Combs Ford Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

At Combs Ford, pupils are happy. At breaktimes, they enjoy activities such as choosing books from the reading shed. Pupil play leaders kindly support younger children to play various sporting games. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to them and help them sort any issues out. This helps pupils to keep safe. Staff have high expectations for behaviour. Pupils meet these by following the 'Rainbow Rules'. Pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions receive effective support. Staff support pupils to use the 'quiet club' at lunchtimes. This is a calming space for pupils to reflect and talk about their feelings. Pupils have experienced some recent improvements to their learning. For example, they now study a full range of subjects and benefit from a consistent approach to learning to read. However, all of this is relatively new. The changes are not yet fully embedded. Consequently, not all pupils achieve as well as they could. There are many opportunities for pupils to pursue their interests. Pupils who are part of the school council worked with a local charity to get a 'buddy bench' for their school playground. Eco-councillors undertake litter picks. These support their learning about being responsible citizens.

What the school should improve

• Teachers do not routinely correct pupils' simple handwriting or spelling mistakes or their writing of the sounds they have been taught in phonics. As a result, gaps in pupils' knowledge grow. These gaps hinder their progress through the writing curriculum as they move up the school. The school must ensure that systems to correct pupils' errors in handwriting and spelling are consistently applied so that pupils are supported effectively to improve these key skills.
• The school has made many recent improvements to several subjects, although these improvements are yet to be fully embedded. The trust has not yet ensured that all staff have the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver these newly agreed strategies. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and struggle to build upon prior learning due to inconsistencies in teaching delivery. The school should ensure that all staff effectively and consistently deliver the newly agreed strategies across all subjects and classes.
• There have been significant changes to staffing over the past academic year. This has led to inconsistencies in the delivery and development of the curriculum and low pupil outcomes. The trust, governors and school leaders must ensure that their development of the curriculum is robust, therefore driving effective school improvement strategies to help raise pupil outcomes.

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