Cheddar First School

Overview

Cheddar First School is described as sitting "at the heart of the local community" with a culture where "nurture and care permeates all areas of school life." The report highlights that the school has "high expectations" for pupil achievement and ensures children are "well prepared for middle school."

Strengths

• The "ambitious curriculum meets the needs of pupils well," with teachers demonstrating "good subject knowledge and confidence."
• Early reading is a priority, supported by "regular and effective checks on pupils’ phonics understanding" and tailored book choices.
• Staff effectively identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), helping them "overcome their learning barriers and achieve well."
• Pupils are "polite and well mannered," consistently following routines and benefiting from strong relationships with adults.
• Attendance has "improved markedly" due to the school challenging poor attendance and working closely with parents.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not check precisely what pupils know, leading to "gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed quickly." The trust should ensure the school "routinely checks pupils’ knowledge" to inform future teaching.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."