St Oswald’s CofE Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The highly effective headteacher and senior leaders share the same drive to make the school as good as it can be. As a result, there have been improvements in the quality of teaching, pupils' achievement and behaviour and safety.

Pupils behave very well whether in or out of class. They welcome visitors and are proud to be members of their school community. The school's work to keep pupils safe is outstanding.

Pupils say that they feel extremely safe because of the hard work of all the staff to keep them as safe as they can be. Teaching is good and there are examples of outstanding practice. Teachers plan lessons which capture pupils' int...erest and so concentration and attitudes to learning are good.

Early years provision is good. The leader has created a close-knit team who all share the same determination to ensure children thrive. Pupils' achievement is good.

From below typical starting points, they make increasingly rapid progress and reach standards that are rising year-on-year. The governing body is well informed and governors use their many skills to hold leaders to account for standards in the school. They have an accurate view of the strengths of the school and where leaders should focus their efforts to bring about further improvements.

Pupils' moral, social, cultural and especially their spiritual understanding are very well developed. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Progress in writing, especially that of boys, is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics.

Teachers do not encourage writing about first-hand experiences often enough so that pupils understand the purpose of their writing. The best practice in teaching and learning evident in the school is not consistently shared among all staff. Middle leaders do not have the experience needed to monitor improvements in their subjects or areas of responsibility.

Information about this school

This is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs is average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium, is higher than average.

The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or those who are looked after by the local authority. The majority of pupils are White British and currently no pupils speak English as an additional language. There have been changes in staffing since the last inspection, particularly within the senior leadership team.

Children attend the Reception class on a full-time basis. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6. The school has worked in partnership with a national leader in education (NLE).