Chudleigh Knighton CE Primary, a friendly village school near Newton Abbot in Devon, is ‘living up to its foundation as a Church school’ and enabling pupils to flourish according to the latest SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) report by the Church of England. With an environment that nurtures the wellbeing of all and a community that is committed to living well together, Chudleigh Knighton has been highlighted as a safe, inclusive, supportive school which is outward-looking and nurturing for families.   

   

Simon Westwood, Head of School, said, ‘We make it our mission to encourage every individual to Dig Deep, Learn Together and Embrace Life to the Full within a caring Christian community, and we’ve created an ambitious curriculum and exciting personal development offering to support them in this journey. We aim to raise the standards of education for all our pupils, including those who are more vulnerable, with exciting experiences designed to broaden opportunities, a range of trips to better engage learners, and solid connections with the local community.  

  

‘We encourage our pupils to undertake leadership responsibilities with opportunities to become house captains and ethos leaders, or to take part in the buddy system where older and younger pupils support each other, and also offer our citizenship award which allows children to consider how to improve their local area.'   

   

Chudleigh Knighton was one of the two founding schools to form First Federation Trust in 2006, which has since grown to become a multi-academy of 29 primaries spanning from Plymouth to Weymouth.   

   

Paul Walker, Chief Executive Officer for First Federation Trust, said ‘It has been a pleasure to witness the development of Chudleigh Knighton CE Primary over the years, with their strong connection to the local community, evolving curriculum which continues to be strengthened, and constant commitment to making improvements where required. As a trust, we aim to support the school not only with access to our wider family of schools, but with access to our solid partnership with the diocese. It is excellent to see the spiritual journey of pupils which has been a focus for development this year, and to observe the benefits of the partnership with the local church in collective worship and local events.’  

 

With a Religious Education (RE) curriculum that ‘reflects the context of the school and the needs of the pupils’, pupils appreciate the chance to learn about others, develop empathy and understand a variety of beliefs.   

  

Simon continues, ‘As a school community, we are committed to ensuring people live in unity, with an accessible environment and emphasis on equity and inclusion. We teach children about differences and feel proud of their empathy and respectful behaviour. We have regular focus days where pupils learn about the importance of mental health and wellbeing, and we provide additional pastoral support for families.’