South Moreton Primary School

South Moreton Primary School

Address: High Street, South Moreton, High Street, South Moreton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 9AG Unique reference number (URN): 144547

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve well in national tests. Disadvantaged pupils and those who may face other vulnerabilities, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are particularly successful.

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Achievement Strong standard

In Reception, children’s knowledge in the early stages of mathematics, writing and reading provides them with a strong start, which is built on throughout the school. This approach helps pupils to steadily build knowledge and is systemic across the school. Furthermore, pupils are helped to become engaged and reflective learners. This very positive approach to education helps to enhance achievement. As a result, pupils achieve well across all aspects of their learning.

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Achievement Strong standard

The school has a strong learning culture and understands how to help pupils achieve. As a result, it supports pupils successfully who join the school in later year groups. Similarly, where the school’s mixed-age classes may change year to year, achievement remains strong because of how detailed the school's understanding of teaching and curriculum is.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Attendance is high for pupils across the school, including pupils who are more vulnerable. The school maintains high expectations of attendance for all pupils. Where families may find maintaining positive attendance more difficult, the school is proactive in ensuring that highly individualised support is in place to help them improve.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Behaviour is a strength of the school. In Reception, children play together well and are respectful and polite in their interactions. Pupils conduct themselves extremely well and are welcoming to others. Pupils of all ages are highly engaged in and sustain positive attitudes to their learning. They take pride in discussing what they know and share their thoughts and ideas eagerly. As a result, classes are orderly and disruption is exceptionally rare.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Because the school’s behaviour principles are clearly articulated, new arrivals to the school settle quickly into the positive learning culture. Any pupils who find behaving well more difficult are supported through the school’s systematic approach. Consequently, pupils steadily gain the knowledge and skills that they need to understand their emotions and how they impact themselves and others. Pupils are taught to maintain and manage their own behaviour, leading to confident pupils who are proud of their self-reflection and resilience.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils and goes well beyond the expectations of the national curriculum. Leaders ensure that the curriculum works for all pupils, as it is highly inclusive.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff training is embedded in curriculum development. The work of subject leaders is informed by research. As a result, there is a deep, shared understanding of how pupils’ subject-specific knowledge should build over time. Similarly, the school’s teaching practice is highly developed. Teachers understand the reasoning and intention behind the school’s chosen teaching methods. They expertly adapt these for pupils who may face barriers to their learning. This means that lessons are purposeful, and pupils' learning is steady, secure and consistent. The curriculum and teaching methods gradually increase the agency that pupils have over their learning. Because of this, pupils are confident and independent learners. They are very well prepared for their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Reading and other foundational skills, such as writing and mathematics, are prioritised. The way that these are developed means that pupils make sustained progress through the years, starting with a strong focus on communication in Reception. Should any pupils need extra help in learning to read and write or in mathematics, they receive impactful, individualised support. Consequently, pupils are articulate, eager readers and accomplished writers.

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Early years Strong standard

Early years is a joyful and harmonious space. Children are happy and purposeful. Children collaborate and work well together, including in activities such as practising their writing, building activities and small-world play. They show good manners to each other and are courteous and polite to adults.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders prioritise the development of language and strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics in the early years. Interactions between staff and children are planned carefully to help develop vocabulary and communication skills. As a result, children, including those who need additional language support, can articulate their play confidently. The school's careful tracking of language development and communication means that staff know precisely how to help these children.

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Early years Strong standard

Children in the early years love stories and reading. The day starts and ends with stories. Children are highly engaged by purposeful phonics teaching. They are proud to show off their sounds and letters and to practise their writing. As a result, children make rapid progress and are readied for learning in key stage 1 and beyond.

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Early years Strong standard

The early years curriculum benefits from the same high-quality design as the main school curriculum. Consequently, it helps children to develop the essential knowledge and skills that they need to flourish in their next stage. The school’s inclusive culture means that parents and carers are welcomed as partners from the outset.

