Oulton CofE First School

Overview

This ungraded inspection confirms that Oulton CofE First School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school is described as sitting “at the heart of the local community” and being “highly valued by parents and carers.” Pupils are reported to be happy, safe, and achieving well in core subjects, supported by a culture of high expectations and inclusivity.

Strengths

• Pupils consistently follow “ready, respectful, safe” rules, demonstrating they are “incredibly polite and well mannered.”
• Reading is a “top priority,” with staff teaching phonics “consistently well” so that “most pupils achieve high standards in reading.”
• The early years curriculum is “carefully designed,” ensuring children develop essential skills like fine motor control and achieve well.
• Attendance is a “real strength,” taken “as seriously as safeguarding,” with high expectations for regular attendance.
• The school is inclusive, with staff adapting the curriculum and using appropriate resources to ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “well supported to achieve their potential.”

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure it “checks how effectively the curriculum is implemented and how well pupils achieve across the whole curriculum” because it currently lacks a detailed understanding of teaching effectiveness in some subjects.

Safeguarding

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