Sythwood Primary and Nursery School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 May 2026

Pupils arrive happily here, every day. They enjoy attending this inclusive school where leaders and staff are ambitious for what pupils can achieve. Pupils attend well. Attendance has improved and fewer pupils are persistently absent. Staff support those pupils who need help to attend school well, for example by offering morning clubs and activities that pupils enjoy. This helps pupils to arrive on time, to feel safe and to feel that they belong in school. On the whole, pupils make steady progress from their starting points and achieve well. Staff generally present learning clearly. They check on what pupils know and understand and make suitable adjustments to help them to learn more effectively. Support for some pupils with additional needs, such as those with visual impairments, is particularly successful. Pupils behave well in lessons. They settle quickly to their learning. The youngest children approach activities in the early years with enthusiasm and concentration. Pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement in their learning, particularly when teaching is closely matched to their needs. During social times, pupils enjoy a wide range of activities and play together contentedly. Pupils told inspectors that they are never lonely at Sythwood because there is always someone to play with. Bullying is rare. They know whom to go to if they need help or support. Consequently, pupils feel safe and cared for. Pupils take part in activities that broaden their interests and experiences. For example, pupils describe how educational visits to local places of interest help to develop their understanding of the curriculum. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities such as sports, crafts and singing. These opportunities, alongside the taught curriculum, help to prepare pupils well for the future.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff use their knowledge of pupils to adapt the curriculum effectively, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged, so that all pupils achieve as well as they could.
• Leaders should ensure that opportunities for high-quality interactions are maximised and sharply aligned to the intended learning to further support the development of children’s language and communication skills across all aspects of the early years curriculum.
• Leaders should embed recent changes to the handwriting curriculum so that pupils develop fluency and accuracy in transcription skills.

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