The Abbey CofE VA Primary School, Shaftesbury

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 December 2022

Children get off to a great start in Reception. Across the school, pupils usually get along well together and enjoy school. If bullying happens, staff deal with it. Almost every parent and carer would recommend the school. The vast grounds are set up for exploring. The regular forest school fosters teamwork well. Pupils gain a strong sense of service to the community. For example, they go carol singing at local care homes and undertake charity work with the Rotary Club and local hospital. This helps pupils understand how to be good citizens. There is something for everyone at lunchtime. For example, the outdoor classroom is a great place to make and do. Pupils learn how to grow plants and vegetables. For those who love climbing, the outdoor play equipment is a priority. Lego club is also a favourite. Pupils say that the peace garden is a special space and when their classmates visit it, they respect that they want time to be still and reflect. Pupils' mental and physical fitness is a top priority. Sport is high up on the agenda; there are many clubs and sports fixtures to attend. During their time in school, pupils learn well across the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• A few subject curriculums require further refinement. Where these are less developed, the curriculum does not ensure that pupils gain all the information they need to excel. Leaders need to ensure that staff implement a curriculum that enables all pupils to know and remember the depth of knowledge they need to learn well in every subject.
• There are relative weaknesses in how staff assess what pupils know and how they use this information to further secure pupils' understanding of the curriculum. There is too much time spent on testing what Year 6 pupils know. These pupils are not building on all their prior knowledge across the wider curriculum sufficiently well this year. There has been a delay in supporting a small minority of pupils in Year 1 to become fluent readers. Leaders and governors must ensure that all pupils receive a broad curriculum that builds on their prior learning consistently well and that leaders are prompt in ensuring that staff address any gaps they identify in pupils' knowledge swiftly.

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