Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit

Overview

Church Vale Primary School and Foundation Unit continues to be a good school, rooted in its community with high ambitions for every pupil to ‘Reach for the Stars’. Pupils love the school, feel well cared for, and benefit from regular enrichment events and a strong focus on behaviour and reading. The curriculum is generally well planned, though there are inconsistencies in how subject leaders sequence learning across all areas.

Strengths

• Reading is a high priority, with a well-structured phonics approach and regular discussions to foster a love of books.
• Pupils display excellent behaviour, are ‘very polite and courteous’, and feel confident that bullying would be dealt with effectively.
• The early years curriculum is carefully planned, with indoor and outdoor areas supporting diverse learning and communication development.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely, appropriate support and access a full, inclusive curriculum.
• Parents are typically supportive, noting that ‘All staff go above and beyond’, and attendance is generally regular.

Areas to improve

• Some subject leaders lack the necessary skills to refine the curriculum or identify the ‘ambitious component knowledge’ pupils need to learn.
• Teachers do not always use assessment data to plan appropriate next steps, leading some pupils to complete work they can already do.
• Leaders must ensure that the high ambition seen in some subjects is applied consistently across the entire curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders ensuring it is always given the highest priority and staff receiving up-to-date training.