Heytesbury Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Heytesbury Church of England Primary School Greenlands, Heytesbury, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 0EA

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Laura Williamson. This school is part of Acorn Education 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), Sara Edwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Middleton. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small school with big ambition. Staff across the trust have created a culture of continuous improvement for staff and pupils. They have high expectations for what they want pupils to achieve. As a result, pupils secure their knowledge well and are ready for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a strong sense of community, and pupils feel part of one family. They work and play well together across year groups. Staff build strong relationships with them. This supports pupils to get the help they need to settle into their learning. Pupils feel happy and safe. They enjoy school, and they attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand these expectations. The school is a calm place. Pupils are considerate and thoughtful towards each other. They demonstrate the school’s vision of being ‘united in our commitment to grow together’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to carry out their leadership roles. They plan and lead assemblies. Older pupils lead playtime games. They nominate ‘service superstars’. These are pupils who make a positive contribution to the school. This builds in all pupils a sense of duty for their school and towards each other.

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

Since the last inspection, the school, with the support of the trust, has designed a new curriculum. The knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to secure are set out in a clear and logical order. This supports pupils in the mixed-age classes to build and secure their knowledge as they move through the school.

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

Teachers are knowledgeable of the curriculum they teach. From the start of the Reception Year, staff model ideas clearly and use resources well to help pupils build their understanding. Teachers check that pupils are securing their knowledge. They address any misconceptions pupils have, and this supports them to build their knowledge well.

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

The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND). Support is well matched to each pupil’s specific barriers to learning. In-class support and adaptations are effective in helping pupils with SEND to access the curriculum alongside their peers and achieve the same outcomes.

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

The school delivers an effective reading curriculum. From the start of the Reception Year, children follow the routines of the programme, and the steps they move through helps them build secure knowledge of sounds and words.

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

Staff expertly help pupils to apply their phonics knowledge to read texts. Those who are at risk of falling behind read often. Staff provide effective support, and pupils build their reading confidence and fluency. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Pupils learn the intended curriculum and are able to recall their knowledge. However, on some occasions, in some subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to extend or deepen their knowledge. This is because the work set does not consistently provide sufficient challenge to extend pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could in these subjects.

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From the Reception Year, teachers encourage pupils to try hard. They support them to engage in their work. Pupils enjoy lessons. They are confident to share their ideas, and they work hard to complete tasks. Pupils have a strong sense of fairness, which they demonstrate by treating each other and staff with respect.

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The personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well designed. It starts in the Reception Year and supports pupils to build their knowledge of key themes, including safety and relationships. The school helps pupils to be healthy and responsible citizens.

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Pupils build an understanding of the world beyond their school. They discuss how communities across the world come together in times of need. This helps them to reflect on their own actions and builds in them a sense of community. They raise money for charity, which helps them contribute positively to others.

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The school provides pupils with a range of extra-curricular activities. They perform in dance festivals. They attend athletics events. They take part in after-school clubs, including cooking, crafts and circus skills. This helps pupils to develop their talents and interests.

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Leaders across the trust have an accurate view of the school. They work in partnership to check and monitor the effectiveness of the school’s work. They use their expertise and skills to support the school to continue to improve.

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Staff feel well supported to manage their workload and well-being. The trust ensures that staff access a wide range of professional development opportunities. Staff value the opportunities to network with teachers and subject leaders across the trust. This supports them to build their expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On some occasions, in some subjects, the work that pupils complete does not support them to extend their learning. As a result, pupils who are already secure in their learning do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could. The trust should support teachers to provide learning opportunities that enable pupils to produce the highest quality of work they are capable of across all curriculum subjects. 24 and 25 June 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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up their post in September 2023.  The school is part of Acorn Education Trust.  The school is an Anglican school in the Diocese of Salisbury. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in October 2024. The school’s next section 48 inspection will take place within five school years.  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 24 and 25 June 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 held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and subject leaders.  The inspector met with the CEO, trust leads, the chair of trustees and the interim chair of the academy council and a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, 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.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  An inspector spoke to some parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Walker Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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