Sampford Arundel Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher's leadership of the school is strong.

Staff believe that they are very well supported and, along with governors, they share the headteacher's high aspirations for pupils' achievement. Leaders have successfully addressed the recommendations of the last inspection. They have provided relevant training, which has improved teaching and pupils' outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.

Teachers use accurate assessment to plan learning that is mostly well matched to pupils' needs. This ensures that pupils develop and consolidate their knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers intervene appropriately ...in pupils' learning to move their learning on.

However, they sometimes do not identify where further challenge is needed, particularly in mathematics. This hinders pupils from achieving their full potential. The teaching of phonics is consistently strong.

This enables pupils to get off to a flying start in reading. Precisely focused academic and pastoral support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ensures that they make good, and sometimes rapid, progress. Pastoral provision is exceptionally strong because adults care deeply about pupils' welfare.

The support that the school provides is precisely matched to pupils' needs. Pupils are a credit to the school. Their behaviour is impeccable and their attitudes to learning are exceptionally positive.

Pupils are caring and friendly and they form positive relationships with adults and peers. They enjoy school and attend regularly. Children achieve consistently well in the early years, because they are supported effectively to develop appropriate knowledge and skills.

Adults plan exciting activities which help children to become absorbed in their learning. However, occasionally activities do not fully challenge children to achieve their full potential. The curriculum is rich and varied.

Activities that teachers plan for pupils enable them to develop a thirst for learning. However, teaching of the wider curriculum does not consistently enable pupils to match the good progress they make in reading, writing and mathematics. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

They typically comment, 'I am constantly amazed at the school's efforts and the genuine care and consideration shown towards each child.'

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school and has two classes. Class 1 is for Reception and Years 1 and 2 pupils.

Class 2 is for pupils in Years 3 to 6. This school is part of the Wellington Area Rural Federation with Stawley Primary School. The headteacher has been executive headteacher of both schools in the federation since 2014.

The headteacher is also executive headteacher of Langford Budville Primary school, with which the school has entered into a partnership agreement. There is an onsite pre-school which operates on two days per week and caters for children from the age of three. The pre-school is also part of the Wellington Area Rural Federation.

The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium in the last six years is below that of pupils nationally. No pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils receiving support for special educational needs is below that of pupils nationally.

The proportion of pupils with an education, health or care plan is slightly above the national average. All pupils are White British. There are no children in the school who are looked after.