A GRAZELEY primary school has been told that it needs to improve by education inspectors.
Grazeley Parochial Church of England Aided Primary School, based in Mereoak Lane, was recently visited by Ofsted, who gave it a “Requires Improvement” rating.
The school was primarily criticised for teaching and curriculum not being properly sequenced so that pupils build knowledge in science and foundation subjects such as art, history, P.E and geography.
A report on the visit states: “While leaders have high aspirations for all pupils to achieve their best, pupils are not yet benefiting from a carefully considered and organised curriculum.
“Pupils cannot confidently recall and describe important information that they have learned in some subjects.
“This means they struggle to make connections and build on what they might already know.”
The school did receive praise for creating its “unique Christian family atmosphere” and cultivating friendly relationships between pupils.
Inspectors also acknowledged the school has been through a “turbulent” period of leadership and teaching staff changes, which has meant important improvements to the curriculum have not been made.
To improve, staff have been told to refine the curriculum so that children build essential knowledge in the foundation subjects.
It has also been advised to put in place an effective assessment process in those subjects so pupil progress can be monitored.
The school is run by governors with the oversight of Wokingham Borough Council and the Diocese of Oxford.
Following the inspection, Jane Critchlow, the recently appointed headteacher, said: “The Ofsted inspection at the beginning of October highlights the strengths of the school.
“These include a ‘unique Christian family atmosphere that is appreciated by staff, parents and pupils’, which can be seen in the sense of responsibility of older pupils caring for the younger ones, and all pupils feeling included.
“We are proud of these strong relationships and will continue to offer opportunities for our children to develop and grow.
Ms Critchlow said the school has acknowledged the areas for improvement highlighted by the inspectors and plans are in place which are supported by key stakeholders.
She added: “The curriculum and assessment, including in Early Years, has been reviewed and is currently being implemented.
“We are also proud that Ofsted recognised the success of our teaching of phonics and early reading skills, and the high aspirations we have for our pupils to achieve their best in their learning and behaviour.”
Cllr Prue Bray, executive member for children’s services at the council, is confident of the direction the school is moving.
She said: “The Ofsted report is very positive about the new head, and recognises that she has already started making improvements and has a clear vision for the future.”
The school was rated “Good” at its last full inspection in 2011, and was visited by Ofsted in 2014, 2016 and 2019.
In 2019, inspectors still judged the school as “Good” but identified a decline in teaching standards.
The most recent visit was undertaken by inspectors Jo Petch and Emma Law in early October and the report was published on Thursday, November 24.
