Avishayes Community Primary School, located in Chard, Somerset, underwent an inspection on October 8 and 9, 2024. The inspection revealed that the quality of education at the school requires improvement, while behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development, were rated as good. Leadership and management were also found to require improvement, although early years provision was rated good. The headteacher, Clare Rinaldi, leads the school, which operates as a standalone academy overseen by a board of trustees.
The school environment is welcoming, with strong relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils are well cared for, and any instances of unkind behaviour, including bullying, are addressed promptly. The school has established a culture where pupils feel safe and confident that their concerns will be taken seriously. The support for pupils' well-being is a notable strength, and the school promotes a set of rules that encourages readiness, respect, and safety in learning.
While the early years curriculum is well-structured and ambitious, ensuring a strong start for children, the experiences of pupils in later years vary significantly. In some subjects, pupils do not learn effectively, leading to underachievement. The school has made efforts to improve the curriculum, but progress has been slow. In subjects like science, the school has begun to identify essential knowledge for pupils, but in others, the curriculum lacks clarity regarding what pupils need to learn. This inconsistency results in gaps in learning, as misconceptions are not addressed, hindering pupils' ability to grasp more complex concepts.
Pupils enjoy daily story sessions, and there is a structured phonics programme in place. However, the teaching of early reading is not consistently strong, with some reading materials not aligning with the phonics being taught. While staff effectively monitor phonics knowledge in early years and key stage two, support for pupils in key stage one is less focused, resulting in some pupils struggling to become confident readers.
The school effectively identifies pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and uses individual plans to support their learning. However, the curriculum design in certain subjects limits how well these pupils can learn. The school provides useful strategies and safe spaces for pupils needing help with emotional management, and the pastoral care for mental health and well-being is highly effective.
The school actively engages with parents to emphasize the importance of attendance and identifies barriers to regular attendance. As a result of these efforts, some pupils' attendance has improved. The personal development programme is a strength, offering a variety of experiences that promote understanding of fundamental British values and respect among pupils.
However, the board of trustees lacks an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, which affects their ability to hold leaders accountable for pupil achievement. The trustees need to enhance their role to ensure they challenge school leaders effectively.
The safeguarding arrangements at the school are effective, ensuring that pupils are protected and supported. To improve, the school must act more swiftly to define the essential knowledge and skills pupils need to learn in various subjects. The implementation of the curriculum must be consistent to help all pupils, including those with SEND, build secure knowledge. Additionally, assessment information should be utilized more effectively to identify pupils' understanding and inform future curriculum design, addressing knowledge gaps before pupils progress to new learning.
Overall, while Avishayes Community Primary School has strengths in its early years provision and personal development, it faces challenges in ensuring consistent educational quality across all subjects. The leadership must focus on improving curriculum design and implementation, as well as enhancing the board's understanding of the school's performance to foster better accountability and support for all pupils.
