Charlbury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued at this caring and vibrant school. They are taught to appreciate each other's unique qualities and treat everyone with kindness and compassion.

Leaders are highly ambitious for pupils, leading by example on the school motto 'to be the best we can be and do the best we can do'. This positive outlook influences every aspect of school life. The school is determined to give pupils the very best start to their education.

The school teaches pupils how to be ready for learning, how to recognise their emotions and to know what to do if they are feeling angry or anxious. As a result, pupils concentrate well in lessons and behave calmly and politely around sc...hool and at social times. Pupils learn how to contribute to society through roles of responsibility in school and, for example, through caring for the environment.

They visit places of natural beauty in the local area. For example, in geography, they consider with great interest how the amount of plastic waste entering rivers could be reduced. Pupils achieve well and are ready for their next stage of education.

As one parent commented: 'Charlbury is a welcoming and inclusive school where children feel happy and safe. They progress well both academically and in their personal development.'

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

Leaders have a highly astute understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement.

They provide an appropriate balance of challenge and support. Leaders communicate the school's highly aspirational vision very well, and staff are proud to be part of this team. They feel well supported by the school, saying that recent, necessary changes have been well considered and carefully carried out.

Everyone is determined to do their very best for pupils so that barriers to learning are overcome and all pupils achieve highly.

The school has worked hard to create a culture where pupils are inspired to find learning interesting. As soon as children start in Reception, they learn the school's high expectations and quickly develop a strong interest in learning.

They are encouraged to be curious and creative. Adults expertly weave children's interests through the curriculum, for example introducing the concept of forces while children explore what makes boats float or sink. Children sustain concentration for long periods of time, for example role playing in the classroom vet surgery play area or practising using scissors, sticking and making models.

Children become confident learners, independently working out spellings of new vocabulary to incorporate into sentences when writing, and explaining their reasoning in mathematics.

Leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure there is an ambitious, purposeful curriculum in place. Expectations for pupils' achievement are clearly set out.

These goals are broken down into smaller steps that are sequenced in logical order. Leaders have carefully identified the most important knowledge and technical vocabulary pupils must understand to build their learning securely from Reception to Year 6.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge.

They explain ideas and model new concepts well. Teachers adapt activities and the use of resources so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to learn the same curriculum. In some subjects, particularly where the curriculum is newer, the school is aware that some pupils have gaps in their prior learning and therefore do not achieve as well as they could.

The school is working hard to ensure assessment is used systematically so pupils build new learning on solid foundations and make secure links with larger ideas.

The school places a high priority on reading. Pupils are surrounded with stories, songs and rhymes as part of the curriculum.

They start learning phonics straight away in Reception and enjoy reading widely across the curriculum. Any pupils who struggle are supported expertly by teachers, and they catch up quickly. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they are learning so they experience success and enjoy practising reading.

Adults and pupils share their favourite stories regularly, creating a positive and encouraging reading culture.

The school is ambitious about developing pupils' characters so they become kind and responsible citizens. It helps pupils to explore the curriculum more broadly through visits to local places of interest, such as to Blenheim Palace, when learning about history and science.

Pupils widen their interests through attending the many after-school clubs on offer. Pupils are taught about diversity. They know the fundamental British values and their importance in modern Britain.

They learn about different religions, building respect and acceptance of others' beliefs and views. In assemblies, pupils are invited to engage with topical issues, considering the social and moral implications from different points of view.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Adults do not always systematically check pupils' understanding. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to support staff so that the use of ongoing assessment is consistently effective.