Ewhurst CofE Aided Primary School

Overview

Pupils feel “known as individuals” and “safe and confident” within a close-knit community where staff respond swiftly to issues. The school has made “significant changes” since its previous inspection, resulting in a “Good” quality of education where pupils “usually achieve well” and enjoy an “ambitious curriculum.” Leaders are “enthusiastic” and provide effective support, ensuring pupils develop into “well-rounded modern citizens” with positive attitudes towards learning.

Strengths

• Pupils develop into “fluent and accurate readers” through effective phonics teaching and a clear “love of reading.”
• Staff “accurately identify the needs” of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), providing “swift” and “effective” support.
• Attendance has improved significantly due to “rigorous systems for tracking” and constructive collaboration with parents.
• Pupils behave “consistently well,” are “friendly,” and show a strong sense of belonging and pride in their local community.
• Governors are “well informed” and provide a “solid mix of support and challenge” to school leaders.

Areas to improve

• In some curriculum areas, checks of pupil knowledge are “not sufficiently rigorous,” meaning pupils sometimes struggle to “make connections to prior learning.”
• The school should ensure pupils’ understanding of key knowledge is “secure before introducing new learning” to help them apply content effectively over time.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”