Broadwindsor Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 November 2023

Most pupils enjoy attending school. Everyone is welcome. The school prioritises pupils' mental well-being effectively. Pupils pay close attention during assembly and value the sense of unity as 'one big school family'. Older pupils become great debaters. They enjoy thinking about how their actions can make a difference in the world. There are many opportunities to work with the local community and beyond, such as performing poems at the Remembrance service and raising money for various charities. Pupils take pride in representing the school at sporting events. Dedicated staff offer a variety of clubs, such as woodworking or running. Older pupils develop leadership skills by taking on additional roles like eco-leaders and school councillors. Staff and children in the early years build strong relationships. Here, the curriculum meets children's needs very well. They get off to a great start in Reception. Elsewhere, while many pupils learn the basic knowledge year on year with a degree of proficiency, some pupils underachieve because teaching is not ambitious enough for what pupils could learn. While most pupils pay attention in class, some struggle to concentrate when the expectations of them are not high enough. This slows some pupils' learning.

What the school should improve

• Some subject curriculums do not include the necessary knowledge pupils need to learn next. Pupils do not learn the depth of knowledge they should. The school must ensure that curriculum goals are ambitious in every subject and that pupils gain the depth of knowledge they need.
• There are weaknesses in the implementation of the English curriculum. Teaching does not build on prior learning sufficiently well. Some pupils underachieve. The school must ensure it implements an English curriculum that supports all pupils to learn English consistently well.
• Teaching does not always build the strong subject knowledge that is required for pupils to learn well. Some pupils have gaps in knowledge, or their misconceptions go unaddressed. The school must ensure that staff use all the information they have to plan and deliver sequences of work that meet pupils' needs well, including for pupils with SEND.
• There is not enough oversight of the implementation of the curriculum and school-wide policies. Some agreed expectations are not implemented consistently. Staff can be slow to recognise when pupils need help and support in lessons or at social times when there are fallings out. Governors must ensure that the school implements school policies consistently well so that pupils' learning time is maximised and their experiences of social times are consistently strong. School 3

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