Compton and Up Marden CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school, where staff aim to 'excite, engage and include' them. Pupils speak with fondness of the school's values of love, hope, forgiveness, perseverance and respectfulness. They invariably show these values throughout each day.

New pupils are always welcomed with open arms. Pupils care for each other and want to include everyone. They all play together as one community in the beautiful grounds.

They feel safe and secure because dedicated adults work effectively as a team to look after them. Pupils show high levels of respect for adults, both in class and across the school.

Children benefit from a careful and purposeful start when... they join Reception.

The school has developed its curriculum effectively. Pupils' reading and mathematics learning has particularly improved across the school. All staff want every pupil to achieve their best, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school provides many rich experiences, both within the curriculum and outside normal school hours. The outdoor learning environment is a real asset. It gives all pupils many opportunities to build independence and broaden their experiences.

For example, pupils explore the natural world with science kits at playtimes.

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

The quality of the school's curriculum has improved considerably. All subjects now have a clear and sequenced curriculum.

This means staff know the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils should learn in every subject. The school is reflective and has ambitions to develop the curriculum offered even further.

The school prioritises learning to read.

Well-trained staff deliver phonics lessons with clarity. The school organises its system of phonics groups to maximise their learning. Staff ensure that pupils have the right level of reading books for their stage of learning.

If a pupil does not keep pace with their earning of phonics, teachers ensure they receive effective extra support to help them catch up. Teachers expose pupils of all ages to a wide range of high-quality texts. Pupils learn key comprehension skills from these.

The school has a thoughtfully stocked library, which means that all pupils develop their experiences of different texts and authors.

Pupils' learning in mathematics and science is secure. Overall, teaching is adapted well to meet the needs of different pupils.

Teachers use the resources available effectively to support pupils' learning. The wider curriculum is also developing well. The curriculum enables pupils to learn effectively in mixed-age classes.

This means that pupils are now achieving more. Teachers check how well pupils have learned the full curriculum. However, because the work on the wider curriculum is more recent than in English and mathematics, it is not yet fully developed.

As such, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects.

The school has high ambitions for disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, who are well cared for. All staff want them to achieve their very best.

However, while support is in place for these pupils, this is not always precisely matched to pupils' needs. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not always achieve as well as they could.

Pupils' behaviour is strong.

They listen attentively to their teachers and try their best in the work they produce. The quality of work is improving due to improvements to the quality of education. Younger pupils respectfully look up to the oldest pupils.

The character and camaraderie demonstrated by older pupils are very strong. The school is taking the right action to improve the attendance of a small group of pupils.

Pupils have a very good understanding of accepting difference in others.

Using the school's values as the basis, pupils develop their personal spirituality. The school's offer to develop pupils' interests includes sports, art and mindfulness. However, the school is keen to develop more cultural aspects, particularly the performing arts.

The school is aware of its valued place in its community. As a result, everyone associated with the school has committed wholeheartedly to giving the pupils the best education. This includes all staff and those responsible for governance.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent said, which reflected the views of many: 'I could not wish for my children to go to a better school. All the children know each other, support and look out for each other.

The teachers are all fantastic with the children. They are caring, approachable and very supportive.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is still being embedded. In these subjects, pupils have not always studied a curriculum that identifies the ambitious knowledge they need to learn. The school should ensure that pupils' learning is monitored and that appropriate refinements are made to the curriculum to ensure pupils' learning is as effective as possible in all subjects.

• While the school understands the needs of most pupils with SEND and meets them well, staff have not reached a clear understanding of the precise needs of some pupils. These pupils do not achieve all that they could. The school should ensure that staff are equipped with the tools and expertise to ensure all pupils with SEND have their needs met fully.

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