Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

This is a friendly and nurturing school. Staff know pupils well. This helps them to feel cared for and safe. Most pupils behave responsibly in lessons because expectations are clear. Pupils know and understand the school's values of 'ready, respectful and responsible'. Conduct around school is calm and orderly for all but a few. Staff waste no time in teaching children routines in the early years. In lessons, pupils work cooperatively. While leaders are keen for all pupils to achieve well, some aspects of the quality of education need to improve swiftly. Teachers' checks on pupils' learning are not precise enough across the curriculum. As a result, the school is not aware of where gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are. However, this is not the case in phonics and art. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not achieve as well as they should in key stages 1 and 2. This is because learning activities have not been adapted to meet their needs consistently. Pupils in key stage 2 welcome the opportunity to extend their talents and interests through clubs and after-school activities. The 'star challenge' encourages Year 6 pupils to take on responsibility and develop their citizenship skills. Younger pupils enjoy contributing to the Sutton Courtenay Class Award, which teaches them vital skills of teamwork and collaboration. Older pupils relish the opportunity to serve on the student council.

What the school should improve

• The school has not established a clear and effective approach to assessment in all subjects. This means that not all teachers check how well pupils have learned the curriculum systematically. Most teachers do not use what they know about how well pupils have learned the curriculum to inform their future teaching. The school needs to ensure that there is precise and consistent use of assessment across the school so that the intended impact of the curriculum is realised.
• The school does not make effective adaptions to learning activities for pupils with SEND across all subjects in key stages 1 and 2. This means that pupils with SEND do not make the progress they should apart from in the early years. The school needs to ensure that all teachers have the right training to support all pupils with SEND to achieve their best outcomes.
• The school does not always consistently check how well its actions to improve specific aspects of the school are working. As a result, some strategies that it is working on are not having sufficient impact. The trust needs to ensure that it monitors and evaluates the impact of improvements more precisely.

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