Great Budworth CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 May 2026

Provision at this school does not enable pupils to achieve well and has hindered their progress over time. Curriculum design and teaching do not build pupils’ knowledge securely. This means that learning remains fragmented. Pupils are not prepared well enough for their next steps, including transition to secondary education. Pupils move through their education with significant gaps in learning. They are not supported well to catch up from their starting points. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with lower prior attainment are not identified or supported with sufficient accuracy. These pupils do not typically receive the support that they need. As a result, barriers to pupils’ learning persist and progress varies widely. In the early years, weaknesses in curriculum sequencing, assessment and activities limit children’s development. Children are not supported to develop a secure understanding of what they need to learn. Gaps in communication, language, independence and early mathematics are not addressed sufficiently well. Many children begin Year 1 without the necessary foundations for further learning. Most pupils, particularly in older year groups, understand the school’s 3 rules. They participate readily in wider opportunities, including clubs, residential visits and leadership roles, such as the school council. These experiences support pupils’ sense of belonging. However, pupils’ learning of the school’s programme for personal development lacks depth. Pupils experience a kind, welcoming environment rooted in a Christian ethos. They enjoy learning with their peers and value the family feel of the school. Pupils speak warmly about the relationships that they have with staff and each other. They arrive happily each day and attendance is improving, though this development is at an early stage. Pupils’ learning supports their understanding of safety, including how to stay safe online. Incidents of inappropriate behaviour are usually addressed promptly and effectively. Refinements in leadership roles have brought clearer direction and intent. However, these changes are at an early stage. Over time, those in governance roles have failed to prevent a decline in standards or secure necessary improvements. Pupils have been most affected by this.

What the school should improve

• Governors must ensure that they fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including those related to the early years, and develop the knowledge and skills to hold leaders to account effectively.
• Governors must ensure that they develop leadership capacity so that all leaders have the knowledge, skills and support that they need to make the necessary improvements swiftly and effectively.
• Leaders and governors must ensure that monitoring and evaluation focus sharply on impact and lead to sustained improvement.
• Leaders must ensure that the needs of disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are identified swiftly and accurately and that staff receive the guidance they need to support these pupils effectively, including through carefully selected and appropriate adaptations for pupils.
• Leaders must ensure that the curriculum content, including in the early years, is set out sequentially and in its entirety and that staff develop the knowledge and expertise to deliver it effectively, including the appropriate use of assessment information to address misconceptions in pupils’ learning promptly.
• Leaders must ensure that pupils, including children in the early years, secure essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics so they can achieve well across the curriculum and be prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders should continue to improve pupils’ attendance and reduce the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent.
• Leaders should ensure that they review the impact of the programme for personal development on pupils’ knowledge and understanding and make refinements where appropriate.

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