Down Ampney Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Strong leadership from the headteacher, ably supported by other leaders and governors, has resulted in significant improvements since the previous inspection. The school has a purposeful learning environment where teaching is good and pupils achieve well.

Leaders' rigorous checks on teaching are used to give teachers clear guidance about how to improve their work. They follow their checks with effective support and training. This has ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved rapidly over the past year.

Teachers know their pupils well and plan to make learning challenging and interesting. Consequently, all ...groups of pupils, including the most able, make good progress, and attainment is rising across the school. The provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is well planned.

Pupils receive carefully tailored support that enables them to make good progress. The needs of disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, are well catered for. Increasingly, they achieve as well as others from similar starting points.

The curriculum is designed to interest pupils and create a love of learning. It promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Behaviour is good.

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They have positive attitudes to their learning and apply themselves diligently to their work. Parents strongly support the school.

They value the welcoming environment in which their children learn effectively and feel happy. Children in the early years settle quickly into school life. They are taught well and most make good progress.

At times, teaching is not planned precisely enough to challenge the most able children to achieve as well as they might. Governors are unwavering in their support for the school. They challenge leaders effectively to gain a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development.

Improvement plans are thorough but sometimes lack the precision to enable leaders and governors to know how successful they have been in raising pupils' achievement.

Information about this school

This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised in two classes, with Reception children and key stage 1 pupils in one class, and key stage 2 pupils in the other.

An above-average proportion of pupils have SEN and/or disabilities. The headteacher took up his post in September 2017, first as acting, then as substantive, headteacher. The school operates breakfast and after-school clubs from Monday to Thursday.