Meare Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have worked collaboratively to create the school vision of 'today a seedling – tomorrow a flower.'

This permeates through the school. Older pupils are proud of the care they show towards younger pupils and children.

Pupils learn to mediate and help one another when there are friendship issues.

Bullying is rare and pupils are confident staff help them resolve issues if they arise. Pupils take their roles as well-being ambassadors seriously. They check and make sure their peers are well.

Around school, pupils conduct themselves calmly. They enjoy the activities for play, such as the bike trail. In lessons, a few younger pupils do not ...demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning.

Staff respond to this, although sometimes this is not quickly addressed.

Pupils take a proactive part through many leadership roles to contribute to school life. They vote democratically and have a good knowledge of how fundamental British values underpin their roles as pupil leaders.

For example, the pupil council represent the school. The school council seek the views of others to discuss with leaders. Pupils enjoy the work they do.

They feel listened to and their contributions valued.

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

Children in Reception class are well prepared with the foundational knowledge they need to prepare them for their next steps. Having a love of reading begins with the stories and rhymes the school plans for children to share.

It grows through the school. Pupils have many opportunities to read a wide range of literature. The school ensures pupils in the early stages of learning to read progress well to secure their reading knowledge.

When pupils need more help, staff focus on the sounds they need. Pupils enjoy reading to adults. The adults skilfully support pupils to become more fluent in their reading.

The school has planned a broad curriculum. When new leadership joined the school, the school focused on deepening some foundation subjects. Although the school monitors its processes, it does not effectively quality assure the full curriculum.

As a result, the school does not have clarity on some areas for development. For example, the order pupils learn in a few parts of the curriculum is not well sequenced and so pupils do not build on what they have previously learned. When this happens, pupils recall less.

In mathematics, children in Reception class learn their number bonds through the learning activities planned for them. Older pupils talk about their mathematical knowledge and describe how they use procedures. The school has explicitly planned the vocabulary it wants pupils to know across the curriculum.

This helps pupils to have a wide range of language to talk about their learning.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need. Teachers have training from professionals to enhance their knowledge about the specific needs of pupils.

This helps them to adapt the learning for pupils. As a result, they make sure the next steps set for pupils with SEND are appropriate.

Pupils, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, attend school well.

The school ensures there are robust systems to track how well pupils attend and what might be the barriers when pupils do not attend well. The school uses alternative provision specifically to support the individual needs of pupils. It carefully selects provision and monitors how well it can provide additional support.

Pupils enthusiastically learn about and discuss inclusivity and respect. As a school, the work to understand different characteristics has led to deeper empathy and understanding among pupils. For example, pupils produced a short film about racism which they shared with the community.

The school uses 'umbrella questions' to encourage pupils to debate a broad range of themes. Some parents comment on how this thinking continues at home.

The school plans a well-structured personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum.

Pupils learn about relationships and body changes in an age-appropriate way. More recently, the school has focused on pupils being active and keeping healthy. Pupils enjoy the one mile walk around the school, using the time to look at nature and talk to their peers.

The governing body has supported the school through a period of change. Governors are outward looking and use their expertise to challenge and support the school. The new headteacher has shared a clear vision for the school which staff embrace.

The school plans professional development to develop the expertise of staff and subject leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not effectively check some parts of the curriculum.

As a result, the school does not have a well-informed knowledge of the specific areas for improvement. The school needs to develop the expertise of subject leaders to monitor the impact of the curriculum well. ? A few parts of the wider curriculum are not well sequenced.

As a result, pupils do not build on their prior learning when they learn new content. Teachers do not have the detail they need to assess how well pupils are moving through the curriculum. The school needs to ensure all foundation subjects are well sequenced so pupils can remember more of their learning.

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