Schools & FE · Report card

Sandhills Community Primary School

Inspected 22 Sept 2026 · published 15 Oct 2026 · URN 146270

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Anneka Fisher (lead), Ian Elkington, Lea Hannam

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Strong standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
22 Sept 2026
Inspectors verified
Anneka Fisher, Ian Elkington, Lea Hannam
Postcode verified
OX3 8FN
Name on report verified
Sandhills Community Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
146270

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

very positive

Sandhills is a caring, inclusive school where pupils achieve well and behave well, with some areas still developing.

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe. Pupils achieve well, with outcomes in line with national averages, and behaviour is calm and respectful. Inspectors found that handwriting consistency, the link between subject knowledge, and published outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not yet as strong as the rest of the school's work.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Pupils learn to read fluently and write at an age-appropriate standard
Pupils behave well and relationships between staff and pupils are warm
Leaders are ambitious, monitor their work closely and value staff wellbeing

To improve

Handwriting skills are not yet consistent across the whole school
Pupils' ability to make connections between subject learning is less well developed
Strategies to promote active participation are not yet fully embedded
Achievement of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is not yet reflected in published outcomes

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsStrong
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+73Very positivemore positive than 50% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseconsistentlyhighly effectiveambitioushigh expectationspositivevery wellimprovedproud

Criticismconcernsnot yetgapserrorsnot consistentnot secure

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1359w+68
Leadership242w+88
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve63w+64

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 16
Words of findings: 1,715; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 43, typical 43
Average sentence: 9 words
Next steps: 3; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 3%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 47%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 41%

Full report text

Sandhills Community Primary School

Address: Terrett Avenue, Sandhills, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 8FN Unique reference number (URN): 146270

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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.

p.1

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.

p.1

Early years Strong standard

Children thrive in the early years. They make steady progress from their starting points. Outcomes are consistently above national averages. This is because leaders understand the importance of establishing the foundations for future success.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Ongoing improvement is evidence informed. Staff training is targeted and frequent. Leaders have ensured that staff know how to engage children in high-quality interactions. Staff build on what children say, wonder out loud and follow children’s lead with intention. They seek out those who need additional support. They tailor their interactions precisely.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Children benefit from a carefully designed curriculum. Staff respond to pupils’ interests. They expertly link this to the planned curriculum. For example, staff in nursery create a car wash in response to children’s enthusiasm for wheeled vehicles. Children practise large hand movements and staff guide conversation as they clean the cars. Foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics are taught effectively. Systematic phonics teaching helps them to develop early reading skills. Manipulating dough and painting activities build the foundations for a secure pencil grip.

p.2

Early years Strong standard

Children are happy, safe and secure. Their personal, social and emotional needs are catered for comprehensively. Children’s feelings are named and acknowledged. They establish positive learning behaviours with ‘go for it gorilla’ and ‘persevering parrot’. As a result, children become confident and resilient young learners.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve well. Outcomes in statutory assessments have improved steadily over time. They are in line with national averages. Foundational skills of reading, writing and mathematics are prioritised. Pupils learn to read fluently. They write at an age-appropriate standard. Handwriting skills are not yet consistent across the whole school, however. Pupils largely secure the skills that they need to calculate and solve problems in mathematics.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well from their starting points, this is not yet reflected in published outcomes. Early identification of need helps to ensure that barriers and gaps in learning are addressed quickly. This helps pupils to progress more quickly.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils can recall key learning from the wider curriculum. Precise and consistent vocabulary teaching helps pupils to articulate their knowledge. Pupils’ ability to make connections in learning are less well developed, however. For example, Year 6 pupils can describe discrete periods in history, their understanding of how they link together is less secure.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Most pupils attend school regularly. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ attendance. They consistently reinforce this when communicating with parents, carers and pupils. Attendance patterns are monitored closely. Leaders take appropriate action, where concerns arise. They respond with a personalised approach to address barriers. They prioritise strategies that help pupils to feel that they belong at school. For example, some pupils benefit from adapted timetables, one-to-one support and soft starts. As a result, attendance improves where leaders focus their attention. Universal strategies, such as extra-curricular activities and the weekly values assembly, make school a place that pupils want to be.

