St Andrew’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew's CofE Primary School is at the heart of its local village community. The school is warm, friendly and inclusive.

Pupils are highly valued and well cared for.

Pupils' character is well developed through the 'St Andrew's Can Dos', such as respect and kindness. Pupils are highly motivated to demonstrate these values.

For example, the local village benefits from the school's community involvement. This includes litter picking, raising money for charities and designing the village play park. As a result, the school's motto of 'let my light shine', permeates in all aspects of the school's work.

Pupils' behaviour across school is highly positive.... Relationships between staff and pupils are nurturing and caring. Pupils are polite and courteous.

At breaktimes, pupils have a wide range of activities they enjoy. Pupils love changing into their boots to play on the muddy fields. Other activities include netball and learning in the outdoor wooded area.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the experiences of their children here. They say the school works closely with families. Together they meet the needs of pupils well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school has high aspirations for pupils. As a result, pupils are highly ambitious about their own achievements.

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

There have been many positive changes to the curriulum.

This has improved the overall educational provision for pupils here. The school has clearly identified the important knowledge and skills pupils will learn across all curriculum subjects. The school continues to refine and improve these subject areas further.

In English, this is beginning to have a particularly positive impact on pupils' writing. The school accurately knows how well pupils are achieving in most of the curriculum. It has developed effective checks on pupils' learning to identify gaps in their knowledge.

However, in some subject areas, the school does not yet know the impact of these changes on pupils' learning over time. As a result, some pupils may not be building their knowledge as securely as they could over time. The school is aware of this and has clear plans in place to improve this area further.

In lessons, pupils build on their prior learning in a very clear way. Learning activities are well matched to the needs of pupils. Teachers adapt learning to support mixed-age learners very well.

Pupils' misconceptions are quickly addressed most of the time. Pupils attitude to learning is mostly positive. However, there is some variability in the quality of handwriting in different subject areas.

Pupils do not always form their letters consistently and accurately well enough. As a result, work in pupils' books is not always well presented in some subject areas. This slows down some pupils' learning.

Reading is highly prioritised across school. Children in nursery engage with books, environmental sounds and rhymes. Staff teach phonics clearly and with expertise.

Pupils who are falling behind are supported effectively. Pupils catch up quickly as a result. Pupils enjoy a wide range of high-quality texts.

As a result, pupils become accurate and fluent readers.

Starting from the provision for two-year-olds, children's learning starts with the strong foundations set in the early years. The learning environment is very well resourced.

Children respond positively to the clear routines set from the start. Children achieve well and are well prepared for their next stages of learning.

The needs of pupils with SEND are well understood and identified early on.

This ensures that pupils who need help with their learning are highly supported and achieve well. Pupils who access additional specialist provision are closely supported so that they can learn alongside their peers. At times, some pupils may need additional support with their behaviour.

Staff have effective skills and knowledge to help pupils. Subsequently, pupils behave very well in lessons.

The curriculum for pupils' personal development is exceptional.

Pupils are active citizens within their school and local village community. They help through fundraising and providing to food banks. Pupils have a strong understanding of differences, including protected characteristics.

The school promotes a diverse range of cultures and different types of families. This means that pupils are very accepting of others different from themselves.

Pupils access a wide range of after-school clubs, such as crafts and science, technology, engineering and mathematics club.

Additional activities include an evening of planet gazing, where pupils viewed the stars aligning across the Shropshire night skies. Pupils' talents and interests are carefully considered. For example, visitors to a recent careers fair were carefully selected to meet the interests of pupils, including doctors, zoologists, entertainers and computer engineers.

Governors are caring and know their statutory duties very well. They understand the needs of their pupils and families living in this local area. They have a positive impact on pupils' experiences here.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some curriculum areas have been implemented more recently than others. This means that the school does not yet know the impact of the new curriculum areas on pupils' learning over time.

The school should continue their plans to embed the new curriculum and ensure that it has the desired impact on pupils' knowledge. There is some variability in the quality of handwriting and presentation of pupils' work in some subject areas. Pupils do not always form their letters accurately and consistently well enough.

As a result, pupils' work is not always well presented in some subject areas. This slows down some pupils' learning. The school should ensure that pupils are taught a consistent approach to letter formation and that there are consistently high expectations in the presentation of pupils' work across all subject areas.