St David’s Church of England Primary School in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, was inspected on 1 and 2 March 2022. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as good, reflecting the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision, all of which were also rated as good. The school has maintained this good standard since its previous inspection in July 2016.
Pupils at St David’s feel safe and happy, demonstrating politeness and respect towards staff, peers, and visitors. The school’s mission statement encourages the development of inquiring minds, caring hearts, and creative hands. Teachers maintain high expectations for pupil behavior, fostering a calm and purposeful learning environment. While most pupils thrive, a small number struggle with behavior management, occasionally disrupting learning. Leaders are addressing these challenges with support from external agencies, and pupils report improvements in behavior. The school has effective measures in place to handle bullying, ensuring that incidents are dealt with swiftly.
The school offers a variety of extracurricular activities, including clubs, visits, and events. Leaders are collaborating with pupils to create an ‘ambition passport’ to encourage participation in new activities that enhance personal skills. Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils, recognizing the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Most subjects have a well-sequenced curriculum, and senior leaders support subject leaders in enhancing their areas. Subject leaders are enthusiastic about improving the curriculum to ensure pupils retain knowledge effectively.
Leaders have a clear vision for what pupils should learn in most subjects. However, in some areas, such as science, the curriculum lacks clarity regarding the progression of knowledge and skills, which can hinder effective teaching. This sometimes results in pupils lacking essential knowledge before advancing to new topics. Teaching in most subjects is grounded in secure subject knowledge, enabling effective learning. Leaders identify areas where teachers require support and provide training to enhance their subject knowledge, particularly in physical education.
Mathematics instruction helps pupils develop reasoning skills, leading to a solid understanding of mathematical concepts. Reading is prioritized, with a new phonics scheme being introduced, positively impacting pupils in Reception and being gradually implemented in Years 1 and 2. The early years curriculum is well-structured and emphasizes high-quality literature, engaging children in reading. While support for pupils struggling with reading is effective, not all reading materials align with the phonics scheme, prompting leaders to acquire more suitable resources.
Teachers effectively support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring they access the full curriculum. However, some individual targets for these pupils are too broad, lacking specificity in addressing their social and emotional needs. The school has systems to track behavior incidents, allowing leaders to work with pupils and parents to address concerns. A consistent approach to behavior management is being developed, positively impacting pupils’ emotional development.
Leaders communicate regularly with parents, providing opportunities for them to express concerns. The school promotes personal development through various activities, allowing pupils to develop leadership skills and understand citizenship, preparing them for life in modern Britain. The well-being of pupils and staff is prioritized, with initiatives like a multi-sensory well-being garden. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with well-trained staff who know how to respond to welfare concerns. Leaders conduct necessary recruitment checks, and governors regularly review safeguarding practices.
To improve, the school needs to ensure that the curriculum is sequenced logically in all subjects to prevent gaps in knowledge. Additionally, targets for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs should be more detailed to enhance support effectiveness.