p.3

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well at Sandhills. Warm and nurturing relationships are at the heart of the ‘Sandhills way’. Staff and pupils have a shared understanding of rules, routines and expectations. Consequently, lessons and social times are calm. Pupils are respectful to adults and their peers. They listen carefully and follow instructions well. Pupils are more diligent and engaged when teaching strategies promote participation. Incidents of bullying and discrimination are rare. Pupils are not worried about the behaviour of others. This is because leaders respond robustly when incidents arise. They use adaptations, support and sanctions appropriately to respond to behaviour needs.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is effective. Leaders’ actions to further strengthen the quality of teaching are having a positive impact. Staff present information clearly. They model accurately. They use questioning to scaffold learning effectively. Staff use strategies to promote pupils’ active participation in learning. For example, year 4 pupils discuss the geographical features of mountain ranges. These strategies are not yet fully embedded, however.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Core skills of reading, writing and mathematics are prioritised. Pupils practise and apply these skills during registration daily. The teaching of reading is effective. Phonics is taught systematically. In mathematics, resources are generally used well to support learning. Errors and misconceptions are addressed quickly. The new handwriting scheme is helping staff to teach transcription skills more consistently. Vocabulary teaching is a strength. Pupils are taught new words systematically. Learning is sequenced carefully. Colour coding helps pupils to understand different word types. Pupils revisit and practise ambitious vocabulary regularly.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities typically receive the adaptations that they need to access learning successfully. Pupils with the highest level of need benefit from a personalised curriculum.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is broad and balanced. Learning is broken down into small steps. This helps pupils to build knowledge steadily over time. For example, pupils in Year 1 name body parts before learning about the 5 senses.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

This is an inclusive school. Leaders are ambitious for what all pupils can achieve. They have improved their inclusion strategy. Pupils’ needs are now identified earlier and more quickly. Leaders use a comprehensive range of strategies to identify and understand pupils’ barriers to learning. They develop plans that are carefully aligned to pupils’ needs. There is a focus on high-quality teaching, supplemented with timely and carefully selected additional interventions. Pastoral support is prioritised. This helps pupils to feel that they belong in school and are ready to learn.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Staff generally implement adjustments and adaptations effectively. Leaders have prioritised staff training so that this can become consistent and embedded. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make steady progress. Pupils with the most complex needs are very well supported. Personalised plans enable these pupils to thrive. They are implemented consistently, monitored closely and adapted as pupils’ needs change.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Plans to support disadvantaged pupils are appropriate. Strategies focus on academic and wider priorities. Leaders monitor the impact of their work carefully. As a result, their actions have a positive impact on these pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious. They have high expectations for all pupils. Leaders understand the school’s strengths and areas for improvement very well. Strategic plans focus on sustainable change. Leaders implement change in small steps. They monitor the impact of their work closely. As a result, where leaders have focused their attention, there is improvement over time.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trust leaders are highly effective. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities consistently well. Systems to identify and respond to the school’s needs are robust. Local governors make a positive contribution to the school. They generally support and challenge leaders appropriately. Workload and wellbeing are thoughtfully considered. The trust wellbeing lead works closely with the headteacher. Leaders take meaningful steps to help staff to feel valued and that they belong.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Professional learning is valued highly. There is a focus on improving teaching quality and expertise. Learning strategies are innovative and evidence informed. For example, leaders use artificial intelligence to help staff to reflect on their own teaching. Leaders ensure that new learning is embedded before moving on. They provide regular opportunities for staff to practise and apply their training. As a result, leaders are embedding a professional culture of learning.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff say that leaders are approachable. They appreciate the efforts that leaders make to reduce workload. They value the opportunity to participate in networks and training that develop their skills. Parents praise leaders and the school. They are grateful to be part of the school’s warm and caring community.

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