The Downs Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 September 2023

Pupils flourish at this warm and welcoming school. They are taught to be kind and active citizens. Pupils embrace the school vision of 'nothing is impossible' and are keen to play an active role in the school community. They value the varied leadership positions such as charity champions and curriculum consultants. The school encourages them to be friendly and responsible. Pupils demonstrate these qualities through their positive attitudes and relationships with other pupils and staff. Pupils are respectful. They happily play together at playtimes and calmly move around the school. Pupils benefit from nurturing relationships with staff. They trust that adults in school will listen and care for them. This creates an environment where pupils feel safe. The school has high expectations of pupils' learning. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are keen to learn and so work hard. As a result, they achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils appreciate the wide range of trips and experiences. Visits to the British Museum, climbing walls and engaging with amateur dramatics have supported pupils to discover new interests and talents. Pupils relish the opportunities in school and the variety of clubs during, before and after school.

What the school should improve

• A small number of pupils read books that are not sufficiently well matched to their reading ability. At times, this slows their reading progress. The trust should ensure that pupils read books that are accurately matched to the sounds they have previously learned.
• Attendance is too low for some pupils. This hinders their learning, as they miss out on learning essential content. The trust should redouble their efforts so that the attendance of disadvantaged pupils improves.

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