Cowley St Laurence CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 March 2022

Pupils enjoy coming to this school and feel safe. Pupils and families know that staff have high expectations for behaviour. Pupils said that bullying rarely happens. If there are any issues, they know that they can speak to adults. While incidents are rare, adults resolve any that do occur quickly and effectively. Pupils are proud of their school and welcome visitors. They enjoy talking about the learning they do in class and about keeping healthy in the playground's outdoor gym. Older pupils take on a range of responsibilities. For instance, many volunteer as play leaders for younger pupils at breaktimes. Other pupils play an active role in the school council. They like being able to organise whole-school events, such as the upcoming celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Children in the Reception and Nursery class learn in a space designed to foster their independence. Adults are skilled in promoting children's language development. They provide rich opportunities for children to build up their vocabulary and explore the world around them, from melting blocks of ice to hatching ducklings. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from an ambitious curriculum and typically achieve well. Year 6 pupils said that their teachers have prepared them well for secondary school.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not thought as carefully about what pupils need to learn and in what order. Where this is the case, it is not clear exactly what ideas and knowledge pupils need to be taught. To address this, leaders should refine their curricular thinking in these subjects. They should provide teachers with greater clarity on what pupils need to learn in order to build up and deepen their knowledge securely.

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