West Buckland Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 July 2022

Pupils flourish at West Buckland School. They are happy, enjoy their learning and say that everyone gets along. They know how the school's values, 'ready, respect and safe', help them to work hard, be polite and learn well. Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils behave well, both in and outside of lessons. They have strong relationships with staff. Pupils know that adults will help them to manage their emotions and worries if needed. They say that bullying is rare and that, if it were to happen, they are confident that adults will deal with it quickly. Pupils enjoy the range of trips and opportunities offered by the school, such as the residential in Year 6 and a visit to the museum. They value the opportunities they have to become sports leaders and prefects, or to take part in performances to parents. Pupils say that these roles help them to grow in confidence, develop their leadership skills and to set a positive example. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent said, 'There is a real sense of family and belonging in the school, and I am proud that my children attend.'

What the school should improve

• In some of the wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the key knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. This means that pupils do not build a deep understanding of these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that all subjects identify the knowledge pupils must learn and when.
• Sometimes, assessment is not used well enough to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught. As a result, some pupils are not able to recall what they have learned. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and remember across all subjects.

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