Fladbury CofE First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Fladbury CofE First School is a very welcoming and inclusive school. It has an important role at the centre of this village community.

There is a shared understanding of the school's vision. Pupils develop 'happy hearts' and are curious to learn with 'open minds'.

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. They demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and behave well. Pupils from all different age groups play together in a friendly environment.

Pupils feel safe in school and learn how to stay safe online. They are confident to share any worries with trusted adults. There is a cu...lture of support and kindness to others.

Staff are passionate in ensuring that every pupil's individual needs are met.

The personal development offer in the school is of an exceptionally high quality. The school goes beyond the expected so that pupils have access to a wide, rich set of experiences.

One example is the link between the school and a local assisted living village. Reception children visit once a month. This develops the children's communication and language skills.

Both the elderly residents and the children value this relationship.

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

The school has responded well to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Staff have worked collaboratively to develop a broad and balanced curriculum.

It is ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school acts quickly to identify pupils' needs. This means pupils with SEND are supported from the time they start school.

Learning is adapted successfully to enable pupils to progress through the curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

The school recognises that it is still embedding the curriculum.

In some subjects, pupils do not make connections between their prior and current learning, or with other subjects. As a result, pupils do not always deepen their knowledge of the curriculum as well as they could. For example, older pupils talk in depth about how the Mayan civilisation lived, from their learning in history.

However, they do not confidently relate this to other civilisations studied in the curriculum.

There is a high focus on outdoor learning. Pupils regularly learn in the extensive school grounds.

This enriches the curriculum and brings learning to life. For example, pre-school and Reception children learn how to work as a team to identify different wildlife in the woodland area. Older pupils confidently create maps of the local area in geography.

The school helps pupils develop positive learning behaviours. They discuss their learning with enthusiasm. This starts in the early years, where children get off to an excellent start.

They develop high levels of concentration and resilience. Children concentrate on tasks for sustained periods of time. The early years curriculum is designed so that children develop positive learning behaviours, independence and resilience.

This builds as pupils move through the school. They develop enquiring minds.

Pupils' love of reading is palpable across the school.

The reading curriculum is well organised and sets out what pupils should know and by when. The school's approach to teaching phonics is effective. Children in the early years quickly learn how to blend sounds together to read simple words.

Staff identify pupils who need more practise. These pupils are given timely support to help them to keep up. Pupils read books that match their stage of reading.

This helps them to practise using their phonic knowledge. They quickly become confident, fluent readers. Pupils learn about diversity and different cultures through the school's reading curriculum.

Pupils learn additional skills and knowledge through the school's personal development programme. Pastoral support for pupils is very strong. The development of pupils' character is exemplary.

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They are encouraged to demonstrate tolerance and respect to others. Pupils are taught how to stay safe in the wider community.

For example, all pupils learn to swim every year due to the school's proximity to the River Avon. This ensures that pupils can enjoy bell boating, which originates in Fladbury. The school goes beyond the expected so that pupils have access to a wide, rich set of experiences.

Pupils understand about healthy relationships and know what it means to be a good friend. They learn how to keep themselves healthy, both physically and mentally. For example, pupils know the importance of exercising and eating a balanced diet.

Pupils gain age-appropriate knowledge about healthy relationships. Enrichment opportunities are carefully considered to enhance the curriculum.

Staff are very proud to work at the school.

They are carefully supported by school leaders. Governors know the school's strengths and areas for improvement well. They provide appropriate support and challenge to the school.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They are supportive of the school and value its importance to the local community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not fully provide opportunities for pupils to build connections between important knowledge and ideas. This means that pupils do not consistently make links to what they have learned before in order to build on what they already know. The school should develop more opportunities for pupils to revisit important learning, to help them to connect knowledge and deepen their understanding across all subjects.