Doddiscombsleigh Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 April 2023

Pupils are very happy coming to this small and friendly school. They are proud to be part of the 'Doddi family'. Both school and federation leaders have high aspirations for all to achieve to the best of their ability. Pupils are keen to learn and show curiosity in lessons. One pupil said, 'learning is like playing for the brain'. Leaders reward success and positive behaviour. Pupils are eager to earn house points and badges for their behaviour. They wear their badges with pride. Pupils demonstrate the school's core values of respect, resilience, aspiration and kindness at all times. Pupils demonstrate warmth towards one another through these values. No one is left out. Pupils have a good understanding of British values. Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities which develop their character and interests. These include visits to coastal locations and places of worship. Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular clubs including mountain bike club, skipping and sports clubs. Parents and carers are positive about the education their children receive. One view, shared by many, included, 'The school offers a happy environment where children and parents all feel part of the Doddi Family.'

What the school should improve

• Staff regularly check what pupils know in the core subjects. However, leaders have not fully developed such strategies for the foundation subjects. Teachers do not regularly check how successfully pupils learn the full curriculum. Leaders need to make sure that strategies to check pupils' knowledge in the wider curriculum are informative, correctly identify gaps in pupils' learning and are manageable for staff.

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