Upton Snodsbury CofE Primary School

Overview

Upton Snodsbury CofE First School is described as being “at the heart of the village community,” where pupils “enjoy coming to school” and feel safe. The report highlights that staff know pupils “extremely well,” enabling “highly effective support for their emotional well-being.” While the quality of education and behaviour are rated Good, personal development is judged Outstanding, with pupils demonstrating strong citizenship and community involvement.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit “positive behaviour” guided by core values such as “friendship, respect, responsibility, trust, thankfulness and forgiveness.”
• Leaders promote “personal development exceptionally well,” with pupils actively supporting local charities and community projects.
• Reading is a “high priority,” with a newly introduced phonics programme ensuring “almost all pupils achieve well” and become “confident readers.”
• Relationships in Reception are “warm and attentive,” helping children develop “ambitious vocabulary” and perseverance.
• Staff feel “well supported by leaders,” who provide suitable training and challenge to help them carry out their roles effectively.

Areas to improve

• In “a few foundation subjects,” leaders have not identified the “important knowledge and vocabulary” pupils need, meaning the curriculum must outline “precise knowledge” in greater detail.
• Assessment in some foundation subjects is not used “precisely enough,” so leaders must ensure teachers’ checks are used “consistently well” to identify and address learning gaps.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with clear policies, up-to-date training, and thorough checks ensuring staff are suitable to work with pupils.