Slinfold CofE Primary School and Pre School

Overview

This is a small, nurturing school where pupils are “well cared for” and feel “delighted to come to school.” The inspection found that staff build “strong and trusting relationships” with pupils, fostering a positive environment where children show care for one another. The school has moved from a previous rating of ‘Requires improvement’ to ‘Good’ across all categories, including overall effectiveness, thanks to an “ambitious curriculum” and strong focus on pupil well-being.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from a “warm and kind approach” by adults, resulting in high self-esteem and confidence in sharing concerns.
• The curriculum is “interesting and engaging,” with staff bringing learning “alive” through trips and experiences, particularly in mathematics and reading.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive “effective support” that enables them to become independent learners.
• There is a strong emphasis on personal development, with pupils taught to “recognise and regulate their emotions” and celebrate differences.
• Early years provision is effective, with children developing a “love for reading” and confidence in mathematics from an early stage.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, the curriculum is “still very new,” meaning pupils cannot yet recall factual knowledge as confidently as in other areas.
• Teachers in certain subjects do not always “carefully check what pupils have understood,” leading to gaps in learning that are not identified swiftly.
• Leaders need to continue monitoring improvements to ensure precise knowledge is sequenced and misconceptions are addressed across all subjects.

Safeguarding

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