Middleton-on-the-Wolds Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 March 2025

Pupils enjoy attending this small school which they say has a 'big heart'. The school has a distinctive close-knit ethos. Staff know pupils well. Relationships are close and nurturing. As a result, pupils are happy and safe in school. The school has high expectations for pupils to do their best. Pupils respond positively to these expectations and are well prepared for their next steps. The whole school environment has an atmosphere of calm purposefulness. Pupils behave well in lessons and at less structured times. Older pupils are positive role models for their younger peers. For example, children in Reception are welcomed into games with their key stage 2 counterparts. They play together positively and cooperatively. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond to teachers with enthusiasm and curiosity in their lessons. The school provides a number of extra-curricular clubs for pupils to develop their interests. For example, in drama club, pupils revel in opportunities to dress up and rehearse for a performance of The Hobbit. The school recognises the importance of providing pupils with wider experiences to broaden their horizons. On a visit to London, pupils spent the night on HMS Belfast.

What the school should improve

• Despite efforts to improve attendance, the school's actions are not reaching some pupils who are too often absent. These pupils miss significant learning opportunities, which affects their academic progress and engagement with the school community. The school should reinforce its efforts to address persistent absenteeism.
• Some of the guidance to support pupils with SEND is not focused sufficiently well on their specific needs. At times, this means that the ways in which teachers adapt learning for these pupils are not as effective as they could be. The school should ensure that staff benefit from guidance that enables them to take full account of pupils' needs when adapting teaching to meet those needs.
• On occasions, the support that pupils receive with their reading is not as well-aligned to gaps in their phonics knowledge as it could be. Where this is the case, it limits the ability of some pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers. The school should ensure that staff who support pupils with reading have the knowledge they need to implement the school's reading scheme effectively so that all pupils get the help they need to become accurate and fluent readers.

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