South Ascot Village Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

Pupils are happy and enjoy each school day. They relish the wider opportunities, including the different trips available to them that enrich their learning. For example, older pupils appreciated the visit to McLaren, where they could apply their mathematics and science knowledge. Pupils also like how the school's rewards and house system connects to the trees in the extensive school grounds. They value the assemblies that celebrate their achievements and love sharing the 'Star of the Week' from each class. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has reviewed the curriculum and ensured that all pupils learn across a broad range of subjects. However, the support to help pupils to become confident and fluent readers is not consistent. In the wider curriculum, some pupils also have gaps in their knowledge and skills. Teachers are not always making appropriate checks on what pupils know well enough to inform what comes next. Consequently, pupils do not always have the reading skills and secure knowledge they need, across the curriculum, to achieve as well as they could. Pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful. They show positive attitudes to their learning, to each other and to adults. Pupils understand the school rules and know that adults are there to help them. As a result, they feel safe and supported.

What the school should improve

• The school's reading curriculum does not help all pupils sufficiently build their reading knowledge and skills. This means some pupils are not able to read and learn well across the curriculum. The school should ensure all pupils secure the necessary skills to be well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Phonics is not taught consistently or precisely and assessment is not regular enough to identify individual pupils' phonics knowledge. Consequently, pupils are not learning to read as well as they should. The school should ensure that improvements are made to the teaching of phonics so pupils become confident and fluent readers.
• Checks on pupils' learning in the wider curriculum are not fully developed. As a result, pupils do not remember what they have previously learned, making it difficult for them to build knowledge over time. The school should ensure that assessment is used to inform future learning opportunities so pupils learn and remember more over time.
• Some pupils are persistently absent. As a result, these pupils miss out on important learning. The school should continue to develop and embed its approaches to securing high attendance to ensure pupils attend regularly.

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