Oldbury on Severn Church of England Primary School

Overview

Oldbury on Severn Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school, described by parents as ‘a gem’. Pupils feel safe, well looked after, and enjoy their learning, particularly in creative areas such as forest school. The school maintains a caring ethos with high expectations for behaviour and achievement, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Pupils ‘love coming to school’ and benefit from a ‘varied and creative learning styles’ curriculum, including outdoor classrooms.
• Leaders have crafted a ‘well-planned mathematics curriculum’ that builds on prior knowledge, fostering confidence in reasoning and problem-solving.
• Staff receive ‘high-quality training in phonics’, ensuring younger children learn to read fluently and those who struggle are swiftly supported.
• The school fosters a ‘calm and orderly atmosphere’ where bullying is ‘extremely rare’ and pupils are taught to be kind and respectful.
• Staff appreciate the partnership with Olveston CE Primary, which supports professional development and helps manage workload.

Areas to improve

• In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not implemented as effectively as in others, meaning teachers do not always account for the precise knowledge pupils need to learn and remember.
• Staff expectations for the presentation of work are not high enough, leading to untidy work and avoidable errors in calculations; leaders must ensure consistently high expectations across all subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders creating a strong culture where keeping pupils safe is everyone’s responsibility and staff are confident in following procedures.