St Anne’s Church of England Primary School, Grantham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Anne's Church of England Primary School, Grantham continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a well-led school where pupils enjoy positive relationships with adults. Across the school community, there is a strong sense of togetherness.

The school expects pupils to work hard and behave well. Most pupils meet these high expectations. Pupils are a credit to the school.

They are friendly and courteous, behaving well in lessons and around the school. The calm atmosphere from the early years to Year 6 helps pupils to enjoy their lessons and to do their best. Pupils feel safe and happy.

They know that they can talk to an adult if any...thing is worrying them.

Staff take great care to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school makes sure that it includes all pupils in everything that it does.

Pupils engage well with their learning activities. For example, in the early years, children enjoy following their ideas to make 'elf wands'.

In key stage 2 history, pupils discuss the significance of listed buildings.

Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They value the sense of 'family' and strong pastoral care.

One parent, whose comment was typical of many, said, 'St Anne's is a lovely school where they really appreciate the whole child.'

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of its pupils. Plans are well sequenced.

Teachers deliver lessons with enthusiasm and skill. Pupils revisit knowledge to enable them to recall their learning. Teachers check how well all pupils learn.

These checks help teachers to tailor how they teach the curriculum to meet pupils' needs. The school has been successful in raising standards in English by the end of Year 6. In mathematics, the school has identified that, on occasions, pupils are introduced to new ways of making calculations before they are ready.

This can prevent pupils from learning as well as they could in this subject. The school is taking measures to address this, with pupils now using a range of resources to deepen their understanding. From the early years onwards, the mathematics curriculum now builds up in small steps.

Children in the early years learn in a caring and exciting environment. There are many activities to extend their imagination. Children concentrate well on a wide variety of activities, including producing mud paintings.

For example, children use 'nature's paint brushes' made from items collected on their spring walk. This approach to making learning memorable helps children to achieve well. Interactions between adults and children are positive.

Adults provide the right balance of challenge and support.

Positive attitudes to learning continue into key stages 1 and 2. Pupils' behaviour is good and attendance is high.

This helps them to progress well in their learning. Pupils' enthusiasm extends across the curriculum. For example, as one pupil explained about history, 'I like learning how people lived before we were around.'



Reading is a key priority across the whole school. Children begin learning to read as soon as they start in the Reception Year. The school provides timely support for any pupils who need help to keep up.

Staff delivering the phonics programme are knowledgeable. They work well together to ensure the success of the programme. Events such as books swaps and the annual book week encourage a love of reading.

Most pupils enjoy reading. As one pupil said, 'It fills your brain up with imagination!'

Pupils' personal development is at the heart of the school's work. The strong emphasis on character development makes a positive impact on pupils' attitudes.

For example, pupils talk with understanding and maturity about fundamental British values. Pupils learn about differences between people and the importance of respect. Pupils show this respect in their behaviour.

They enjoy a variety of leadership roles, such as mini police and playground leaders. The school council takes responsibility for organising events such as the Christmas Fayre. The school provides some extra-curricular clubs.

These cater for interests such as keep fit and cooking.

This is a school which knows itself well. Governors are regular visitors to the school.

They have an accurate view of the school and a clear vision for future priorities. The local authority has provided support to help improve the school. Staff say that they are proud to work at the school.

They value the work of leaders to support their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Until recently, pupils have been introduced to new, more formal methods of calculation before they are ready.

This has led to pupils not developing their knowledge and understanding of different mathematical concepts in a consistently secure way. The school should ensure that the revised approach to building pupils' understanding in mathematics, which has been recently introduced, enables all pupils to become secure in their knowledge of different mathematical concepts.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2014.