St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School continues to be a good school.

The headteacher of this school is Philip Hills. This school is part of Russell Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Colin Mackinlay, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Lynch. There is also a regional lead, Anthony Easton, who is responsible for this school and one other.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are happy members of this school community and said that it feels like 'a family'.

They interact warmly with staff, who speak to pupi...ls with care and respect. Pupils are safe and confident in knowing who to approach if they need to talk, and that they will receive help. Staff encourage pupils to follow the school's values of kindness and forgiveness and they display these with pride.

Pupils try their best, following clear values taught by the school. Leaders have set high expectations for how they want pupils to learn and achieve. This is seen through the strong outcomes achieved by pupils.

The school holds high standards for how it expects pupils to behave. There are clear rules that pupils understand and follow. Pupils treat each other kindly and embrace the diversity of the school community.

Each pupil can express themselves confidently. They take part in a wide range of clubs and activities offered. For example, pupils can play chess, perform drama or write for the student newspaper during their lunchtimes.

Pupils appreciate and make the most of these opportunities, including success in inter-school football competitions.

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

The school has put in place a broad and aspiring curriculum. Leaders have put considerable thought into what and when pupils learn key knowledge.

In nearly all subjects, the curriculum is secure and taught as intended. Pupils can choose from a wide range of subjects, including in the sixth form. The proportion of pupils taking the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects is currently lower than expected.

The school is taking action to grow the proportion of pupils taking modern foreign languages in response.

Pupils' character development is a considerable strength of the school. Leaders have high ambitions for the opportunities they wish to give to pupils.

For example, during form times pupils review current affairs. This helps pupils to reflect on the morals taught. Careers guidance is offered individually to pupils.

They are shown the range of options available to them to make positive decisions about their next steps.

Teachers are confident subject experts and ensure that pupils understand what they have been taught before moving on to new content. School-wide training makes sure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well.

As a result, pupils achieve very well in their examinations. Younger pupils in the school also achieve well. For example, in performing arts, pupils have a firm grasp of technical vocabulary and can explain theatrical devices with confidence.

In the sixth form, science lessons encourage students to be curious and they share logical reasons for their experiment predictions. If pupils fall behind in their learning, the school puts in place sessions to help those struggling.

The school has high expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school is aware of the individual needs of pupils with SEND, who typically achieve well. Yet, the systems for reviewing and sharing pupils' needs are not secure. Sometimes this means staff do not have information to hand to adapt lessons for pupils with SEND precisely.

This limits the deeper learning for some pupils with SEND.

The school has set out how it intends to support pupils at the early stages of reading. Typically, staff identify and support pupils struggling with their reading so they can catch up quickly.

However, some of the actions to help these readers are not securely in place. This means that some pupils do not get support in a timely way, which limits their reading fluency.

The school is a calm place where pupils are kind to each other.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes towards their learning. They follow instructions because of the deep culture of mutual respect with teachers and the morals and values they are taught. Pupils appreciate the school and what it provides them with, and as a result they attend regularly and happily.

The school takes all steps that it can and works with external partners to support the few pupils who do not attend school regularly.

Staff are approachable and proportionate in how they respond to pupils. This helps to maintain very high standards of behaviour in and out of the classroom.

A clear behaviour policy is in place that all pupils know and understand. Staff are proficient at ensuring that pupils' well-being is a priority.

The trust and governors know the strengths and development areas of the school well.

They use their skills to effectively support and challenge leaders in raising standards. A culture of transparency and being approachable has been set by school leaders. Staff know that leaders listen and maintain a manageable workload.

Staff are happy members of this school community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The systems to support pupils at the early stages of reading are not fully developed.

This means that a few pupils do not learn to ready quickly enough. The school should embed practices to ensure that staff are well trained in this area and can quickly meet the needs of pupils to catch up with their reading to an age-appropriate level. ? The processes for and oversight of supporting pupils with SEND is sometimes inconsistent.

This means that some pupils with SEND do not receive effective support. The school should ensure that they review pupils' needs in a timely way and that these are clearly communicated to staff so that strategies to support pupils are implemented consistently.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2018.