Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School

Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School is a small, friendly and harmonious community where pupils are safe, happy and cared for. The school’s values of respect, courage and compassion are evident across school life, and pupils behave exceptionally well, show high levels of tolerance and support one another. Attendance is high, and pupils value their education. The curriculum is broad and rich, with a carefully designed programme of additional activities and a strong character-development offer that builds pupils’ leadership skills from Reception to Year 6. Reading is a central priority and is well taught, with children starting phonics immediately in Reception and becoming confident, fluent readers by the end of Year 2. Reading remains a priority as pupils get older, supported by reading ambassadors and events such as the school literature festival. The school reviews its curriculum and responds to pupils’ needs; for example, changes to mathematics teaching have strengthened pupils’ mathematical understanding. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified swiftly and supported effectively, and governors provide clear direction and hold leaders to account. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is writing in the early years of key stage 1. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are sometimes asked to carry out complex writing tasks before they have mastered basic transcriptional skills such as handwriting, spelling and punctuation. As a result, a few pupils move into Year 3 and beyond with insecure writing skills, which can slow them down and get in the way of learning in other subjects. This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the school was previously exempt from routine inspection after being judged outstanding in 2014; under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade is awarded.

Strengths

• A friendly, harmonious and welcoming community where everyone is valued and cared for
• Pupils behave exceptionally well and show sophisticated tolerance and respect for difference
• Pupils care for and actively support one another, including older pupils helping younger ones
• High attendance reflects pupils’ strong appreciation of their education
• A broad, rich curriculum enhanced by a carefully designed programme of additional activities
• A systematic character-development offer that builds leadership skills from Reception to Year 6
• Every Year 6 pupil holds a leadership role, preparing them well for secondary school
• Reading is a central priority, with well-delivered phonics and strong reading practice
• Reading ambassadors promote reading and help organise events such as the school literature festival
• The curriculum is continuously reviewed, with swift action to improve mathematics teaching
• Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly and supported to learn the same curriculum effectively
• Committed governors provide clear direction and hold leaders to account diligently
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are asked to carry out complex writing tasks before mastering basic handwriting, spelling and punctuation
• A few pupils move into Year 3 and beyond with insecure transcriptional skills, which hinders their written work in some subjects

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School attended 96.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 22.6% of pupils at Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School received £7,727 and spent £7,838 for each of its 93 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £23,000 (£247 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cirencester · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School have?

Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School has 93 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School cover?

Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School?

Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School is at School Lane, Ampney Crucis, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5SD.