St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all, putting pupils' best interests at the heart of everything they do. The school has high aspirations for what pupils can achieve.

The school is warm and welcoming. There is a strong sense of community. Staff know pupils well.

They build strong professional relationships with pupils and parents. Parents appreciate this and are overwhelmingly supportive of the school.Pupils enjoy school.

They attend regularly and on time. Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe in school, in the community and online. If they have any worries, they know that there are adults to talk to who will help them.

As a result, pupils fe...el safe.The school's recent work to develop the behaviour policy is having a positive impact. The school sets high standards for behaviour.

The school's learning behaviours of 'be ready, be respectful, be safe' help pupils to know how to behave and how to treat others. Most pupils understand these and follow them well. As a result, the school is calm and orderly.

The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education. Pupils learn to become active and responsible citizens. For example, by supporting community events, such as the local village fête and the charity coffee morning.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils. There is an inclusive culture in the school. Staff swiftly identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all subjects. This sets out the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember from Reception to Year 6.There has been a distinct focus on teaching strategies to support pupils' learning.

Most teachers have the knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. They explain new concepts clearly. Activity choices are appropriate and support pupils effectively to learn new content.

The school is improving how teachers adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils, including pupils with SEND. However, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. This is because, sometimes, adaptations to teaching do not help pupils to learn the intended knowledge.

The school has focused on developing opportunities for helping pupils to remember their previous learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils regularly revisit prior learning. As a result, pupils talk confidently about their learning in mathematics.

However, in some subjects, pupils struggle to recall previous learning. This means that they are not able to build on what they already know. At times, learning moves on too quickly, before pupils are ready for the next step in learning.

When this happens, pupils do not develop a secure understanding.The school has developed systems to check what pupils know and can do. This works well in core subjects where teachers use questioning to spot and address pupils' misconceptions.

However, in some subjects in the wider curriculum, teachers do not routinely check what pupils know with enough precision. This means that they may not identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding.Reading is a high priority.

The school is keen for pupils to develop a love of reading. This starts as soon as children begin in Reception. Staff are well trained to support pupils to learn to read.

As a result, pupils readily apply the strategies they have learned to read tricky words. Pupils who need it get the help they need to catch up quickly. Most pupils read books that match the sounds that they know and have learned.

This helps them to read with increasing confidence and fluency.Writing has recently been a significant focus. The school has taken timely action to raise pupils' achievements in writing.

The new writing curriculum is developing the quality of pupils' written work and their handwriting. Nonetheless, this work is in its early stages. Some pupils do not yet achieve the best possible outcomes in their writing.

Pupils are polite and well mannered. Pupils across the school play well with one another. The school's 'buddy' system and 'family group lunches' provide opportunities for older pupils to be effective role models to younger children.

This helps them to develop a strong sense of responsibility.The school ensures that pupils' learning extends beyond the academic. The school teaches pupils about the importance of looking after their physical and mental health.

They are taught about equality and difference. Pupils are encouraged to understand the importance of treating everyone fairly and respectfully.The school and the trust are aware of the school's strengths.

They accurately identify where there is more to do and take swift action to bring about improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in writing is less well developed than other subjects.

This has contributed to lower outcomes in writing. The trust should make sure that the new writing curriculum is fully embedded and regularly reviewed to ensure that all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes in writing, including handwriting. ? In some subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils know and remember with enough rigor.

This means that pupils' subsequent learning does not fully consider their prior knowledge. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning and do not build their knowledge well over time, including pupils with SEND. The trust needs to ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform and adapt future learning to ensure that it meets the needs of all pupils.

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