St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sits at the centre of the village community. New leaders have engaged well with parents and local societies. They have created stability in the school after many leadership changes.

Leaders have high expectations and are working hard to ensure that these are met through their motto of 'Believe, Thrive, Learn and Shine'.

Pupils come willingly to school. They know that they are coming to a safe place where they can learn.

Behaviour is improving constantly. Routines are in place, so pupils know what to do and the majority follow these routines. Older pupils are strong role models for younger pupils.

They are part of a buddy system and support... children in Reception, especially at lunch and social times. Pupils say that bullying is rare and staff deal with it swiftly when it does occur.

Music and sports are very important features in the school.

Pupils perform locally, as well as within school. Despite the school being smaller than the average-sized school, sports teams are very successful.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since the trust took over in 2020, during the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, they have strived to re-establish a positive learning environment for pupils.

Local leaders from the trust first ensured that the school was a safe place. Systems and policies were put into practice so that staff had clear guidelines to follow.

Curriculums for every subject were quickly revised and these are being used currently by staff.

As a result, pupils are receiving a broad and balanced curriculum in every key stage. Staff receive regular subject training to ensure that pupils learn the most important aspects of the subject they are studying. However, as yet, curriculums in some subjects from Reception to Year 6 have not been evaluated fully because of the newness of these plans.

Therefore, some weaknesses still exist.

Where there are strengths, such as in upper key stage 2 in English and mathematics, the curriculum is well sequenced and pupils retain knowledge over time. This bodes well for Year 6 pupils when moving to the next stage of their education.

Where this is less secure in key stage 1, too many misconceptions are not corrected, so pupils continue to make errors in their work. In mathematics, for example, there are some gaps in pupils' fluency in calculation.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive variable support.

They are cared for, but some aspects of their education are not considered specifically or deeply enough. Consequently, some pupils are not able to access curriculums meaningfully. A recent review has enabled clear targets to be identified, and plans are in place to meet them.

Reading is a priority in the school. Leaders have ensured that books match the sounds that pupils know. In addition, they have widened the scope of class readers and library books so that pupils are reading suitable texts that add to their vocabulary.

Older pupils are gaining knowledge of diversity and difference, which supports their understanding of the wider world and helps prepare them as citizens for the future. Children in Reception learn phonics as soon as they start school. Children are making progress in the phonics curriculum but not as quickly as is needed if they are to be ready for Year 1.

The turbulent nature of the recent past, because of COVID 19 and the lack of stable leadership, left some pupils feeling disconnected from their learning. This, alongside a lack of clear parameters for staff to follow, led to some unruly and disruptive behaviour. Now, most pupils behave well and show respect for each other.

However, there is still a minority of pupils who disrupt learning. The behaviour policy is clearly defined and simple to follow but, at times, some teachers do not use it effectively.

Pupils are rightly at the heart of everything that is done in the school.

Personal, social, citizenship and economic education is taught, but some aspects need tweaking to ensure that pupils fully understand about equality and diversity in the 21st century.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive regular and up-to-date training.

They know how to identify and report any concerns about pupils who may be vulnerable. Leaders of safeguarding make sure that external support is provided at the right level to keep pupils safe.

Recruitment checks are undertaken vigilantly.

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence. Pupils are aware of safeguarding risks.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have curriculums in place but, in some subjects, these need further revision.

As a result, pupils are not learning the key concepts nor building effectively on prior learning. Subject coordinators need to consider how to build cumulatively towards the composite knowledge necessary for the next stage of a pupil's journey in education. ? Sometimes, teachers' expectations are too low.

When this happens, pupils' work of a low standard is accepted. Similarly, the poor behaviour of a few is overlooked when it is disrupting the learning of others. Teachers' expectations must be of a high standard and school policies followed consistently.

• Some pupils with SEND are not able to access the full curriculum. Their learning is hampered by this. Teachers must consider making reasonable adjustments for pupils with SEND so they can follow the curriculum in every subject.

• The plans for the personal social, citizenship and economic education are at a relatively early stage. Consequently, there are some aspects of the curriculum that are not yet embedded, such as finance and an understanding of protected characteristics. Leaders must ensure that pupils have a full entitlement to every aspect of the curriculum for their personal development.

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