Charsfield Church of England Primary School

Overview

Charsfield Church of England Primary School continues to be a ‘good school’, described as a ‘friendly and caring’ environment that feels ‘like a family in its own right’. Pupils achieve well across all subjects and benefit from a recently overhauled curriculum, though leaders acknowledge it will take time to see the full impact of these changes.

Strengths

• Pupils are ‘kind and thoughtful towards one another’, feel safe, and are ‘confident to talk to an adult if they are worried about anything’.
• The new curriculum is well-received; pupils ‘can talk in great detail about what they have learned’ and gain ‘useful knowledge that will serve them well in the future’.
• Reading is given the ‘highest priority’, with a ‘carefully structured reading programme’ ensuring most pupils learn to read fluently by the start of Year 3.
• There is ‘strong provision for children’s learning in early years’, with high expectations for behaviour and a well-planned curriculum linking to Year 1.
• Governors ‘give effective support and challenge to school leaders’ and work well with trust leaders to scrutinise procedures.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure that targets for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are ‘sharply focused’ so progress can be accurately checked.
• Leaders should ensure all adults have ‘consistently high expectations for pupils’ learning behaviour’, as pupils occasionally do not concentrate enough when excited to be with friends.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with ‘robust and effective systems in place to identify and support the most vulnerable pupils’ and staff who are vigilant and well-trained.