Sauncey Wood Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 May 2025

This is a friendly school where pupils are polite and welcoming. Pupils who are new to the school make friends and settle in quickly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Relationships are strong. Pupils show respect for each other, for staff and for learning. The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. Recent improvements to the curriculum are bearing fruit, and increasing numbers of pupils achieve well. Pupils behave well. The atmosphere around the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils are highly motivated to earn house points and badges for their hard work and positive behaviour choices. They enjoy the pride they feel when their achievements are celebrated in assembly. Special moments, such as the joyous weekly singing assemblies, promote a strong sense of belonging and well-being throughout the school community. Pupils enjoy the various educational visits. For example, they go to places such as the zoo, the botanical gardens and the nearby church. They appreciate the chance to 'reset our minds' by taking their learning outside the classroom. Pupils make an active contribution to school life, for example as anti-bullying ambassadors, school councillors or house captains. These roles give pupils agency and develop their sense of responsibility.

What the school should improve

• The school's systems for managing and improving pupils' attendance are not as effective as they could be. Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They miss important learning and other experiences as a result. The school should ensure that it acts with some urgency to support families and improve pupils' attendance so that all pupils are able to maximise their time at school.
• In a few subjects, the newly reviewed curriculum is not yet fully embedded. There are inconsistencies in the teaching of these subjects. Pupils talk knowledgeably and with enthusiasm about their learning in these subjects; however, the work they produce does not reflect the depth of that learning. The school should ensure that it supports teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently well in all subjects and provide pupils with rich opportunities to apply and practise their learning, so that their work reflects secure knowledge and understanding.
• In some areas of learning, the early years curriculum does not set out precisely enough what children should learn. There is a lack of clarity about how the curriculum sets the foundations for later learning in these areas. This means that some children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they could be. The school should ensure that it maps out clearly what it wants children to learn in each area of learning so that they are ready for their next steps by the end of the Reception Year.

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