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Inclusion Strong standard

When leaders think about their school, inclusion comes first. As a result, highly inclusive practice is embedded in every aspect of school life, from curriculum design to extra- curricular activities and daily routines.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school is quick to identify any barriers to pupils' learning. Leaders carefully design support that is individualised and impactful. Monitoring of the progress of pupils, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those in receipt of pupil premium funding, or other vulnerabilities, is highly effective. Consequently, leaders know precisely which strategies work and which require further refinement or adjustment. This means that barriers are swiftly addressed, and the impact of school-wide support and monitoring is significant. This work is enhanced further through effective and appropriate partnership working with professionals and external agencies to shape pupils’ support and aspirations.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff know pupils well. They receive high-quality training and become expert in providing necessary adaptations. Furthermore, because support is understood clearly, the school can help pupils and families to take an active part in ensuring the adaptations are suitable. This boosts pupils' independence, confidence and self-awareness, leading to positive engagement in school and further reduction of barriers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The pupil premium strategy is evidence-based and impactful. Frequent training for staff helps them to maintain a watchful eye on the most vulnerable pupils to ensure that they benefit fully from school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders exhibit a relentless professional curiosity in their search for improvement. Consequently, they root school improvement strategies in research, but also recognise the need for stability. This means that strategies are deeply embedded and given time to become fruitful. This results in a strong, shared understanding across all staff and, therefore, a high probability of success. This is demonstrated in the secure and impactful practice found across the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a detailed, analytical and empirical understanding of the school and how well each aspect is working. Leaders share a precise vision for the school’s future. Their first principle is always inclusion, and they have an unfailing focus on doing the very best for all pupils. As a result, the decisions that they make are astute and steadily improve the provision, which is now very strong.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors work closely with school leaders and use agreed, strategic goals to check that the school is developing as it should. School leaders’ communication with staff is clear. Intelligently sequenced professional learning results in teachers being empowered to play an active part in both their own professional development and overall school improvement.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Teachers' subject knowledge and pedagogy have gone from strength to strength. As a result, pupils learn very well. Both teaching and non-teaching staff are, rightly, proud of the difference that they make to pupils each day. In turn, this is recognised by pupils, who know how much they are individually valued. This underpins the school's highly positive culture.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils’ personal development and wellbeing are a strength of the school. Pupils are confident, articulate and curious. They demonstrate strong moral understanding, emotional literacy and respect for others. Pupils develop the knowledge, character and resilience needed to flourish now and in the future.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is precisely mapped and closely integrated into the school’s academic curriculums. This means that, in lessons, pupils' wider learning forms part of their academic learning. Consequently, coupled with the school’s ‘keeping safe’ curriculum, pupils are provided with an extensive additional education.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from rich opportunities to experience the world and to develop their wider knowledge. Frequent news and global citizenship work encourage pupils to reflect on deep questions and connect global issues to their own lives.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

As in other aspects of school life, leaders have prioritised inclusion. This means that disadvantaged pupils benefit from the rich personal development provision as much as other pupils. Careful checking of participation in clubs and activities means that almost all pupils regularly take part.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Moral development is strengthened through pupils' awareness of fundamental British values and learning about how their behaviour and emotional state can affect others. Age- appropriate teaching about consent and relationships is effective, and keeping safe online is a priority.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils speak confidently about how to keep themselves safe. This is reinforced through assemblies, visits and age-specific enrichment opportunities, which include observing national events, such as Remembrance Day, and promoting sleep education. Pupils look forward to their regular assemblies. These are effective in reinforcing pupils' shared understanding of important terminology and school expectations, routines and values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leadership opportunities for pupils are wide-ranging and inclusive. Democratic elections for the school council, eco council and house captains give pupils genuine responsibility. Vulnerable pupils are routinely elected or appointed, again demonstrating the school’s culture of inclusion.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are very happy to be part of this school. They feel safe and attend well. Pupils know what to do if they have concerns and value the way that they are so well known by all staff. Pupils consider bullying to be almost unheard of, but are certain that, should it arise, the school would quickly and effectively deal with it.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy their learning and their time together. The school values kindness, and pupils are respectful towards each other. Pupils meet the school's high expectations for their behaviour. They support each other and celebrate each other’s achievements. For example, they take pride in how their own, and their friends', artwork is displayed in the main hall. They are eager to describe what they learn and techniques that they use.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ learning is broad and goes well beyond the expectations of the national curriculum. Extra clubs and activities are plentiful, and pupil participation is high. Many learn musical instruments. Vulnerable pupils, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, are very well supported. As a result, they are as confident and as well prepared for their next steps as other pupils.

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Team inspector:

Nic Browne, Ofsted Inspector Pupils value their assembly time because these sessions help them to know what is expected of them. They learn about fundamental British values and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Similarly, pupils are taught to recognise their emotions and how they impact themselves and others. Pupils are empathetic and understand that everyone has their ups and downs, leading to a kind and supportive atmosphere.

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Team inspector:

Pupils are articulate, sociable and love conversation. They enjoy discussing varied topics, such as the book they are reading or if pineapple has a place on pizza. Children in Reception are equally chatty and are proud to show their writing and play, or to talk about favourite stories.

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Next steps

• The school should continue to embed both its impactful research-driven school improvement and professional development in order to develop the very best practice and to contribute to system-wide improvement.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sharon Mullins, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and other staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. National average: 26.3%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 69% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 77% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 78% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 69% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 77% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 78% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) S 59% S ‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.4% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.7% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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