Holyport CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Since joining the school three years ago, the headteacher has made significant improvements to the education and care of the pupils. Leaders make this a very special place to learn and work.

Everyone is valued and respected and works as part of a team. Middle leaders are very passionate about carrying out their roles effectively. They embrace opportunities to support pupils and staff.

Further work is required to develop leaders' monitoring and evaluation skills so that they can check the impact of the curriculum on pupils' progress effectively. Governance is very strong. Governors carry out their roles professionally and are meticulous in... checking that leaders are carrying out their responsibilities effectively.

Teaching is effective because of strong leadership. The headteacher regularly monitors and evaluates the impact of teaching on learning. Along with her deputy, she is systematic in the support and challenge she provides, and expects the best from teachers.

As a result of strong teaching pupils make good progress. They catch up quickly if they have fallen behind. Occasionally pupils are not sufficiently challenged to achieve the higher standards of which they are capable.

Leaders are committed to raising standards even further so that all groups of pupils achieve consistently well. Pupils feel very safe at school and show a high level of care and respect for each other. The commitment to pupils' welfare is outstanding.

A number of pupils have leadership responsibilities, enabling them to make very positive contributions to school life. Pupils' behaviour is impeccable. Effective strategies to promote good behaviour encourage pupils to be self-reflective and to think about the results of their actions on others.

The curriculum has been thoughtfully developed. There are excellent opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes benefit from high levels of care and support.

They make strong progress from their different starting points. Parents are overwhelmingly in support of the school. They sought inspectors out to share their reflections on how much the school has improved since the arrival of the current headteacher.

Information about this school

Holyport CofE Primary School converted to join the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust (ODST) in June 2016. When its predecessor school, Holyport CofE (Aided) Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to require improvement. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has developed strongly since the last inspection.

This is in part due to the very high level of guidance, support and challenge provided by ODST. The school is designated as having a religious character. The last section 48 inspection took place in February 2019.

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. However, the school roll has decreased significantly since the inspection of the predecessor school. Consequently, the school has restructured to include some mixed-aged year groups.

The headteacher took up her post in September 2016 following a number of changes to leadership. She managed a significant number of staff changes and has worked over the past two years to develop her current leadership team. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and the proportion of pupils with SEND are below the national average.

Since the inspection of the predecessor school, a new chair of the local governing body has been appointed. The early years consists of 10 nursery-aged children who attend on a part-time basis, and a Reception class, where children attend full time. The school runs a breakfast and after-school club on site.