Mepal and Witcham Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 March 2023

The school is set in a rural location in one of the two villages it serves. It is a friendly and welcoming school, with plenty of space for pupils to learn, both in their classrooms and outdoors. The school's small size means that everyone knows everyone. Pupils enjoy coming to school and having fun with their friends. Some pupils travel long distances to attend the school. Leaders want the best for pupils. They are determined that all pupils should be able to read well, and know about a wide range of things, by the time they leave the school. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on this, pupils generally achieve well at Mepal and Witcham. Pupils say that their teachers help them when they get stuck. Leaders also have high expectations about behaviour. Pupils respond well to these expectations. They are polite and respectful. They listen carefully to their teachers and follow the school's rules. Pupils feel safe at school. They say that bullying is rare. They are confident that staff will always sort out problems if they do arise. Pupils say that the staff will always listen if they are worried about anything.

What the school should improve

• Phonics is further developed, and more closely matched to pupils' needs, in some year groups than in others. This means that a small number of pupils do not learn phonics as well or as quickly as they could. Leaders should take action to ensure that the phonics teaching is closely matched to pupils' needs in all year groups it is taught.
• The curriculum is less developed in some subjects, such as music and geography, than it is in others. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well in these subjects. Leaders should continue their work on developing the curriculum, as well as consolidating the work already done so that pupils achieve highly across the full range of subjects.

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