Alderbury and West Grimstead Church of England Primary School

Overview

The report describes a school where “kindness, justice and respect underpin daily life” and pupils achieve well from their individual starting points. Leaders have established a culture of care and teamwork, resulting in strong pupil behaviour, high confidence in adults, and consistent academic progress across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Pupils behave very well, acting “kindly, moving calmly and speaking politely” in settled classrooms where bullying is rare.
• Staff build “warm, trusting relationships” with pupils, creating an inclusive environment where children with special educational needs learn alongside peers.
• The curriculum is carefully organised around enquiry questions, helping pupils build secure knowledge and skills in subjects such as history and art.
• Leaders effectively use pupil premium funding and “pupil premium passports” to support disadvantaged pupils’ academic and personal growth.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including clubs, music, and community performances, which broaden their experiences.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should strengthen pupils’ writing to ensure they “consistently produce accurate written work across the curriculum,” addressing inconsistencies in punctuation and handwriting.
• Staff in the early years must ensure activities have clear purposes to “maximise high-quality interactions” and extend children’s communication and language.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed.