Filleigh Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The head of school leads with passion and commitment.

As a skilled teacher, he is a role model of good practice. His professional expertise has contributed significantly to the development of good teaching in the school. The executive headteacher has directed the federation's resources well to support the school's development.

Strong leadership partnerships within and beyond the federation underpin the stability of the school and the sustainability of improvements. Governors are effective in the support and challenge they provide to school leaders. They are ambitious for pupils' achievement.

Leaders diligently check the effective...ness of actions in the school development plan. However, they do not use the evidence from pupils' work sufficiently to check that changes are consistently promoting pupils' achievement. Leaders have gained the respect of parents and carers, who appreciate the good teaching and wide opportunities the school gives their children.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. The new teaching programmes for English and mathematics are taught well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress.

Pupils read well. The standard of reading is high in the Reception and key stage 1 classes. Pupils gain good phonics skills.

Across the school, pupils are keen readers who can discuss their wide reading intelligently. The teaching of mathematics challenges pupils' thinking. Pupils solve problems and explain their reasoning.

However, an inability to recall multiplication tables limits some pupils' attainment in mathematics. Teachers develop pupils' skills in writing for different purposes in English lessons and across the curriculum. However, pupils do not consistently write accurately and use the skills of punctuation and grammar they are taught.

Pupils are enthused by good teaching in science and humanities. Well-planned learning activities build pupils' knowledge and skills. Pupils behave well and enjoy school.

They are proud of their learning. However, there is variability in the quality of pupils' presentation. Teachers do not always challenge this.

Children make strong progress in the well-led early years. Through good teaching and a broad curriculum, they develop good basic skills and enthusiasm for learning. They do not, however, develop sufficiently accurate letter formation.

Information about this school

Filleigh Community Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized school, with very small cohorts. Some groups may consist of only one individual. The pupils are largely of White British heritage.

The school is part of the Devon Moors Federation, which includes three other primary schools. The federation is led by the executive headteacher and all schools are governed by the same governing body. Recently, the federation joined with the United Schools Co-operative Trust.

The federation now works within the trust to increase opportunities and resources to facilitate school development. The school is organised into four classes. Most children join the Reception class at the usual age.

There is a facility for children to join the class at the age of three but, currently, few do so. Otherwise, there is a mixed Year 1 and 2 class, a mixed Year 3 and 4 class and a class comprising Years 5 and 6. The school operates a breakfast club.