The Royal First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

The school day starts with warm greetings and calm routines that help pupils feel settled and ready to learn. Pupils say they feel safe and it is clear that adults take their safety seriously. Pupils trust adults to listen and to act. They know that staff check concerns closely and respond quickly whenever pupils need help. Around school, pupils are kind, polite and considerate. They play together happily, even in challenging weather, and support one another without prompting. Behaviour in lessons is generally positive and pupils respond well to staff expectations. Leaders’ high standards are becoming established. Pupils understand what bullying is and say adults deal with concerns when they arise. Records show that incidents have reduced markedly over time, reflecting leaders’ sustained focus on this area. Pupils enjoy their learning. They talk enthusiastically about subjects such as science and history and recall key facts with accuracy. Daily reading routines are well understood, and pupils typically make secure progress in phonics. Leaders’ recent work to strengthen the foundations of writing and mathematics sits alongside a wider effort to identify and reduce barriers to learning early. This is achieved through adaptations that help pupils confidently access the intended curriculum. Pupils attend regularly and, by the time they leave, they are well prepared for the next stages of education and for life beyond the school. Pupils thrive through the school’s rich, wider offer. Clubs run before and after school, and many pupils take part. Pupils particularly enjoy the distinctive opportunities created by the school’s setting, such as exploring the on-site museum of royal artefacts. For many, the highlight of their time here has been meeting the King. On one visit, he completed and unveiled a portrait of himself; a moment that gives pupils a strong sense of pride and belonging.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to refine the teaching of handwriting and spelling so that pupils build and secure the essential knowledge and skills they need to improve the accuracy and quality of their writing. • Leaders should further develop pupils’ ability to apply calculation fluency to reasoning tasks so that pupils embed and use their mathematical knowledge with increasing accuracy. • Leaders should continue strengthening the consistency of monitoring and reviewing the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure adaptations are precisely informed by the impact of previous actions.

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