Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School

Inspection of Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School Mereoak Lane, Grazeley, Reading, Berkshire RG7 1JY

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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 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school fulfils its vision to be ‘a loving community of courageous learners, building resilience and hope for the future’. These aspirations are promoted through a caring ethos where staff and leaders find the best in every pupil. Expectations for learning and behaviour are high, and pupils proudly meet them. Despite some lower-than-average outcomes in 2024 published tests, pupils behave positively and now achieve well. The school has made significant improvements since the last inspection to realise its ambitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a warm and welcoming community. Behaviour around the school is calm and purposeful. Positive relationships exist between staff and pupils. Children in the Reception Year shine, with support from their older ‘buddies’ in Year 6 who take joy in being role models for their younger peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to understand and challenge prejudice. They play their part in ensuring equality of opportunity for all. Pupils learn how to stay safe online. Visitors such as the police community support officer help pupils identify and manage risks in wider society. Democratic voting gives all pupils a voice when electing school councillors or choosing class texts. A range of sport and music opportunities nurtures the talents and interests of pupils in this happy and thriving school.

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

Leaders have put pupils’ interests at the heart of successful school improvement since the last inspection. The curriculum is now well developed, as every subject is designed with precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure across the curriculum because of ongoing professional development. The early years environment is rich with language and opportunities to practise reading, writing and mathematics. Reading is a strength. Skilled staff use consistent approaches to help children learn sounds from the start of the Reception Year. The school provides excellent help for any pupils who struggle with reading. As a result, pupils acquire fluency and motivation to read a wide range of books.

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

Pupils with special educational need and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Clear communication across the school and positive collaborative working ensure that the needs of pupils are swiftly identified. The school designs sharp adaptations, resources and activities to enable all pupils to access the school’s rich and engaging curriculum offer. Staff check what pupils know and help them to recall previous content. This enables pupils, including those with SEND, to learn and remember knowledge over time. This is demonstrated particularly well in subjects such as mathematics and geography. In these subjects, pupils apply their knowledge and understanding with skill and accuracy. Some subjects, such as physical education, are less well embedded. In these subjects, lesson activities do not help all pupils achieve the ambition of the curriculum, which stops them from achieving highly across the whole curriculum.

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

The school provides effective support to help families overcome any barriers to regular 24 and 25 June 2025

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attendance. As a result, persistent absence is reducing, particularly for some groups of pupils. Behaviour is also positive. Playtimes are happy, and classrooms are industrious. Pupils respond well when they need reminders to stay on track. Learning is not disrupted, as expectations are clear. Effective pastoral care is always on hand for pupils who need any help to manage their emotions. In the early years, children learn to share resources and collaborate happily, whether they are building obstacle courses, mixing paints or using maps to develop their understanding of the world.

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Personal development opportunities help pupils develop resilience and awareness of modern society. Pupils in Year 6 complete ‘job applications’ to become librarians, football referees and play leaders. These responsibilities help pupils to make a tangible difference to school life. The school teaches pupils to be ‘courageous advocates’; citizens who make a difference to others through charitable work and positive action. Well-designed curriculum and assembly activities prepare pupils well for modern Britain and their next steps in education. Pupils develop spiritual awareness through strong links with the Church and exploration of other faiths locally and across the world. The school enhances this with visits to places of worship such as a gurdwara.

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Parents and carers speak highly of leaders, staff and the school’s ethos. Families are thrilled with the start their children make in the nurturing early years environment. Staff are proud to work at this school. Morale is positive, and there are no concerns from staff about workload or well-being. Leaders lead by example with compassion and dedication. Governors bring a range of expertise to ensure that the school meets statutory duties with diligence. Leaders at all levels have ensured necessary improvements across all aspects of school life. As a result, pupils are flourishing, and the school is going from strength to strength.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, lesson activities do not fulfil the ambition of the intended curriculum. This can prevent some pupils from learning the knowledge they need to achieve well across the whole curriculum. The school should ensure that learning tasks are designed to help pupils learn and remember the intended knowledge and skills effectively across all subjects.

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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 24 and 25 June 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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 October 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Oxford. Its last section 48 inspection for schools with a religious character took place in June 2024.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  There is before- and after-school care on the site overseen by an external provider.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have 24 and 25 June 2025

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taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with eight governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector met virtually with advisers from the diocese and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. 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 evaluated children’s work in early years.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read. The inspector observed catch-up interventions to learn how staff provide additional reading support to pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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 spoke to a range of pupils to learn their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the gates before school.

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Inspection team

Scott Reece, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Trudi Sammons 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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