St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 April 2024

Care, kindness, and warmth are on offer to all who attend St Oswald's. The staff, pupils and local school community work in harmony. Staff and pupils live and breathe the school's vision of 'Learning for all, caring for each other, preparing for the future'. The school has the highest of ambitions for all pupils. These ambitions are both academic and social. The broad, exciting curriculum, sparks interest and curiosity in the pupils, who have a thirst for new knowledge. Staff bring learning to life through well-chosen activities. Pupils are independent learners; they are given the freedom to discuss what they are learning in class. This contributes to the positive progress pupils make. Pupils are confident. They trust adults in the school and freely turn to them for help and advice when they have worries. Pupils actively enjoy spending time with each other. They care about each other. Pupils are quick to make sure that any visitors to school know that if you are a pupil at St Oswald's, you will always have a friend. Behaviour in school is excellent. Bullying is very rare. When it does happen, it is promptly dealt with in a robust manner. The children in the early years learn in an environment that is carefully considered. Staff and children interact positively. This helps the children to think more deeply as they consider questions that adults pose. Staff encourage curiosity in them as they effectively explore different threads of learning with the children. This positive start in early years helps to set children off on a journey of joy and success in school. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are integral members of this school community. All pupils learn and play together. Staff have the knowledge and skills to support pupils' individual needs.

What the school should improve

• The school has recently refined their thinking around curriculum design, in order to use what is working well to support pupils' achievement in all subjects. The impact of these changes is not embedded. Pupils do not consistently achieve the school's ambitious expectations. The school should continue to support middle leaders and staff to consistently implement the updated curriculum in all lessons to help pupils achieve the highest possible outcomes.

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