Avening Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 June 2026

Pupils are proud to be part of the school community. They arrive at school with beaming smiles and typically settle quickly into their learning activities. Staff know pupils well. Pupils benefit from staff who know when they need additional support. They appreciate that staff do all they can to interact with them and remove barriers to learning. For example, some pupils are helped to recognise and understand their emotions through social stories. Pupils have warm relationships with staff. They say that if they have a worry, there are trusted staff who will support them. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy in school. Pupils are keen to come to school and attend well. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils are confident that if this did occur, staff would swiftly address their concerns. Pupils on the whole achieve well. They enjoy learning number facts, which is reflected in outcomes above the national average in the multiplication tables check. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged make steady progress from their starting points. The school works purposefully with external specialists to help pupils achieve their best academically and personally. Pupils greatly appreciate the resources in the class 'calm boxes', which help them to manage their behaviour independently. As a result, pupils’ attitudes to learning are typically positive. Pupils are polite and considerate. They cherish the friendships they form. Pupils value the wide range of activities available to them at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Older pupils take pride in their leadership roles such as ‘wellbeing leaders' who set up calm spaces during lunchtime for other pupils to colour and draw. They also organise more active activities. Pupils love the variety of experiences and trips that inspire their interest and nurture their enthusiasm for learning. For example, a recent whole-school trip to a local science festival ignited pupils' curiosity for the various insects that they saw and the experiments that took place.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently check pupils' understanding during lessons and use this information to design and adapt learning activities that are accurately matched to pupils' needs.
• Leaders should further develop opportunities for children in the early years to choose their own play, access resources independently and build on their existing knowledge so that they develop greater independence and deepen their learning.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)