St James Church of England Primary School, Hanney

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have created a culture of care and aspiration. They ensure that the school's Christian values combine with academic ambition for all.

Leaders and the trust provide highly effective support and professional development, which have improved teaching, the curriculum and pupils' outcomes well. Governors use their wide range of skills alongside support from the trust to hold leaders to account well. They recognise that subject and middle leaders have only limited responsibilities, with too much falling on senior staff.

Safeguarding is effective. All involved in the school understand the processes and their roles in keeping children saf...e. Teachers make effective use of the strong relationships that they have established with pupils.

Most learning tasks are planned well and build on pupils' prior achievements. Pupils enjoy a broad and balanced curriculum that is supported by extra-curricular activities, including trips and sports. Pupils are confident and well behaved.

They display a love of learning and are proud of their school, especially the buddy system, where Year 6 pupils work to help Reception children. Current pupils make good progress across most aspects of the curriculum, especially with reading. Pupils display a love of reading and are inspired by their teachers' enthusiasm for books.

Pupils' attainment is good overall. It is now in line with, or better than, national averages at the end of key stage 2. However, pupils are not secure when applying their mathematical knowledge to complex problems.

Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are supported well. They make strong progress from their starting points. In Reception Year, children settle quickly and make strong progress.

Phonics is taught well, and children are well prepared for their transition to Year 1. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and the way that staff quickly get to know children and so meet their needs.

Information about this school

St James Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school for pupils aged five to 11.

As a Church of England school, it is part of the Diocese of Oxford. The school converted to become an academy and joined the Vale Academy Trust (VAT), a multi-academy trust, in March 2016. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good in all areas.

The trust directors set the strategic direction of the school and are accountable for the school's performance. They delegate the governance of the school to a local governing body. The headteacher joined St James in January 2016.

She is supported by an executive headteacher from the trust. Other personnel from the trust visit and support school staff and governors as needed. There have been many staffing changes over the last two years.

A breakfast and after-school club for pupils is run by a separately inspected provider. There is also a separately registered and inspected pre-school on the site. These were not considered as part of this inspection.

The vast majority of pupils are of White British origin. The proportion of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is below average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average.

A lower than average proportion of pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school was judged to be good at its last section 48 inspection in December 2016. That inspection reported on the religious character of the school.