St Benedict’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about attending St Benedict's Church of England School. They say that teachers make their lessons interesting and involve them.

Staff provide a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. Pupils say that these build their confidence, teach them new skills and help them to work well with others.

Pupils feel happy and safe.

Staff receive helpful training to help them understand and strengthen pupils' emotional well-being. Specialist staff work skilfully to support pupils when needed. Pupils care for one ...another and their school.

They take on responsibilities such as being peer mentors, sports leaders or green influencers. Bullying is not tolerated. On the rare occasions that it happens, staff respond quickly.

Leaders have clear expectations of pupils. Pupils respond positively to these expectations, for example in their behaviour, the presentation of work and in regularly practising their reading. Pupils are taught to reflect on their learning and to do their best.

They learn from their mistakes.Pupils have a clear understanding of the school's values of community, kindness and resilience. They say that they see these values in action in school every single day.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils in most subjects. Learning is broken down into smaller steps, which helps pupils to build their knowledge well. Leaders have identified the vocabulary pupils need to learn.

Pupils use this vocabulary when they talk about their current learning. However, in some subjects, leaders have not yet identified the important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to learn. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could over time.

Leaders provide effective guidance to help teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers provide learning that matches the curriculum aims. Teachers give clear explanations.

They ask questions that challenge pupils' understanding. Teachers are developing ways to help pupils remember their learning in the long term. This is already effective in mathematics.

Pupils have a clear recall of times tables. This helps them to solve problems and to learn new procedures well.

Teachers check pupils' understanding well in mathematics and English.

They use these checks to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and adapt their teaching. However, in some foundation subjects, assessment does not give teachers the most useful information about what pupils know and remember. This makes it more difficult for teachers to identify and close gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning well for these pupils. Leaders use specialist staff to meet some pupils' needs.

As a result, pupils with SEND learn the curriculum well.

Leaders prioritise reading. They invest in books and staff training.

Leaders organise events to promote pupils' love of reading. The reading curriculum is based on high-quality texts. Pupils read and discuss these texts with insight and sensitivity.

Leaders encourage pupils to build a reading habit of their own. Where pupils have gaps in their phonic knowledge, staff support them to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils learn to read with increasing accuracy, fluency and confidence.

Pupils' behaviour in classrooms and around the school is calm and purposeful. In lessons, pupils work hard and listen attentively. Pupils discuss their learning with each other.

This helps to deepen their understanding.

Pupils learn how to maintain positive physical and mental health. They understand that people have different beliefs.

Leaders provide a wide range of purposeful opportunities for pupils to learn about their community and beyond. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Staff are positive about the way that leaders work with them.

Governors have a clear understanding of their role. They provide effective challenge and support to the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe. They know how to ask for help and learn how to stay safe, including online. Leaders have put in place rigorous systems to identify pupils who cause concern.

Leaders provide suitable safeguarding training for staff. Staff know pupils' needs well. They know how to raise concerns.

Leaders understand the risks that pupils face in the local area. They work effectively with external agencies to support vulnerable families. Governors are clear about their safeguarding role.

They check that safeguarding systems are effective. Leaders ensure through recruitment processes that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not identified, in some subjects, the most important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to know and remember.

This means that learning does not build pupils' knowledge well over time. Leaders must identify the most important knowledge and concepts in each subject to help pupils know and remember more. ? In some foundation subjects, leaders have not developed a precise approach to checking what pupils have learned over time.

As a result, leaders and teachers do not have a clear picture of gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is effective in identifying gaps in pupils' knowledge.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 May 2017.

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