Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School

Address: School Lane, Weston-under-Penyard, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7PA Unique reference number (URN): 116918

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils' attendance is broadly in line with national averages. Leaders analyse attendance information carefully and use this to identify any patterns and trends. When needed, they work closely with families and put support in place to improve pupils' attendance and punctuality. The school's work has helped some pupils overcome past attendance difficulties and attend school regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders set clear expectations for pupils' behaviour. These expectations are understood by the school community and pupils generally live up to them. Positive relationships between staff and pupils sit at the heart of rules and routines. Staff are patient and apply the rules fairly. This creates a calm, nurturing ethos where pupils feel like they belong. They behave well. This positive behaviour is recognised by staff through regular praise and a reward system that pupils appreciate.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils learn in an orderly environment and disruptions in lessons are rare. Pupils trust adults to sort out any friendship issues quickly and say that bullying is not tolerated. Leaders review patterns of behaviour over time and use this information to support pupils who might need extra help. This help is successfully aiding some pupils to strengthen their focus on learning and take a full part in school life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders maintain strategic oversight of the school's academic provision. They have adapted the curriculum well for mixed-aged classes and have sequenced key knowledge to build over time. This has included them identifying the ‘fundamentals’ that pupils are expected to know and remember in each subject. Leaders have improved the curriculum so that more emphasis is placed on younger pupils learning the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. These renewed approaches are already implemented well and making a difference, especially in reading and mathematics, but the impact is not yet fully realised in pupils' writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers typically have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They explain new learning clearly and set tasks that help pupils to practise what they have learned. They generally use assessment well to check on pupils' understanding and this helps staff to support pupils who need extra help. However, assessment information could be used even more consistently and precisely to help pupils close gaps in their knowledge of writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff make effective adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This includes them using strategies and resources to simplify tasks when appropriate, so that all pupils access the curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have revised arrangements in the early years so that children in Nursery learn in closer proximity to those in the Reception Year. This has allowed a more coherent approach that builds early learning more logically than before. The setting is a busy and purposeful place for children to learn. From the start of the day, they are actively engaged in a broad range of activities. These activities are clearly linked to the curriculum and help children develop their knowledge well.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff make the most of every opportunity to develop children's speech, language and vocabulary. This includes younger children benefiting from regularly opportunities to sing songs, repeat rhymes and remember stories. They are well prepared for learning to read more formally by the start of Reception Year. Here, children make progress through the school's phonics curriculum and are ready for Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

Children learn routines that build their independence and confidence. They develop their understanding of social interaction and play together well. For example, they take turns and share. Staff build positive relationships with children, working with them patiently and treating them kindly. This is successfully promoting children's wellbeing and helps them feel secure at school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders understand the school’s context and typically identify pupils' barriers to learning well. Many pupils join the school at different points, often after previous disruption in their education. Leaders focus sharply on helping these pupils settle quickly. Staff gather detailed information before pupils start, allowing them to identify needs and put support in place from the outset. Leaders monitor this support closely and adapt it when needed. As a result, pupils usually settle well and receive the help they need to succeed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally supported well. Staff identify needs accurately and draw on expertise from the school’s partnership with another local school. Clear systems track pupils’ progress against their targets. Leaders meet regularly to review cases and share key information with staff. This helps ensure that support matches pupils’ needs. Staff also work with external agencies when appropriate to provide specialist help when needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know which pupils face disadvantage and take effective action to support them. They help staff identify and remove barriers to learning. Additional funding is used strategically to provide skilled staff and targeted training. This support helps disadvantaged pupils engage with learning and thrive at school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. They have put systems in place to communicate this vision and ensure that it is realised. The school’s Christian values sit at the heart of their decision making and they work strategically to balance pastoral care with academic provision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders monitor the quality of the curriculum and the effectiveness of teaching. This monitoring has given them an accurate view of the school. They understand where strengths and weaknesses lie in teaching and have made changes to improve the impact of

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Needs attention

the curriculum on pupils' knowledge. They have done what is necessary to address gaps in pupils' learning, but more time is needed to see the impact of these initiatives.

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Needs attention

Governors gather a broad range of information about the school. They care about pupils and make regular visits to find out about their experiences. They use the information that they gather to form strategic plans and priorities for the school. Their work is effective and making a positive difference. However, governors' focus on some aspects of the school's provision, especially the extent to which pupils achieve academically, is not as sharp and robust.

