St Augustine of Canterbury CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Augustine of Canterbury CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Mark Alexander-Smale. This school is part of Trinitas Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Simon Godden, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Wright.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited to learn and look forward to coming to school each day. Visitors receive a warm welcome here. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy talking about their learning.

The...y feel safe here. The small team of highly dedicated staff take great care to get to know pupils and their families well. Pupils know there are trusted adults they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

The school has high expectations for behaviour and pupils strive to meet these. The environment in lessons and around the school is calm and purposeful. Everyone works to embody the school's 'ACE' values.

Pupils look forward to the weekly assembly where they celebrate each other's achievements.

There have been recent changes to the curriculum which demonstrate the school's ambition for pupils' learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Each term, pupils develop their learning through a wide range of enriching experiences.

These include trips to the local woods, a guided tour of the Thames Tunnel and encounters with mini beasts. Pupils take their leadership roles seriously, including being members of the school parliament and eco-ambassadors.

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

The school has a well-established behaviour system.

Behaviour rarely disrupts learning. Pupils are focused in lessons and have highly positive attitudes to their education. This is because leaders have ensured that the school values, underpinned by the school's Christian ethos, are meaningful to pupils.

Pupils know that they are part of a caring community and that their contributions are valued. This helps build confident and resilient learners.

There is a well-sequenced curriculum in place.

The school has ambitious aims for the curriculum and in recent years, has developed the curriculum in many subjects. This has ensured that in most subjects, there is clarity about what the essential knowledge is that pupils should learn and how it builds on what pupils already know. For example, in history, pupils build their understanding of chronology and the connections between different civilisations, such as ancient Rome and ancient Egypt.

In subjects in which the curriculum does not make clear the important knowledge that pupils should learn, pupils' understanding of some aspects of the curriculum is not secure.

Across the school, there is a consistent approach to teaching. This is because of well-considered changes made by leaders.

Teachers are enthusiastic and typically use effective strategies to help pupils build their knowledge over time. Sometimes, activity choices are not closely connected to the ambitious aims of the curriculum. When this occurs, pupils are not able to build on their prior learning, nor are they well prepared for future learning.

Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND very well. There have been improvements in how teachers adapt the curriculum to support pupils with a wide range of additional needs. This helps pupils with SEND to access most of the same range of ambitious opportunities as their peers.

Children in Reception make excellent progress from their different starting points. Outcomes in national tests for phonics have improved significantly. Pupils' progress through the reading curriculum is carefully tracked.

This ensures that interventions, where needed, are put in place swiftly to help pupils to catch up. Pupils get a strong foundation in understanding number. They are given lots of opportunity to practise what they have learned.

For example, when learning about repeating patterns, pupils look at a range of different objects and pictures.

Pupils have strong knowledge of the British values and why they are important. They know that democracy is about having a voice.

Pupils have opportunities to experience democracy in their school, such as voting in members of the school parliament. They have a depth of knowledge about their mental health and how to stay safe online. Teaching is this regard is not consistently adapted for pupils with SEND.

This means that some pupils with SEND have gaps in their knowledge about how to keep themselves safe.

Pupils attend well. This is because of the vigilance, care and determination of staff.

Families are clear about the school's expectations. They understand the importance of good attendance and work constructively with the school to address any barriers.

Trustees have an accurate view of the school's strengths and next steps for improvement.

Staff welcome the support offered by the trust and the opportunities for ongoing professional development. Staff are proud to work here and say that leaders take their workload into account in the decisions they make.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not make clear what the important knowledge is that pupils should learn. Where this is the case, pupils' understanding and recall of their learning is not secure. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects identifies important content so that teachers know which knowledge to prioritise.

• Sometimes, the activities selected for pupils do not reflect the curriculum intent. This limits opportunities for pupils to build on what they know. The school should ensure that the activities set are tightly focused on curriculum aims, so they develop pupils' subject-specific knowledge and skills effectively.

• The school's focus on improving the adaptation of teaching has not been applied to the curriculum for relationships and health education. This means that some pupils, particularly those with high levels of need, are not learning the essential content they need to help keep themselves safe and prepare for adolescence. The school must ensure that staff have the necessary training and support to deliver this content so that pupils develop the understanding they need.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in April 2015.

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