Peasedown St John Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Peasedown St John Primary School. They put into practice the school's values of 'curiosity, aspiration, resilience and empathy'. There is a respectful and positive culture where pupils are polite and courteous.

The school has high expectations for how pupils behave. Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Classrooms are calm and orderly.

Clear routines are in place and most pupils follow them. At breaktimes, pupils play well together. Adults support pupils to understand and follow the playground rules.

Pupils say those with challenging behaviour do not distract them from their learning. Pupils say adults apply the school rules ...fairly.

Pupils feel safe at school.

They say that trusted adults will help them if they have any concerns. Pupils' attendance is high. The school works closely with families to take quick action if attendance begins to fall.

Pupils enjoy a range of school clubs including tennis, sketching and sewing. They are proud of the responsibilities they have in school such as office angels, librarians and computer technicians. Most parents are positive about the school.

The school provides opportunities for parents to understand the school curriculum, for example its approach to teaching phonics.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. It has identified the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to learn.

This helps teachers to know what to teach and when. Teachers use assessment well to make sure pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. They encourage pupils to explain their learning.

Pupils are beginning to do this, using precise vocabulary.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to learn the full curriculum. Carefully selected resources support them to progress well.

The school has implemented an effective phonics programme that children learn from the start of school. There is a systematic approach to teaching phonics. All staff are well trained to deliver this.

Regular assessment ensures that pupils build on what they know. Adults identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and provide them with the support they need to catch up. Pupils' reading books match the sounds they know.

This helps them to build their fluency. Teachers use story time to model reading aloud. Pupils engage well with this.

The school provides teachers with clear assessment guidance. This means teachers can check how well the curriculum is being learned. In phonics and mathematics, teachers use assessment well to check pupils' understanding.

They identify pupils who start to fall behind. Teachers ensure that pupils have time to revisit what they have learned, so they are ready for new learning. In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is new.

In these subjects, the school does not yet know how successful it is in supporting pupils to build their knowledge or identifying any gaps pupils have.

The school has redesigned the early years curriculum. It prepares children to be ready for their next phase of learning.

Teachers use assessment effectively to support children to build new knowledge. They support children to follow classroom routines. This means children are confident and independent learners.

Effective interactions with adults support children to talk and explain about their learning.

Pupils experience enrichment opportunities through a range of trips and visitors. The school works with local experts to plan historical trips so that pupils learn about themes such as slavery through different historical periods.

This helps pupils to understand themselves and the world around them. It supports them to challenge bias and discrimination.

The school has carefully planned its personal development curriculum.

Pupils recognise the importance of being respectful and the importance of the law. They can explain how a recent teaching programme about violence has taught them about the dangers of knife crime. Pupils understand what democracy is and they put this into practice when they vote for their class representative.

Trustees have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and development areas. They offer appropriate support and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some wider curriculum subjects, the curriculum is new. This means the school does not yet know how successful it is in supporting pupils to build their knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects. The trust needs to ensure that the wider curriculum is fully and effectively implemented so that pupils build their knowledge well.

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