Great Bedwyn Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at Great Bedwyn Church of England School. They receive an excellent start to their education. Pupils display immense pride in being a part of this school community.

They eagerly talk about their learning. The school provides pupils with the 'roots to grow' from the moment they start. Pupils thrive as they develop 'wings to fly' and leave the school well equipped for the challenges of secondary education.

The school is clear that there are no limits or barriers to what pupils can achieve. Staff have high expectations. Pupils live up to these.

All pupils progress exceptionally well through the curriculum. Pupils' published test results are high.... The school provides many opportunities to help pupils develop character and a strong sense of moral purpose.

Pupils show a thirst for learning. This begins as soon as they start school. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

They respond well to the high expectations of behaviour, both in the classroom and around the school site. Pupils feel safe. They play happily and harmoniously together at social times.

They are focused and respectful. Pupils are polite to each other and to visitors. They celebrate difference and oppose any form of discrimination.

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

The school sits at the heart of the community. The trust, senior leadership team, staff, governors and parents share in the school's vision and direction. The school is determined to find ways to continually improve.

There is a collective drive to make the school the best it can possibly be. This ambition ensures that pupils receive an outstanding education.

A love of reading is promoted all around the school and is inspired by the enthusiasm of staff.

Reading is prioritised from the moment children start school in early years. There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language. Pupils get regular opportunities to practise and consolidate their phonics knowledge.

Staff use assessment well to check pupils' phonics progress. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them catch up quickly. Staff read books to build pupils' vocabulary and develop their understanding of diversity.

Pupils develop their reading skills and fluency as they move through the school. Everyone is a reader.

The school's ambitious curriculum meets the needs of all pupils well.

The essential knowledge and skills that pupils should learn are clearly identified. This starts in the early years. Subject content is broken down into small steps.

There are regular opportunities for pupils to recap on previous learning. The school has created a culture where pupils are resilient and take risks. Mistakes are seen as valuable learning opportunities.

Pupils retain their knowledge impressively over the long term. The quality of writing across the curriculum strengthens all pupils' knowledge and is exceptional in all year groups. For example, pupils in Year 4 write high-quality essays on the impact of climate change on natural resources.

The school helps pupils to make links between the curriculum's essential knowledge. For example, in geography, pupils learn about river features in Year 3. Pupils build on this in Year 4 where they learn about flooding and natural disasters.

Pupils' knowledge deepens as they move through the curriculum. In the music curriculum, pupils learn the meaning of musical terms, such as pitch and dynamics, in lower key stage 2. They then apply this knowledge when creating musical compositions in Year 6.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified. Information about how to support these pupils is shared effectively with teachers. Consequently, pupils with SEND make strong progress throughout the curriculum in line with their peers.

These pupils participate in all aspects in this very inclusive school.

The school's programme for personal development is exceptional. Pupils make a tangible difference to the lives of others, for example, by serving lunch to local elderly residents.

Pupils make a difference to the world around them. They wrote to the local Member of Parliament (MP) about sewage in a local river to highlight the issue. The MP visited the school to find out further details from the pupils to tackle the problem.

Pupils 'earn their wings' as they move through a journey of personal development at the school.

Pupils have many meaningful opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility. For example, they take on roles as prefects, voice into action, science ambassadors, eco-councillors and playground buddies.

Pupils apply for these roles and are interviewed by the principal. Appointed pupils take these roles seriously, helping them to develop their leadership skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.