Highburton CofE First Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils thrive at this rural village school. Warm, respectful relationships between pupils and staff help create a positive sense of community. Pupils demonstrate the school values of kindness and helpfulness through the way they play and take care of one another. Pupils acting as ‘positive peers’ celebrate those who demonstrate the school's values by giving them stickers and praise. Older pupils enjoy supporting their younger peers during breaktimes. They know how important it is to be a good ‘buddy’. Pupils know that their teachers care for them. This makes them feel safe and that they belong. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They apply these expectations consistently. As a result, the school is typically calm and orderly. Learning takes place in classrooms that are hives of productivity. Bullying is extremely rare. However, when it happens, leaders take swift action to resolve it. Recent initiatives, such as the behaviour council, give pupils a say in how behaviour is managed and rewarded. This is bringing greater consistency to pupils' behaviour throughout the school day. Pupils enjoy a well-taught, rich and exciting curriculum. Staff bring the curriculum to life through carefully planned opportunities and visits. Because of this, pupils enjoy their learning and take pride in the work they produce. Effective school approaches and well-trained staff quickly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The barriers to learning that these pupils face are removed. Pupils work hard and achieve highly. Their positive attitudes to school contribute to the high levels of attendance that the school achieves. All pupils benefit from a wide variety of clubs, trips and experiences. Annual residentials to activity centres help to develop pupils’ self-confidence and independence. Pupils enjoy their visits to many different places of worship. This broadens pupils’ appreciation of the societal differences that exist outside of Highburton.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should build on their work to ensure older pupils secure their handwriting and spelling skills more rapidly.
• Leaders should ensure that the high expectations that they have for pupils’ behaviour are realised with greater consistency, across all classes and at all times of the school day.

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