Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School, located in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, underwent an inspection on November 21 and 22, 2023. The overall effectiveness of the school was rated as requiring improvement, with specific areas of strength and weakness identified. The quality of education was also deemed to require improvement, while behavior and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision were rated as good. Leadership and management were found to require improvement as well.
The headteacher, Rachel Hornsey, leads the school, which is part of the Ridgeway Education Trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees chaired by Ruth Elliot and managed by CEO Rachael Warwick. The school has a friendly and nurturing environment where staff know pupils well, fostering a sense of care and safety. Most pupils behave responsibly in lessons due to clear expectations, and they understand the school’s values of being ready, respectful, and responsible. Conduct around the school is generally calm and orderly, although there are a few exceptions.
While the school has made recent improvements to its curriculum, ensuring it is broadly ambitious, there are still significant gaps in the quality of education. Teachers' assessments of pupils' learning are not precise enough across the curriculum, leading to a lack of awareness regarding gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills. This issue is particularly evident for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who do not achieve as well as they should in key stages one and two due to insufficiently adapted learning activities.
Pupils in key stage two benefit from opportunities to extend their talents through clubs and after-school activities, such as the ‘star challenge’ for Year 6 pupils, which promotes responsibility and citizenship skills. Younger pupils engage in initiatives like the Sutton Courtenay Class Award, which teaches teamwork and collaboration. The curriculum is well-structured, but staff training has not ensured consistent effective teaching across all subjects, apart from phonics. In mathematics, some pupils do not learn effectively because teachers do not systematically identify prior knowledge before progressing.
Early reading is taught effectively, with staff ensuring that all pupils develop essential skills and become enthusiastic readers. However, while pupils build a wide vocabulary, they sometimes struggle to use it in context. The school excels in art, where pupils learn about various artists and apply techniques to their work. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified accurately, but support is not consistently provided across all subjects, except in early years, where staff adapt teaching effectively.
Children in the early years receive strong support, with high expectations set by staff who help them achieve their goals. The focus on personal, social, and emotional development is highly effective, and children enjoy outdoor learning experiences. The school’s provision for wider pupil development is strong, with a well-designed personal, social, health, and citizenship education curriculum. Pupils learn about democracy through school council elections and are proud of their inclusive environment.
Staff feel supported and enjoy working at the school, appreciating the sense of community. However, improvements in critical areas, particularly for pupils with SEND, have not been rapid enough. The safeguarding arrangements are effective, ensuring pupil safety and well-being. To improve, the school needs to establish a clear approach to assessment across all subjects, ensure effective adaptations for SEND pupils, and consistently monitor the impact of improvement strategies. The school has the potential to enhance its educational provision significantly with focused efforts in these areas.
