This means that some pupils miss important learning. The school should redouble their efforts to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Dr Andrew Walker

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School details

Website www.uptonprimaryschool.education

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of the governing body changed in September 2023.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND on site which is a local authority provision for pre-school aged children with speech and language needs.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.  This is a Church of England school, part of the Diocese of Worcester.  The last section 48 inspection was in May 2024.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other school 29 and 30 April 2025

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leaders. The inspector also met representatives from the governing body.  The inspector talked to representatives from the local authority.  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’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break- and lunchtime.  The inspector met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions expressed through the staff surveys.  The inspector met some parents at the start of the day and had regard to the views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Debra Newman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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