St. Oswald’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school All leaders, including governors, demonstrate dedication to providing a positive, safe and exciting school experience for pupils.

Leaders and managers have set a culture of high expectations. As a result, the quality of teaching is good and improving and pupils make more progress than previously. Leaders and staff have created a community with respect and care for others at its heart.

Pupils' personal development and welfare, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are specific strengths. Pupils achieve well in reading due to high-quality teaching and support to ensure that pupils are challenged and motivated. M...iddle leaders have begun to have a greater role in monitoring across the school.

Some middle leaders, however, have had infrequent opportunities to examine the quality of teaching and learning across key stages. As a result, they lack confidence about the impact of their work on pupils' outcomes. Leaders have focused their attention successfully on improving pupils' outcomes in mathematics.

Leaders recognise that the quality of pupils' handwriting, punctuation and spelling needs to improve further, especially in key stage 2. Overall, pupils are making good progress in mathematics, particularly in their number skills development. However, some pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply their knowledge to problem solving and reasoning.

Since adding the early years foundation stage and key stage 1 to the school, leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition for all pupils between key stages. Children in the early years make good progress because their needs are assessed carefully and accurately. Highly skilled adults support children well through effective questioning and by offering suitably challenging tasks and learning.

Phonics teaching in key stage 1 is good. Most pupils enter key stage 2 able to read with appropriate fluency. Disadvantaged pupils' progress has improved and is now good.

Pupils' needs are analysed with greater precision and they receive effective support to help them to catch up. The progress of lower-ability pupils is more varied. Pupils are proud of their school.

They enjoy the different experiences and opportunities that the school provides. The curriculum brings learning to life for pupils. Leaders provide rich and varied experiences for pupils.

Information about this school

The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is significantly smaller than the national average. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

There are exceptionally few pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is significantly smaller than the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.

The school changed from being a junior school to a primary school with the addition of an early years foundation stage in September 2015; these children then continued their education through key stage 1 and have now reached year 2. The school now offers full primary provision. The school organises before- and after-school facilities on the school site.