Bemerton St John Church of England Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's vision for pupils to develop compassion and selflessness is exemplified with 'Through love, serve one another'. Pupils demonstrate care for others during social times through their esteemed ambassador roles. Collaboration during projects between year groups helps pupils get to know each other well.

Older pupils love the many opportunities to foster strong relationships with younger pupils.

The school has high ambition for pupils to achieve well. The school's 'golden rules' make clear how pupils should behave.

Consequently, pupils work hard in lessons and are eager to do well.

The school's wider offer for pupils has been meticulously cons...idered. For example, pupils benefit from a thoughtfully planned careers curriculum that goes beyond the expected.

They have a range of ambitions and they know how their learning can lead to different careers. The school has also carefully decided on trips and visitors. For example, the school invited Wessex Water to host workshops on rivers.

Pupils visit Stonehenge linked to their history learning. Clubs include taekwondo, mini marathon and gardening. There are high levels of participation in these clubs, including from those who are vulnerable.

This is due to leaders' analysis of what pupils enjoy and their encouragement to join in.

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

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum. It has sequenced the important knowledge pupils need to learn so that it builds progressively from the early years.

The school has decided on 'forever facts' that teaching focuses on. This helps pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the curriculum well. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils can explain how to serve accurately when playing tennis.

In science, pupils talk confidently about what a circuit needs to be able to work. In a minority of subjects, however, the knowledge of how a subject is studied and the concepts that pupils need to learn about at each stage are not sequenced as well. This means some pupils cannot remember this knowledge as readily.

Clear modelling of lesson content and teachers' secure subject knowledge means pupils develop their understanding well over time. Resources, such as the use of tens frames in mathematics in the early years, help children learn different ways to make 10. The school has oversight of how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

It makes revisions to the curriculum as a result. Assessment of the school's 'forever facts' means that any knowledge that pupils are less secure in is revisited in the majority of cases. However, in some subjects, assessment of pupils' learning is not precise enough.

Consequently, some gaps are not identified and addressed.

Teaching pupils to read quickly is a high priority for the school. Staff have been trained to teach early reading.

Pupils are frequently assessed so that the books they read help them practise the sounds they are confident in. Any pupils who fall behind are given swift support to keep up. The school has chosen the books it wants pupils to explore to include a variety of text types and cultural backgrounds.

Pupils value the personalised school bookmarks they receive to encourage them to read. A close relationship with the local library inspires pupils to run the school library themselves. Pupils develop confidence and a love for reading.

The school's approach to behaviour centres around strong relationships with pupils. This begins in early years, where children settle quickly. The values of 'respect, wisdom, fairness, perseverance and thankfulness' are well known by pupils.

This helps them behave well. The school has worked tirelessly to reduce and remove barriers to pupils' attendance. Leaders' thorough tracking of attendance encourages pupils to attend well.

Pupils demonstrate a secure knowledge of the wider world. They have a deep understanding of religion and of different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. The many leadership roles, including eco, school and church councillors, develop character.

Pupils enjoy extra-curricular provision at the school because it builds their independence. They know the fundamental British values and how they apply to their own lives. As a result, pupils are extremely well prepared for their next stage.

Staff value leaders' consideration for their workload when any new curriculum initiatives are introduced. Those responsible for governance, including trustees and local governors, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. They hold leaders to account effectively for the quality of education.

Trustees and governors work together to support and challenge leaders. Together, they aim to provide the best education they can for the pupils of Bemerton St John.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school has not clearly identified and sequenced the most important subject-specific concepts that they want pupils to learn and revisit. This means some pupils do not have a secure understanding of this knowledge. The trust and the school should ensure that the key concepts to teach in these subjects is clear so that pupils can deepen and secure their learning over time.

• In some subjects, assessment of pupils' learning is not precise enough. This means the exact gaps that some pupils have are not always addressed. The trust and the school should ensure that assessment identifies and supports pupils' gaps so that they can develop fluency and learn the curriculum well.