Sauncey Wood Primary School

Inspection of Sauncey Wood Primary School Pickford Hill, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 5HL

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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 13 and 14 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly school where pupils are polite and welcoming. Pupils who are new to the school make friends and settle in quickly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Relationships are strong. Pupils show respect for each other, for staff and for learning. The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Recent improvements to the curriculum are bearing fruit, and increasing numbers of pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. The atmosphere around the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils are highly motivated to earn house points and badges for their hard work and positive behaviour choices. They enjoy the pride they feel when their achievements are celebrated in assembly. Special moments, such as the joyous weekly singing assemblies, promote a strong sense of belonging and well-being throughout the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the various educational visits. For example, they go to places such as the zoo, the botanical gardens and the nearby church. They appreciate the chance to ‘reset our minds’ by taking their learning outside the classroom. Pupils make an active contribution to school life, for example as anti-bullying ambassadors, school councillors or house captains. These roles give pupils agency and develop their sense of responsibility.

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

The school has a clear vision for providing high-quality education for all pupils. Since their arrival, senior leaders have reviewed the curriculum with this vision in mind. The resulting curriculum is ambitious. It sets out clearly what pupils should learn and when. Pupils build their knowledge gradually and, typically, each stage of learning prepares pupils well for the next one.

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

The curriculum starts in early years. Staff design enjoyable and stimulating learning activities for children to explore through play. However, in some areas of learning, the early years curriculum does not set out precisely enough what the school wants children to learn by the end of the Reception Year. This means that some of the activities children complete are not matched to clear curricular goals. As a result, some children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they could be.

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

Overall, staff teach the curriculum effectively. They provide clear explanations and opportunities for pupils to practise their learning. In the Reception Year, staff interact with children positively during play to move their learning on. In all year groups, staff use effective questioning to check pupils’ understanding, prompt deeper thinking and address misconceptions. Pupils’ oral recall of their learning is impressive. However, in some subjects, the work pupils produce does not reflect the depth of their understanding. This is because, in these subjects, the curriculum is not fully embedded and teaching is not of a consistently high standard across the school.

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

Reading is a priority. Pupils read widely and often. They learn higher level reading skills and extend their vocabulary as they move through the school. In the Reception Year, 13 and 14 May 2025

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children are taught to love books. Songs, rhymes and stories underpin their learning. Staff teach the school’s chosen phonics programme well in the Reception Year and key stage 1. Increasing numbers of pupils are fluent readers by the end of Year 2. The school provides targeted support for pupils who need continued help with phonics in key stage 2.

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Provision for pupils with SEND is very effective. The school identifies pupils’ needs accurately. It supports pupils with SEND to learn successfully alongside their peers, with appropriately adapted resources or tasks. In Willow class, the school’s specialist resource provision, pupils follow a personalised curriculum in the mornings. They integrate with their peers at unstructured times and in the afternoons. This helps them to achieve well from their various starting points.

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High expectations and a consistent approach to behaviour management have resulted in improved behaviour since the last inspection. In the Reception Year, strong routines and warm relationships with staff set the foundations for positive behaviours later on. Any pupils who need help to manage their behaviour receive focused support.

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The school encourages high attendance. It acts to address any concerns it has about pupils’ absences, often successfully. However, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They miss important learning and social opportunities.

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A programme of assemblies, themed weeks and special events develops pupils socially, morally and culturally. Pupils are well informed about diversity and equality. They are resilient and reflective. Pupils learn important lessons on personal safety, relationships and mental well-being. All of this prepares them well for later life.

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The new leadership team has made rapid improvements in many areas, with the support of governors and the local authority. Governors have strengthened the way they work. As a result, they are very well informed about the school’s strengths and next steps. They hold leaders to account, while supporting them to provide the best possible experiences for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s systems for managing and improving pupils’ attendance are not as effective as they could be. Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They miss important learning and other experiences as a result. The school should ensure that it acts with some urgency to support families and improve pupils’ attendance so that all pupils are able to maximise their time at school. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 In a few subjects, the newly reviewed curriculum is not yet fully embedded. There are inconsistencies in the teaching of these subjects. Pupils talk knowledgeably and with enthusiasm about their learning in these subjects; however, the work they produce does not reflect the depth of that learning. The school should ensure that it supports teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently well in all subjects and provide pupils with rich opportunities to apply and practise their learning, so that their work reflects secure knowledge and understanding.  In some areas of learning, the early years curriculum does not set out precisely enough what children should learn. There is a lack of clarity about how the curriculum sets the foundations for later learning in these areas. This means that some children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they could be. The school should ensure that it maps out clearly what it wants children to learn in each area of learning so that they are ready

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for their next steps by the end of the Reception Year.

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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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 April 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been significant changes to the staffing of the school since the last inspection. These changes include the appointment of a new senior leadership team. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, joined the school in September 2024.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. This has places for up to 12 pupils from key stages 1 and 2. It caters for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and pupils with autism. There are currently eight pupils attending this provision.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 13 and 14 May 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy executive headteacher and assistant headteacher. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. An inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and spoke with some pupils about their learning. Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to several pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work and

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the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors visited the school’s specially resourced provision.  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 reviewed a range of school documentation and policies. These included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding, behaviour and attendance records.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in assembly and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They reviewed the responses to the online staff survey. In addition, inspectors spoke with pupils, parents and staff to gather their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Caroline Crozier, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Breckenridge Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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