Miserden Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Miserden Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is determined that pupils thrive together, and they do. Parents speak positively about the care that pupils receive, including the youngest children in the pre-school.

Pupils enjoy the different subjects they study. For example, they speak enthusiastically about what they have learned about the Great Barrier Reef in geography.

Pupils live up to the school's high expectations of their behaviour.

They follow routines willingly, such as lining up before they go to play outside at lunchtime. Pupils get on well and rarely disrupt each other's learn...ing.

Pupils are keen to uphold the school's values, such as perseverance and respect.

They are determined in their learning and look after each other around the school. Pupils relish the challenge of earning points for their houses, each named after a local farm. They enjoy voting for rewards.

These experiences build their understanding of teamwork and democracy.

Pupils value the range of extra-curricular experiences on offer. They take part in outdoor activities on a residential trip, for instance.

Opportunities, such as these, develop pupils' confidence. Pupils learn about their local environment by participating in forest school. They develop their cultural understanding from artists and singers who visit the school.

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

Pupils follow a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school has identified the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need and the order in which it is learned. A strong focus on vocabulary helps to develop children's language and communication skills, starting from the early years and continuing to Year 6.

In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge cumulatively and deepen their understanding. For instance, in mathematics, pupils develop their problem-solving skills well and learn how to use mathematical language with confidence. In other subjects, however, the curriculum is relatively new.

Therefore, pupils have not developed detailed subject knowledge and skills over time.

Where teachers' subject knowledge is strong, they teach the curriculum effectively. For example, they present new information clearly and provide pupils with suitable opportunities to apply their knowledge.

However, teachers sometimes do not have the expertise to best support pupils to deepen their understanding or help them remember information over the long-term.

Teachers use assessment well in some subjects. Where this is the case, it picks up on pupils' misconceptions, which subsequent teaching then corrects.

In other subjects, the school is still developing its use of assessment. This means that teachers do not typically identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or understanding. Therefore, pupils do not secure the building blocks they need for future learning.

The school has developed an effective early reading programme. Children start learning to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. They read books which are closely matched to the sounds they are learning.

The school tracks precisely how well pupils develop their reading accuracy and fluency. It provides extra support to those who need it. Consequently, pupils become confident and highly motivated readers.

The school has recently strengthened its provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff identify and assess pupils' needs accurately, which means that they are increasingly well supported.

Most pupils attend school regularly.

The school monitors pupils' absence closely and provides suitable support when it is needed.

Pupils collaborate well. They take it in turns to do jobs, such us a setting up the hall for collective worship or helping with the 'puppets' for younger children.

The school encourages pupils to share 'acts of kindness'. Pupils recognise the difference they can make by paying someone a compliment, for instance. This helps them learn how their good choices can have a positive impact on others.

The school has designed and implemented a suitable personal, social and health education curriculum. Older pupils learn about changes to their bodies, for example. Younger children know how to talk about their emotions.

The school plans thoughtfully the books that teachers read to pupils to support their personal development. It encourages pupils to reflect on their achievements and on what they are finding hard. This builds their self-confidence and resilience.

The governing body has been strengthened recently. Governors fully understand their role to support and challenge leaders and do this effectively. As a result, leaders are held to account for improvements, including for the quality of professional development for teachers and support for staff well-being.

This enhances the effectiveness of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers sometimes lack subject knowledge and expertise.

As a result, teaching does not consistently deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding or help them recall their learning over time. The school needs to ensure that teachers have sufficient subject expertise to teach the curriculum effectively. ? At times, teachers do not use assessment well enough.

Where this is the case, teaching does not identify gaps in pupils' knowledge in some subjects. The school should ensure that it checks pupils' learning carefully in all subjects so that teaching is adapted accordingly.

Background

When we have judged school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2020.