St James and Ebrington Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 March 2026

Pupils feel a deep sense of belonging at this school. Staff welcome all pupils warmly. This also includes a significant proportion of pupils who join the school part way through their education. They quickly feel they belong to the school community. Pupils' recently improved attendance reflects their enjoyment of school. The school's approach to behaviour is centred around caring and positive relationships between staff and pupils. This helps pupils to behave well. Staff encourage pupils to consider and help each other. This starts in the early years, where children play happily together, and continues as pupils move through the school. As one pupil reflected, 'The whole school is like best friends.' Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly by staff. Pupils generally learn well across the curriculum. By the time they leave Year 6, most pupils are ready for the challenges of secondary school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are helped to get the right support they need to be successful. Pupils who visit 'The Hive', to help manage their emotions, talk about how this helps them to feel happy and confident when learning alongside their peers. The school provides a range of interesting opportunities beyond the classroom. For example, the school holds its own literacy festival, including author visits, designed to inspire pupils' writing. Pupils take on leadership roles enthusiastically, such as house captains and peer mediators. This develops pupils' sense of responsibility and allows them to contribute to school life. Pupils enjoy a range of trips, such as visiting a Roman villa, to enhance their understanding of the wider curriculum. Pupils learn to understand and respect how people can be different. This helps to prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should embed the improvements made to the teaching of writing, particularly ensuring that pupils use accurate pencil grip and letter formation so that they can write fluently and accurately across the curriculum.
• Leaders should sustain the recent improvements in overall attendance and persistent absence by working closely with parents and carers to ensure that pupils attend well.

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