Abberley Parochial VC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Abberley Parochial Primary School is at the heart of its community. Pupils and their families are warmly welcomed to school each day.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It sets high expectations for pupil achievement. Published outcomes confirm that pupils achieve well.

They enjoy attending. The school does all it can to ensure pupils attend regularly and on time. The vast majority do.

Parents and carers are extremely positive about the quality of education their children receive.

The school is calm and orderly. Staff consistently provide clear routines and apply the school's high behaviour expectations.

In classrooms, pupils listen att...entively and engage in the learning tasks set. They enjoy interactive lessons. This helps them to maintain interest and focus.

Pupil leaders organise age-appropriate activities and games during 'happy playtimes'. Staff and the pupil well-being team are on hand to support and listen to any worries or concerns pupils have. Pupils are well-mannered, polite and well-behaved.

Pupils say that the school is 'an interesting, fun place to be'. They proudly take on responsibilities in school, such as being eco-warriors, lunchtime buddies, online safety leaders and librarians. Pupils value the worry boxes made available to them in school.

They make good use of them. Pupils feel happy and safe.

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

The school has adopted an ambitious curriculum for its pupils.

The knowledge and skills that pupils need to know are well sequenced with clear end points. Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. Pupils say lessons are interesting and teachers help them to learn in fun ways, particularly in mathematics.

Work given to pupils helps them to apply their learning well. Pupils take great pride in their work. Teachers make checks on learning in lessons and at regular intervals.

They use this information to plan next steps and address gaps in learning. All this means that pupils achieve well in school. They learn and remember more of the school's ambitious curriculum.

Early reading is prioritised. Staff are highly skilled in delivering phonics lessons. Pupils learn to blend sounds to read simple words and sentences.

They apply newly learned sounds when reading books that match these sounds. Pupils who fall behind are swiftly identified. While they are well supported to catch up in their phonics knowledge, some pupils do not get enough additional opportunities to practise their reading.

This has an impact on the speed at which they become confident, fluent readers.

Children in the early years get off to a great start. Learning is carefully planned by skilled adults.

It builds on what children know, understand and can do. Language and communication are prioritised. Children develop an effective pencil grip and form letters accurately.

They investigate and hypothesise about how to free penguins frozen in the water tray. Children enjoy finding out about Africa while creating pastel drawings of the Savannah. They show the class rule of kindness by sharing and taking turns.

All this means children are well prepared for the next stage.The additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. Pupils with SEND get the help and support they need to be successful in school.

Staff adapt learning to support pupils to access the curriculum. External agencies provide specialist support such as speech and language therapy. Pupils with SEND achieve well in school.

Pupils learn about the importance of places of worship to different faiths when visiting a mosque, a church and a Hindu temple. This helps them to understand tolerance and respect. Castle and museum trips, workshops, residentials and geography fieldwork studies help pupils to deepen their knowledge of the curriculum.

Hockey, football, ballet, French and computing clubs offer opportunities to encourage new interests. The work of the school council helps pupils to understand democracy. Pupils learn how to keep safe online and offline.

They learn about healthy and safe relationships. The school rules help pupils to understand right and wrong, and they do. Pupils are respectful of others.

The school's personal development offer provides a range of opportunities to broaden pupils' horizons. However, there is work to do to strengthen this aspect of the school's work so that it is coherently planned and set out.

School leaders, including governors, set the right priorities for the school.

Rigorous checks on the progress of these priorities have brought about significant recent improvements. Governors hold the headteacher to account effectively for the performance of the school. In addition, the diocese and the local authority provide highly effective support and challenge.

The school is now moving forward at pace. Staff value support from leaders to reduce workload and improve their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils who have fallen behind in their reading do not get enough additional opportunities to practise reading. This has an impact on how quickly they become fluent, confident readers. The school should ensure pupils who need to catch up in their reading have regular and effective opportunities to practise reading so they read with the confidence and fluency expected for their age.

• Although broad, the school's personal development offer is not coherently planned and set out. The purpose of the offer is unclear at times, as is its intended impact. The school should strengthen the personal development offer so it is coherently planned and its purpose is clearly set out.