Lambourn CofE Primary School is celebrating following an extremely positive Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection, which highlights the strength and impact of the school’s Christian vision. This comes off the back of its equally impressive recent Ofsted report, in which Lambourn was described as “a unique village school where pupils thrive in an almost magical learning environment, and where pupils feel safe and very happy”.
The SIAMS inspectors found that Lambourn’s vision is clearly lived out every day, with the creation of a community where pupils and adults are supported to flourish and encouraged to “look far and look high” in all they can achieve. Leaders were praised for helping everyone understand the importance of the school’s values – love, integrity, grit, hope and trust – and for showing how qualities such as perseverance help during challenging moments. This shared focus creates a “nurturing environment” where “pupils thrive and staff feel a deep sense of fulfilment in their work.”
The report notes that Lambourn’s rich and ambitious curriculum is firmly shaped by this vision. Personal growth lies at its centre, enabling pupils to develop character, confidence and moral understanding, including the engagement “in a wide range of extra-curricular and first-hand experiences. For example, they value their time at art club and looking after Emma, the school hen.” Spiritual development is woven naturally throughout learning, helping pupils recognise that spirituality is part of everyday life, not limited to specific moments.
Inspectors praised collective worship for responding thoughtfully to local, school and global issues. Pupils benefit from daily moments of reflection, using them to consider different perspectives and think deeply about their own uniqueness. Furthermore, the inspectors comment that “Staff say that taking time to be and reflect together is an important, powerful and moving moment for them”.
A deep-rooted sense of community was recognised across Lambourn. It was observed that “People treat one another with exceptional warmth” and that “Pupils feel well cared for”. This culture is embedded through the positive behaviours modelled by staff and is a significant contributing factor to the warm, respectful relationships seen in all areas of school life.
Finally, inspectors highlighted the strong culture of responsibility inspired by the Christian vision: “Pupils take action through being ‘peer mediators’, supporting other pupils by helping to make playtimes happy and purposeful”. Through the curriculum, they think carefully about caring for the environment and making ethical choices, acting with determination on issues that affect both their own community and the wider world.
Maria Cupit, Principal of Lambourn CofE Primary School comments: “We are incredibly proud of this SIAMS report. It is a wonderful affirmation of who we are as a school, with our Christian vision and values shaping everything we do. I am grateful to our staff, governors and families for the part they play in creating such a nurturing and ambitious environment for our children, where they are inspired and encouraged to grow in confidence, compassion and character.”
