St Augustine’s CofE Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At St Augustine's, pupils flourish. The school ensures that all pupils are nurtured and supported to become responsible and caring citizens.

Pupils develop self-confidence and an awareness of local and national issues. They talk with pride about how they raised money to build toilets in Mombasa, Kenya and how they collected food for the local foodbank. Pupils understand that their actions make a difference to the world.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' learning and behaviour. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), rise to these expectations. Pupils achieve well and are a credit to the school.

Their behaviou...r is exemplary. Pupils are polite, have excellent manners and work hard. In lessons, pupils are resilient.

If they find learning challenging, they have strategies to help them before asking a teacher, such as 'brain, buddy, boss'.

The school's values of 'love, hope and friendship' are shared, understood and lived by all. Pupils talk about how they are 'one big family' and the 'school is like a warm hug'.

Pupils are safe here. They know that if they have concerns, they can go to any member of staff for help and they will always be listened to.

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

The school's curriculum is ambitious.

It builds logically across all year groups, starting in the early years. In most subjects, leaders have identified what they want pupils to learn and when. Teachers use a range of assessment strategies to check what pupils already know.

Opportunities to recap and recall previous learning are built into lessons. This helps pupils to consolidate their learning. However, in a few subjects the curriculum is less well developed.

This means that pupils are not able to remember or apply key learning as well as in other subjects.

Pupils with SEND thrive here. All staff have been expertly trained to meet the individual needs of the pupils.

Any additional needs are quickly identified and effective help is put in place to support their learning. Activities are carefully adapted so that pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

The school has made reading a top priority.

Leaders have carefully thought about the books, stories and nursery rhymes that they want pupils to know and love, starting from Nursery. Pupils show a love of reading and appreciate story time at the end of each day. Children start learning to read as soon as they start in Reception.

Staff are well-trained in the school's approach and ensure that pupil errors and misconceptions are corrected quickly. Pupils enjoy taking home reading books that help them to practise their reading. As one pupil said, 'We read this book to help us become more fluent.'



Pupils' personal development is exceptional and is at the heart of everything the school does. Leaders have thought carefully about the character traits they want to develop in pupils. All pupils benefit from the school's '50 things to do before you're 9' programme, where all activities have been carefully chosen to develop pupils' talents and interests.

These include cook a Sunday roast, hold a scary beast, learn first aid and go cloud gazing. The school also works closely with the community. Pupils work with a charity that supports elderly people to come into school and have a walk, tea and cake with the pupils.

This helps pupils to recognise the positive impact they have on people in the community.

There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils are taught the importance of good behaviour right from the moment they start in Nursery.

Children learn to follow routines, develop their independence and become a good friend. This continues as they move through the school. Pupils are adamant that any form of discrimination is not tolerated.

They learn about differences and show great empathy. One pupil said, 'All children are included here. It doesn't matter who you are, or where you are from, you're welcome here.'



Staff are immensely proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration that leaders, including from the trust, give to staff workload and well-being. The support across the federation and from the trust is integral to the school's success.

Staff work collaboratively to get and give expert guidance and support to other colleagues. Staff morale is very high.

Governors and trustees know the school well.

The local governing body performs its delegated responsibilities diligently, while trustees ensure that leaders are effectively held to account. Parents are very positive about the school and the education that their children receive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils should learn and when. This means that in these subjects, new learning does not build on what the pupils already know. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should learn from Nursery to Year 4 is clearly identified so that pupils learn consistently well across the curriculum.