Henley-In-Arden CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 April 2024

Pupils are proud to belong to this truly inclusive school. Staff know the children, parents and carers well. Their genuine interest and care make everyone feel welcome, and this enables the pupils to feel safe and happy and to thrive. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the published outcomes related to pupils' achievement have not been as good as the school would like. However, recent changes at the school have reinvigorated learning and pupils are now achieving well. There is a real buzz in the classrooms and pupils are enthusiastic learners. The school provides experiences and activities that enable all pupils to fulfil the school vision of 'living life to the full'. Staff and pupils have built relationships based on respect and trust. Pupils are well behaved and are kind and considerate to each other. Older pupils care about the younger children. They play happily together, enjoying playground activities such as 'Wheelie Wednesday'. Pupils benefit from trips to museums and local places of interest that help their learning come to life. The children in early years visit a local Chinese restaurant, and older pupils try adventurous activities on a residential trip. These experiences help pupils to develop their independence and prepare them well for the next stage of their education.

What the school should improve

• In some lessons, assessment is not used as effectively as it could be to check whether pupils have remembered previous learning. As a result, teachers do not always have a clear understanding of the gaps in pupils' knowledge, and some activities do not match what pupils know, allowing misconceptions to persist. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check the right things at the right time in order to ensure that pupils can use and build on previous learning.
• The school has not provided pupils with enough opportunities to experience first hand the richness and diversity of different cultures in modern Britain. As a result, pupils do not have a detailed-enough knowledge of different faiths and cultures. The school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to learn about other cultures in a meaningful way to develop their understanding of the cultural diversity of modern Britain.

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