Ullesthorpe Church of England Primary School

Overview

This small Church of England primary school is described as an "inclusive" community where pupils feel safe and are "proud to attend." Leaders have driven a successful improvement agenda, creating a "compassionate community" underpinned by strong Christian values and effective governance. The school provides high-quality support for its significant proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Staff know every pupil "extremely well," enabling them to "promptly use well‑established systems" to assess needs and provide timely support.
• The curriculum is "ambitious, progressive and knowledge‑focused," with a strong emphasis on foundational literacy and numeracy that helps pupils "secure the important foundations they need."
• Pupils demonstrate a "deep sense of responsibility towards one another," showing respect, cooperation, and a secure understanding of British values.
• Leaders maintain "positive relationships" with external professionals and the local authority, ensuring vulnerable pupils receive "precise support."
• The early years provision is "purposeful, engaging and carefully organised," with staff skilfully implementing phonics and language development strategies.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should continue to ensure that pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils, and those known to social care, gain the "fluency and accuracy of foundational knowledge" needed to achieve at greater depth and higher standards.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns are actively identified and managed.