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Needs attention

Leaders have fostered a happy and harmonious atmosphere for staff and pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school and benefit from opportunities to develop their expertise and work with colleagues from other schools. They feel valued. Most parents and carers express positive opinions about the school. There is a strong sense of community which benefits pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have ensured the school provides a coherent approach to promoting pupils' personal development. The school teaches personal, social and health education through a structured programme of study. This programme covers relationships and sex education and health education, as well as various other themes and topics. Staff deliver the curriculum in a logical way that builds pupils' knowledge over time. For example, pupils learn about personal choice, personal space and the concept of consent, in an age-appropriate way. Pupils also learn how to keep safe in a variety of circumstances, for example, when using the internet or when visiting the local river. Leaders regularly review the curriculum and make adaptations to ensure that content is taught in a timely way.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum incorporates elements to ensure that pupils are taught about life in modern Britain. They learn about the rule of law and democratic processes, helping them to understand their rights and responsibilities. Pupils also explore diversity and enjoy learning about different faiths, cultures and traditions. The school works hard to enhance this learning through trips and visits. This learning is helping pupils to foster respect and appreciation for the world around them. Pupils generally remember key aspects of this curriculum, although their knowledge is not consistently secure across all areas.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place a sharp focus on pastoral support, which is a key part of the school's provision. Staff identify pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs effectively and monitor them over time. Care is given to all pupils throughout each day, but a team of pastoral staff also provide extra support for those who need it. This work has made a positive difference to many families.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils generally achieve well across the curriculum and many are prepared for the next stage of their education. For some, this is reflected by their results in national tests. They build knowledge over time and remember what they have learned. For example, in mathematics, pupils develop appropriate strategies and use these to tackle more complex work. Pupils also learn to read effectively, with most pupils building fluency by the end of Year 2. Pupils with barriers to learning often make suitable progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' knowledge of writing is less secure. Leaders have refined the curriculum but pupils do not yet achieve as leaders expect. Some have gaps in their knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Some struggle to form letters accurately and use basic conventions, such as capital letters, consistently. Although teachers provide opportunities to practise and correct errors, gaps in learning do not always close. Leaders have taken appropriate action, but it is too early to see the full impact of this work.

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

Pupils develop a firm sense of belonging at this friendly and welcoming village school. The school's small size means that pupils know each other well and benefit from being part of a close-knit community. Pupils often join the school at different times during the year and at different stages of their education. They are welcomed by the school community and supported to settle in quickly. The school has a family atmosphere, where everyone is valued.

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

Pupils build positive relationships with staff, who act as excellent role models. Older pupils follow these positive examples and demonstrate kindness, responsibility and care towards younger children. They look after each other and support the school's Christian values and culture of mutual respect. They behave well and bullying is not tolerated. This makes the school a safe and nurturing environment where pupils thrive.

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

Pupils enjoy learning a broad range of subjects. They concentrate in lessons and want to do well. However, there is variation in the extent of achievement across the curriculum. In some subjects, pupils progress through the curriculum and build secure knowledge. In other subjects, they do not achieve as well as leaders expect.

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

The school provides a range of experiences that enrich pupils' learning and broaden their horizons. Pupils enjoy trips and visits, including a residential stay in London. They also take part in a variety of clubs and activities that help to develop their interests and talents. The school's partnerships with other local schools provide further opportunities for pupils to participate in competitions and events. These activities enable them to meet and work with pupils from other schools. Pupils value these experiences and build fond memories of the things they have done.

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Next steps

Leaders should further strengthen teachers' use of assessment information to ensure that any gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge are closing quickly, particularly in writing.

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Lead inspector:

Jonathan Leonard, His Majesty's Inspector

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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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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data is from 9 June 2026 Leaders should analyse pupils’ understanding of the personal, social and health education curriculum more closely to ensure that pupils develop secure, detailed knowledge and are very well prepared for life beyond school. Governors should develop their practice further to provide consistent support and robust challenge to leaders across all aspects of the school’s work.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Ione Taylor.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher and head of school. They also spoke to other school leaders, members of the governing body, representatives of the diocese and the local authority 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 is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Hereford. The school's last section 48 inspection took place in September 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school is part of The River Wye Federation. The federation consists of two schools.

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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.

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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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 79% 75% 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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average

2024/25 (final) 79% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 78% 71% Close to average

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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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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

‘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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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 17.5% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 14.1% 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. 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

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Urgent improvement

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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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