Swinford Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Pupils in all year groups achieve well, both personally and academically, because the school gives an equally high priority to all aspects of their education. Pupils' attainment has risen, and by Year 6 it is above average in English and mathematics. The quality of teaching is typically good, and at times outstanding, because all staff work so well together.

Skilled teaching assistants provide good support for any pupils who need additional help. Pupils' outstanding behaviour and attitudes to learning contribute to the strong sense of community in the school. Pupils feel very safe and display a high level of respect for the feelings and ...well-being of others.

Excellent leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensures children thrive in a stimulating learning environment. The new headteacher, with the strong support of the governing body, has ensured a smooth transition in school leadership. The school benefits from excellent relationships with parents and carers.

The school has a good capacity for sustained improvement in the future. It is not yet an outstanding school because : In a small minority of lessons, there is a lack of variety in the work given to higher ability pupils In a few lessons teachers' questions are directed more towards obtaining an expected answer than checking pupils' understanding. The way leaders check the impact of teaching on pupils' performance is not fully developed.

Information about this school

Swinford Church of England Primary School is much smaller than most other primary schools. No pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals. Virtually all pupils are of White British heritage.

Very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds or speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. Currently no pupils are supported through school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.

There is a pre-school nursery on the school site, but it is not managed by the governing body and was not part of this inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The headteacher took up his post at the start of the current term.