Prees CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Prees CofE Primary School Cross End, Prees, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 2ER

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Outcome

Prees CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Nicola Brayford. This school is part of Fields Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nicola Brayford, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Nicholson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Prees CofE Primary School accurately describe themselves as a ‘happy school where everyone matters’. Pupils are proud to be part of their school community. The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Most pupils learn the curriculum very well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the experience of learning within a small rural village. They are eager to share with visitors the historical features of their school. For example, pupils are excited to show the Victorian iron boot scrapers outside their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. They are polite and courteous. They care about their peers. At breaktimes, older pupils are ‘playground friends’. They check on younger pupils and make sure that everyone has someone to play with. Relationships between staff and pupils are caring and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles, such as worship council and house captains. Pupils are taught to share their views and opinions with confidence. Pupils know that their thoughts and ideas matter. The school supports pupils to independently raise money for charities which are important to them. 7 and 8 May 2025

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

The school has clearly set out the knowledge and skills it wants pupils to learn, starting from the early years. Across all subject areas, there is a strong focus on building language and vocabulary. Pupils discuss their learning using accurate subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils use ‘largo’, ‘moderato’ and ‘presto’ to describe the tempo in music.

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

The school makes skilful adaptations to the curriculum to support pupils who have gaps in their learning. For example, in mathematics, key learning is identified and revisited. In English, spellings, grammar and punctuation are highly prioritised. As a result, pupils achieve very well in this area of their published outcomes. However, the English curriculum is not adapted sufficiently so as to support pupils who are ready to move on to more complex writing activities.

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

The school ensures that learning to read is top priority. Pupils learn to read from the start. Children in nursery engage in stories, nursery rhymes and singing. Pupils read widely and often. Pupils who may be at risk of falling behind are quickly supported. Staff teach phonics with accuracy and expertise. Consequently, pupils learn to read fluently and accurately over time.

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

The needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified. Staff are well trained to help pupils who require additional support. Pupils learn successfully alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

In the early years, including in the provision for two-year-olds, children respond positively to the clear routines. Interactions between staff and children focus on promoting independence and language development. The learning environment provides opportunities for children to apply their learning. This helps to prepare them well for the next stage.

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

The support for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences. Through visits to art galleries and museums, such as the local archives, pupils learn about the history of their school and village. Younger children in the early years go on the local bus and visit supermarkets to support their developing knowledge of the world. Opportunities to take part in workshops helps pupils’ learning about different religions and cultures to come alive. Pupils take part in different extra-curricular activities, including chess, choir and football. Older pupils experience careers fairs and learn about the world of work. This helps to develop their wider interests and aspirations for the future.

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

Pupils are highly motivated to learn. In lessons, they behave well. Any low-level disruption is addressed by staff quickly. Pupils’ mental health and well-being are taken very seriously. Pupils who need extra help and support with their emotions are prioritised. The school places a high importance on attendance. Staff work very closely with families to support them. The school is doing everything it reasonably can to ensure that pupils attend regularly. 7 and 8 May 2025

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The school is led by compassionate and caring leaders. Those responsible for governance are equally caring about their school community. They offer appropriate support and challenge. Staff, including subject leaders, benefit from working collaboratively with the other schools in the trust. Subject leaders lead their subjects effectively. Staff feel that their workload and well-being are well considered. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, but minor improvements are required.

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Safeguarding

Staff report and record all concerns in a timely manner. The school acts on these quickly. Pupils confidently share their worries with adults at the school. The school has a secure understanding of the contextual risks to their pupils. There is a strong culture of vigilance. This supports pupils who may be at risk of harm. Pupils are safe.

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Safeguarding

However, the school does not have an efficient system for storing records of concern. This means that, at times, it is difficult to access and share important information quickly. This hinders the school’s ability to build a clear picture and chronology of concerns for pupils in a timely manner.

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Safeguarding

The school completes all necessary checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While safeguarding is effective, the school does not have an efficient system for storing records of concern. This means that, at times, it is difficult to access and share important information quickly enough. This may hinder the school building a clear picture and chronology of concern. The school should ensure that it improves systems for storing records so that information can be accessed and used quickly and efficiently.  In English, the curriculum is not adapted sufficiently well enough to support pupils who are ready to move on to more complex, extended writing activities. As a result, some pupils are not given enough opportunities to write at a greater depth. The school should develop opportunities within the curriculum for pupils to deepen their understanding and to write at a greater depth. 7 and 8 May 2025

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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 predecessor school, Prees CofE Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2012.

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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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is within the Diocese of Lichfield. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in April 2023. The next section 48 inspection will be within five years of this time.  The school runs a before- and after-school provision on site.

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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.  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 7 and 8 May 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons with leaders, met with teachers, spoke with pupils from different year groups about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with the CEO and chair of the multi-academy trust and the local governing body and held a telephone conversation with the diocese representative. The inspector scrutinised a range of school documents.  The inspector took note of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and met with parents. They met pupils from different year groups to ask about their views of the school.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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