Singleton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and flourish at this school.

They discover and develop new talents, such as performing high-quality musical productions for their parents and carers. Pupils are keen to help others. For example, they take part in a range of fundraising activities, including supporting a school that they are linked with in Tanzania.

Pupils embrace and celebrate diversity. They readily accept challenges to broaden their horizons and to make new friends. Children quickly settle in the early years.

They are exceptionally well supported by older pupils, especially at breaktimes.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate polite and mature attitudes ...towards each other and adults.

Pupils are proud of their many leadership roles. These roles enhance the calm and purposeful atmosphere evident at the school. For example, the junior leadership team make sensible and astute suggestions that help to improve the school further.

The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. It ensures that pupils receive any additional support that they need to access the curriculum. This is especially true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils' passion for learning is palpable. They achieve well in most subjects, including in reading.

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

Pupils benefit from a high-quality education in most subjects.

The published data shows that pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 was exceptionally high in 2023. Pupils typically achieve well across other subjects. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils' achievement is more variable.

This is because teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to use and apply their learning in the work that they produce. In these subjects, the standard of pupils' work is not as strong as it is in others.

The curriculum is ambitious and captures pupils' interests.

Recent developments to the curriculum have ensured that teachers have greater clarity about the key learning that they need to focus on with their class. This helps pupils to build on what they have learned in previous years. They develop secure knowledge in most aspects of the curriculum.

Teachers deliver the curriculum skilfully, observing agreed strategies. For example, they quickly identify gaps in pupils' knowledge or when pupils have misunderstood important information. Teachers provide timely, additional support to make sure that these issues are addressed so that pupils keep up with their peers.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children are introduced to the school's phonics programme as soon as they begin in the Reception Year. They quickly gain a secure knowledge of phonics.

This helps them to read familiar and unfamiliar words.Pupils regularly practise the sounds that they know with well-matched books. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils can read with fluency and accuracy.

Pupils explore a wide range of well-chosen contemporary and classic literature as they progress through the school. They relish the times that are allocated to reading during the school day. Pupils make effective use of their reading knowledge to enhance their learning across the curriculum.

They are keen to try out book recommendations from their teachers, classmates or favourite authors.

Pupils' additional needs, including those pupils with SEND, are identified swiftly. The school makes sure that these needs are met effectively.

Pupils with SEND achieve well as a result.

Pupils' exceptional behaviour and attitudes to school enhances their learning. Lessons and breaktimes proceed without disruption.

Pupils are happy to respond to the school's high expectations for their behaviour and attendance. They understand that attending regularly and cooperating with others helps them to get the most from all that the school has to offer.

The school provides a remarkable number of opportunities for pupils' wider development.

It ensures that all pupils, but especially those who are disadvantaged, benefit from this wide array of activities. Pupils grow in self-confidence and resilience. They were keen to tell inspectors about the many innovative ways that they learn to make a positive contribution to their school and wider community.

Older pupils feel well prepared for moving on to their chosen secondary school. Their secure respect for people who may be different to them also stands pupils in good stead for living in a modern and diverse Britain.

Members of the governing body provide effective challenge and support for the school.

Governors and other leaders focus on ensuring that all pupils achieve as well as they can. Governors ensure that staff workload is not compromised when improvements are planned at 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)

• In a small number of subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunity to use and apply what they already know in the work that they produce. This prevents some pupils from deepening their knowledge over time. The school should ensure that teachers support pupils to build on what they have learned previously across different aspects of the curriculum.

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