St Columba CE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There has been much turbulence in senior leadership over the past few years.

The school is now in safe hands and is going from strength to strength in 'growing futures, rooted in love, hope and respect.' Expectations have risen. Pupils are happy.

Parents have noticed the many positive changes in this very caring school.

Pupils behave well. The school's rule of 'be ready, respectful and safe' is understood by all.

Pupils are kind to each other. They try hard in lessons, presenting their work with pride. Pupils love receiving a 'rainbow shout-out' for following the school rules.

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. E...veryone is welcome at St Columba. Pupils of all ages play together during breaktimes nicely.

Pupils enjoy the ever-increasing experiences that the school offers. Attendance is high. There is a wide range of clubs on offer, such as yoga, football and book club.

These clubs are designed to meet pupils' interests and needs well. Year 6 pupils recall with excitement the teamwork they displayed during the recent residential trip. They loved learning new skills such as paddle boarding and geo-caching.

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

Recent changes have made such a positive difference to pupils' learning and behaviour. The trust, school leaders and staff are united in their ambition for pupils in this school. The school's transition board, which has aspects of governance delegated to it, rightly offers strong support and challenge to the school.

The school has successfully introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils learn to read well. They practise reading using books that contain the sounds that they know.

Any pupil who needs extra support in remembering letter sounds or blending sounds together receives the help they need. The school promotes reading well, with initiatives such as 'reading bingo'. Pupils read widely and often, from a wide range of reading genres.

Pupils' attainment at the end of key stage 2 last year was in line with the national picture. However, progress in writing and maths was significantly below average.This was due, in part, to a legacy of weaker teaching, assessment and curriculum design in the past.

This does not reflect the current quality of education in the school. Typically, pupils progress through the curriculum well. Some of the legacy remains, however.

Whereas children in early years write confidently, using their phonics knowledge well, some pupils in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2 are not yet writing at the right standard for their age. The school has strengthened the teaching of writing so these pupils are catching up.

An ambitious curriculum is in place, including for the significant number of pupils with special needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The curriculum builds knowledge in a well-ordered way from Reception to Year 6. This takes careful account of the mixed- age class structure. Overall, the school has considered the important subject-specific skills and knowledge that pupils should develop over time.

Staff know the needs of all pupils well, including pupils with SEND.

Staff have strong subject knowledge, particularly in subjects where curriculum design is more robust. Pupils with SEND benefit from effective adaptation in lessons.

Staff help pupils with SEND to overcome any barriers to learning and behaviour well. However, in a few subjects in the wider curriculum, there is too much content. Teachers do not know exactly what to check that pupils have learned.

This results in some pupils not acquiring deep knowledge. At times in these subjects, teachers plan activities that do not support pupils to learn the identified knowledge as effectively as they could.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start in an highly engaging environment.

They are motivated and curious. Staff provide the children with an array of rich learning experiences that spark their interests and curiosity. Activities sustain children's concentration well and help them learn new vocabulary.

Staff model language clearly. For example, children love trying out their new words in the mechanics role play area. They make good progress in their learning.

Pupils benefit from many personal development opportunities which broaden their experiences and build their cultural capital. The school provides interesting trips and visitors. Pupils discuss news events in assemblies to widen their knowledge about the world around them.

The school supports pupils to recognise and regulate their emotions and develop resilience well. Pupils learn about and contribute to society through fundraising and being pen pals for a local nursing home.

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 foundation subjects, the curriculum needs further refining to ensure that there is clarity in what pupils need to learn and remember. Pupils do not always learn the essential knowledge and skills they need for the future in sufficient depth. The school should ensure that staff know exactly what pupils need to learn and remember across the whole curriculum, plan lessons that tie in with this and check pupils are learning this key knowledge as well as they could.

• In the past, there has been some inconsistencies in the teaching of writing. Some younger pupils in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2 are not achieving as well as they should in writing. The school must continue their work to ensure that all pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Also at this postcode