Saint Michael CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are charming. They strive to achieve the 'lead learner' or 'super citizen' awards. Pupils like the way that collecting 'smilies', 'stars' or 'merits' for achievement, effort and behaviour leads to rewards.

These include individual rewards as well as ones for their 'house' team. In this way, pupils appreciate opportunities for teamwork. The different residential trips add to this.

Pupils visit places and take part in activities they may not otherwise experience.

Pupils are keen to learn. They like working with a partner to answer questions and solve problems.

Most pupils remember lots of what they learn. For example, Year 5 pupils know the link... between decimals and fractions, while Year 3 pupils keenly describe life in the Stone Age. However, when it comes to reading, there are pupils who struggle to read the books they receive.

Struggling to read makes it harder to achieve well across the curriculum.

Pupils feel safe. Bullying happens, but staff work with pupils to resolve it.

Pupils know staff are calm and fair. Therefore, pupils trust and confide in staff if they have a problem.

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

Governors support the well-being of school leaders, staff, pupils and their parents well.

This ensures school is a happy place. However, governors lack strategic oversight of aspects of the curriculum and wider school systems. School leaders do not share all information clearly with governors.

Equally, governors do not request all the information they need. As a result, governors lack the knowledge to check and challenge carefully. This means issues are not identified and resolved efficiently.

The reading curriculum in its current form is not working as well as it could. Some staff leading lessons and providing additional support do not use assessment well to target weaker readers. These pupils then receive books they cannot read.

The changes to phonics in the Reception Year work better. Staff call upon their training and experience to ensure more children keep up with the pace of the phonics programme.

In other subjects that form the school's curriculum, leaders have set out the specific end points they want pupils to achieve.

Leaders train teachers to understand these. This helps teachers introduce concepts in a sensible order. Teachers also arrange appropriate activities for pupils to complete.

Assessment is mostly used well to identify what pupils do and do not know to inform teaching. For example, in mathematics, there are opportunities for pupils to correct mistakes once they receive written feedback. Leaders are continuing to strengthen the systems for checking what knowledge pupils recall.

Still, what is in place currently works, where pupils remember much of what they learn. Because activities are matched to the needs of children in the early years, children can access the ambitious activities staff provide.

Other than in reading, the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities helps them to thrive.

Sometimes, there is difficulty accessing external support. Leaders and their staff call upon their experience and creativity to mitigate this. They arrange appropriate support that meets pupils' needs.

For example, the 'sunshine room' provides some pupils with a calm, focused space. There, they can complete schoolwork and practise their social skills through turn-taking games.

Many pupils behave kindly.

The simple approach to the school rules means staff and pupils understand and follow leaders' expectations. Staff in the early years introduce children to this particularly well, settling children using clear routines. This strong start then continues into Year 1 and beyond.

When a pupil needs additional support, well-trained staff provide this in a timely, patient way. For example, the 'rainbow room' is a safe space where pupils learn to manage their feelings.

There is a clear system for overseeing attendance.

The hard-working staff involved quickly identify and address problems with a pupil coming to school. Staff sensibly balance the need to support and challenge families. Consequently, pupils attend school regularly.

The personal development programme is well thought out. Pupils are caring and measured in how they talk about differences among people. Pupils across the school write application letters to take on responsibilities.

This helps them understand the world of work, teaching them to be aspirational. These roles also encourage pupils to be charitable. For instance, the pupil librarians give up their time to help younger pupils select books to enjoy with an adult at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff and volunteers receive suitable checks and training. Pupils learn to stay safe through collective worship and the wider curriculum.

As staff are calm and encouraging, pupils feel safe to share their worries. Staff spot changes that may identify that a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff promptly report these concerns to leaders.

Some safeguarding records are not as comprehensive as they could be. While all records are kept securely, the cross-referencing of information is not well established, so it is not as easy as it should be to pull information together quickly. However, this does not result in pupils being unsafe as leaders do take effective action and do have sufficient records.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some of leaders' safeguarding record-keeping is not comprehensive or well cross-referenced. It does not capture clearly some of the actions they and staff have taken to protect pupils from harm. Leaders should ensure their records for safeguarding are comprehensive and well organised to capture the positive work they and their staff do to keep pupils safe.

• Governors do not challenge school leaders as well as they should. This means aspects of the school that need to improve have not been identified. Governors should ensure they receive the information they need to hold school leaders to account for their work to strengthen the quality of education and safeguarding systems.

• Some pupils are not secure in their phonic knowledge. They struggle to read the books they receive. Leaders should ensure all staff implement the phonics programme well, ensuring weaker readers catch up quickly.

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