Lewknor Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Lewknor Church of England Primary School High Street, Lewknor, Watlington, Oxfordshire OX49 5TH

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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 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this school due to its nurturing environment and strong community support. Pupils and their families appreciate the care given to each child.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils respond very positively to these expectations. They enjoy their lessons, work hard and achieve well. Pupils’ behaviour is kind and respectful throughout all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The whole school community plays an important role in expanding the opportunities on offer. Pupils celebrate their achievements in the parish church, often with members of their family present to share their successes. The school works closely with stakeholders to enhance provision for pupils. For example, parents work with staff to carry out fund- raising activities that support a wide range of additional experiences that pupils cherish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school and have a strong sense of belonging. For example, they feel special when it is their turn for the whole school to sing happy birthday to them in the playground. It is often hard for pupils to think of what they would change about their school to make it even better. One pupil summed up the views of others by saying ‘it’s a lovely community to learn in and it’s really calm’.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that fits its pupils’ needs well. Children in Reception benefit from a high level of adult support. This ensures a smooth start to school life and helps them to settle quickly. The early years has a thorough curriculum, enabling children to learn well and preparing them for their next stage. Leaders have given careful consideration to how pupils in mixed-age classes can build knowledge across a range of subjects. It is clear what pupils are expected to know and remember at each stage. The school is currently making changes to improve both the content and delivery of the curriculum. While these changes are showing a positive impact, there is currently some inconsistency in how well some subjects are taught.

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

A new approach to phonics teaching has recently been introduced. Pupils learn sounds in a logical order in regular sessions from the very start of their time at school. The school makes detailed checks, so it knows which pupils need extra support. This is effective. Most pupils become fluent and confident readers at the school. In Reception, children apply their phonics knowledge carefully, for example when writing menus in a role-play cafe.

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

The school is strengthening its approach for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils’ needs are well understood and pupils with SEND achieve well. However, support in class to ensure pupils’ individual needs are fully met sometimes lacks consistency.

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

Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. This helps all pupils meet the school’s high expectations of behaviour. At lunchtimes, pupils across all year groups 23 and 24 April 2025

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play together creatively. Year 6 pupils take pride in looking after their Reception ‘buddies’, reflecting the nurturing ethos that underpins the school. Classrooms are focused and purposeful, with pupils fully engaged in their learning.

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Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils develop a strong understanding of the fundamental British values, such as the rule of law, through well-planned enrichment opportunities. For example, pupils take part in courtroom re-enactments and learn about online safety during visits from police officers. The school rightly recognises the need to broaden pupils’ horizons and is embedding greater diversity across the curriculum, taking pupils ‘beyond the village’. Carefully chosen resources help introduce pupils to a wide range of cultures and experiences. This reinforces pupils’ strong appreciation for equality and the celebration of differences. Pupils understand how to stay physically and mentally healthy. For example, they can explain the risks of too much screen time and too little physical activity.

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This academic year, leaders have introduced a number of curriculum improvements, reflecting their high aspirations for all pupils. Staff understand the changes at the school and feel well supported by leaders. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They value its small size, strong sense of community and effective support for their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the changes the school is making to the curriculum are in their infancy. This means that, in some subjects, especially in the wider curriculum, there is some variability in how well these subjects are taught. The school should continue to develop, embed and review the curriculum in line with its own ambitious aspirations. Furthermore, the school must also ensure that assessing the impact on disadvantaged pupils is prioritised.  Recent developments to the provision for pupils with SEND are not fully embedded. As a result, adaptations of the curriculum for some pupils are not widely known, shared or evaluated by staff. The school should continue to refine and finesse the provision for pupils with SEND to ensure that these pupils achieve their best outcomes.

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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. 23 and 24 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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection. The chair of governors was part of the governing body, and has taken up the role of chair since the previous inspection.  The school is located in the Diocese of Oxford. Its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) took place in June 2017, when the school was judged to be outstanding for this aspect of its work. The school’s next SIAMS inspection is due by July 2025.  There is a before- and after-school club on the school site, managed by the school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector 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 23 and 24 April 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 met with the headteacher, subject leaders and other members of staff.  The lead inspector met with three members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority and the diocese on the telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the 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.

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 Inspectors looked at curriculum information for a range of other subjects, including pupils’ work. They reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and priorities for improvement. They also looked at information relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lunchtimes.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions. Staff also completed an Ofsted survey.  The views of parents were gathered through the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The lead inspector also spoke to parents during the inspection.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Katie Hancock, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Berry Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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