Uplowman Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Uplowman Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Uplowman Primary School is a caring and welcoming place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school and relish the experiences on offer. There is a buzz of purposeful activity throughout the school.

Pupils learn well across a range of subjects.

Leaders place high expectations on all members in the school community. Staff and pupils are respectful a...nd kind to one another.

Older pupils are excellent role models. Pupils behave impeccably in lessons and at other times. As a result, pupils learn the importance of being thoughtful and responsible individuals.

Bullying is not part of the school's culture. Pupils are confident that, should it happen, adults will sort it out quickly. They feel safe in school.

Leaders provide a wide range of experiences to support pupils' wider development. Leaders place a high priority on pupils' character development. Pupils can explain why values such as tolerance and mutual respect are important.

They exhibit a strong moral compass as a result of the school's Christian foundation. Many parents comment on the sense of community, care and nurture the school gives to each child.

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

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum that aligns with the school's Christian ethos.

The essential concepts pupils need to learn are carefully mapped out by subject leaders. Leaders successfully adapt the curriculum to account for the mixed-age groups in each class. Planned learning excites pupils' interests.

Staff use assessment well to check how pupils are doing. Where necessary, they adapt learning activities. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), build a depth of knowledge across the curriculum.

Leaders give reading a high priority at the school. Children in early years get off to a strong start in phonics. They begin learning to read as soon as they start school.

They have regular opportunities to practise their reading. This continues into key stage 1. Staff use assessments to quickly spot and provide extra, well-planned support to pupils who are not keeping up with the pace of the phonics programme.

This helps them catch up quickly. Reading areas are full of interesting books for pupils to enjoy. In key stage 2, pupils enjoy a diet rich in carefully chosen books.

Pupils become fluent, confident readers, with a sophisticated vocabulary. Teachers make sure that pupils' grammar, punctuation and spelling are secure. They write accurately and at a high standard in a range of subjects.

The mathematics curriculum develops and deepens pupils' knowledge and skills. It is well sequenced and thought through. For example, in early years, children count cubes and match them to numbers.

Year 1 pupils avidly discuss the differences between the height and length of shapes. Older pupils show an exceptional understanding of complex problems. This deepens their knowledge and understanding of numbers.

In geography, pupils' work is exceptional. For example, pupils talk knowledgeably about how climate change affects the lives of people in Polar regions.

Staff establish the needs of pupils with SEND quickly.

They provide timely and highly effective support. As a result, pupils with SEND successfully follow the same curriculum as their peers. They achieve well.

The management of pupils' behaviour is exceptionally strong. Leaders and staff have the highest expectations for pupils' conduct. Pupils know it is important to behave well.

Consequently, pupils' behaviour enables them to apply themselves fully to their learning. They take pride in all they do, often sorting problems out themselves. Their attitudes to learning are exemplary.

Leaders provide a range of effective opportunities to pupils beyond the academic to enhance their personal development. The school's values and Christian foundation promote a strong understanding in pupils of right and wrong and when to help one another. Pupils take part in various sporting and cultural activities.

Many pupils, including those with SEND, look forward to representing the school in sports competitions.

Pupils learn to engage with and understand their community. However, leaders do not consider well enough what pupils know about how others live beyond their community.

Pupils do not know as much as they could about the lives of others from different families and cultures.

The school is led with compassion and kindness. Governors share the school's aspirational culture, created among staff and based on mutual trust and respect.

They know what is going well in the school and what needs further improvement. Governors ask challenging questions and hold leaders to account for their actions. Staff unanimously agree that leaders, including governors, take their well-being and workload seriously.

They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise pupils' safety.

All staff, including governors, receive high-quality training. The procedures for the safe recruitment of staff are thorough. Staff promptly record any safeguarding concerns.

They carefully record their actions and regularly check these are making a difference. Leaders act quickly to seek the support of outside agencies when families need their help.

Parents are confident that pupils are safe and secure in school.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn to keep themselves safe, including using the internet safely.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A small minority of areas within the personal development curriculum are not considered well enough. Leaders have not considered how to improve pupils' understanding of lives different from their own.

As a result, pupils' knowledge of how people might live beyond their community is not as strong as it could be. Leaders should provide opportunities for pupils to gain a broader understanding of differences beyond their community.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.