Newbottle and Charlton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Newbottle and Charlton Church of England Primary School Green Lane, Charlton, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 3DN

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this school. They feel valued, listened to and safe. Pupils learn and play harmoniously together. They trust adults to help them resolve any worries. The school is aspirational for every pupil. Pupils are enthused to learn through interesting topics. Disadvantaged pupils enjoy the same opportunities as their peers and are supported well to be successful. Pupils try hard and achieve well in many aspects of their learning. Provision for pupils’ personal development is exemplary. Pupils take on many roles to contribute to their school and wider community. For instance, they tend to the sensory garden. They organise school events and welcome visiting local residents. Key stage 2 pupils strive to achieve leadership awards by being role models and providing help to younger pupils. Pupils value equity, explaining, ‘Different people need different things, to do well.’ They learn about and wholeheartedly celebrate diversity in the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the many opportunities that are part of their everyday experience. These include gymnastics, representing the school in sports, rehearsing for a show, visiting interesting places and taking part in the much-loved school sleepover, to mention but a few. The school makes sure that all pupils develop their interests and talents, and thrive.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and engaging. It is well structured right from the start in the early years. Throughout the school, staff have identified what pupils will learn and when they will learn it. There are many opportunities to revisit important concepts. This helps pupils to gain and retain knowledge over time.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new content clearly. They check pupils’ understanding through questioning. In most subjects, teachers choose activities that support learning well. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics. However, sometimes the activities pupils complete do not help them secure the intended learning and deepen their learning as well as they could.

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

Reading is a continual priority in the school. Right from the start in Reception Year, children get off to a strong start with learning to read. The school’s phonics programme makes clear which sounds pupils should know and when. Any pupils who begin to fall behind are quickly identified and helped to keep up. Beyond phonics, the reading curriculum enables pupils to learn about a wide range of texts, genres and authors. It helps pupils to read, understand and appreciate increasingly complex texts and vocabulary. Pupils develop very positive attitudes towards reading.

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

Across the curriculum there is a focus on oracy. Pupils learn subject-specific vocabulary well. This helps them to explain their thinking with increasing confidence. For instance, Year 4 pupils explain about tectonic plates and the formation of volcanoes. The school makes sure communication and language is a priority right from the start in Reception Year. Teachers support pupils to structure their written and oral responses with increased care. Pupils become confident communicators. 1 and 2 July 2025

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The school is rigorous in securing an inclusive learning environment for its pupils. The school identifies pupils’ additional needs early. It provides sensitive support to help disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn successfully alongside their peers. Staff adapt teaching carefully so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The school has put in place a carefully crafted enrichment and personal development programme. Pupils learn to value themselves, each other, their school and their community. They learn about, celebrate and respect different cultures, beliefs and family structures. Older pupils discuss their views with maturity and careful consideration of others’ contributions. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils behave well. Pupils are calm and orderly as they move around the school. They understand the importance of the school rules. Children in the early years learn important learning habits from the start. This helps them to thrive as they progress through the school. They follow routines and instructions without fuss. The school monitors attendance closely and takes appropriate action. Because of this, attendance remains high over time.

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Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They typically describe it as ‘a small school with a huge heart’.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the strong team ethos. They appreciate leaders’ constant consideration of their well-being.

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Members of the governing body know the school well. They have a sharp oversight of the impact of the school’s important actions for improvement. They contribute to the school’s unwavering focus on providing the best for every pupil.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, sometimes the activities pupils complete do not help them secure the intended learning. As a result, some pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could . The school needs to ensure that learning activities enable pupils to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding in order for them to make the best possible progress. 1 and 2 July 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). 1 and 2 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 April 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Peterborough. Its last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in February 2018. The next section 48 inspection will take place within eight years of the date of the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast club on the school site.  The school uses the services of one unregistered provider of 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 July 2025

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 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 and other school leaders. The lead inspector met with the chair and other members of the governing body. She also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in 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.  Inspectors also reviewed samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development. They also met with leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.

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 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.  The views of parents, staff, and pupils were gathered through discussions, and responses to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Anna Crawte Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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