Houghton CofE School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 May 2026

Pupils enjoy coming to Houghton Church of England school. They receive a warm welcome each morning and trust that adults know them well. Pupils feel safe because staff listen carefully and help them sort out any worries. They trust adults to deal with issues fairly and appreciate the calm spaces available when they need time to think or reset. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including online and when out in the community. They know who to turn to if they need help. Pupils enjoy their learning and are positive about the range of experiences the school provides. They value trips to farms, museums and places of worship. Pupils say these experiences help lessons feel interesting and memorable. They enjoy reading and talk confidently about the books they are exploring. Pupils understand the school’s Christian values of compassion, respect and responsibility. They know how these guide their behaviours and relationships with others. Behaviour is calm, and pupils work well together. Bullying is rare. Staff help pupils resolve disagreements quickly. Older pupils enjoy helping the wellbeing of younger ones and take pride in contributing to school life. Pupils know their views matter. Pupils and staff work together to improve recycling, grow crops and improve play equipment outdoors, for example. Pupils value these experiences and are closely connected to the school. Most pupils achieve well and make good progress from their starting points. They enjoy improving their work and value the support they receive. However, some pupils have gaps in important knowledge, particularly in writing. This limits how well prepared they are for the next stage of their education. Nevertheless, pupils talk with pride about the responsibilities they hold and the way the school helps them grow in confidence. Learning together in a caring community encourages them to be curious, compassionate and ready to take on new challenges.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to evaluate the progress of disadvantaged pupils closely so that additional support is timely, focused on the right aspects and helps them achieve well across the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum, and the way it is taught, enables pupils to address gaps in foundational knowledge, particularly in writing, so that more pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Leaders should ensure that those responsible for governance receive precise information about the impact of the pupil premium strategy so they can support and challenge leaders effectively to further improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

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