Feckenham CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Feckenham C of E Primary School lives by its values – everyone is welcome. The school is very much part of the community.

The staff know pupils as individuals and take good care of their well-being. Pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have a concern. This means that they feel safe.

The school sets high expectations for the standard of pupils' work and behaviour, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff quickly forge strong relationships with pupils. Pupils behave well and get on with their learning.

They play happily at social times. Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

Pupils settle i...nto calm and orderly classroom routines from the early years.

They quickly come to respect each other and cooperate. Their work is varied and interesting, and this helps them to concentrate in lessons and learn well. Trips and visitors to the school add further to their knowledge.

For example, a visitor in a Viking costume taught pupils about runes and showed them Viking artefacts.

All pupils are part of the school council, and they know that their voice is heard. Some pupils take part in after-school clubs, mostly related to sport.

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

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. In each subject, the school has planned the curriculum carefully. The school has tackled the issues raised at the last inspection.

It has identified what knowledge pupils should learn in each unit of work. The school has considered the needs of mixed-aged classes. The curriculum helps pupils to build new knowledge on what they already know.

Children in the Reception class gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in subsequent years. Well-designed activities develop children's vocabulary and communication. Learning in the early years moves smoothly into learning in key stage 1.

Teachers know their subjects well and present the intended curriculum clearly. Pupils learn vocabulary associated with each topic. This helps them to gain knowledge and remember it in depth.

Teachers make good use of pupils' immediate surroundings as a resource for learning. In both art and history, the school's Victorian building is a focus for study. In mathematics, teachers have adopted effective strategies to improve pupils' knowledge of multiplication tables.

Visual representation and practical equipment help pupils to understand new ideas. However, the effectiveness with which staff implement the curriculum varies a little, and the planned activities sometimes do not help pupils learn key knowledge as quickly as they should.

In the classroom, teachers generally use assessment well to check on what pupils have learned, for example by reviewing their work and asking questions of individual pupils.

However, the school's arrangements for gaining a clear picture of pupils' learning over time are less well developed.

The school has made reading a high priority. From early years onwards, pupils follow a structured phonics programme.

This programme ensures that pupils learn about letters and the sounds that they make in a logical order. Staff regularly check on how well individual pupils are learning. The school provides effective support for any pupils at risk of falling behind.

Staff work closely with parents and carers, and pupils read frequently to adults. Books are well matched to pupils' knowledge of phonics. As a result, pupils quickly become fluent and willing readers.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND effectively. Staff draw on guidance to ensure that pupils' needs are well met. As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress through the full curriculum.

The school's approach to managing behaviour is rooted in its values. Staff apply it fairly, recognising positive behaviours such as helping other pupils. They provide effective support to pupils who find managing their behaviour a little more challenging.

The patterns in pupils' behaviour and attendance are carefully analysed, and the school takes effective action as a result.

Pupils benefit from a planned programme of personal and social education which teaches them how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about different cultures and traditions, for example through the school's choice of reading texts.

The multi-academy trust supports the school well, for instance, in aiding pupils' transition to the next stage of their education and in safeguarding. There is a shared understanding of the school's values, and everyone works together as a team. Staff believe that leaders are always willing to listen to their views, and are considerate of their welfare.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are some inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is implemented. Some learning activities do not support pupils to reach the intended learning outcome as well as they should.

In addition, the new longer-term assessment arrangements are not yet embedded to provide teachers with a clear understanding of which concepts pupils find more difficult, and therefore need greater focus. As a result, some pupils' learning is not as effective as it could be. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well, and that assessment procedures are fully embedded in order that pupils achieve the highest possible outcomes.

Also at this postcode