St Edward’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school aspires for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well.

However, the school's ambition for pupils is not fully realised. The school has recently revised much of the curriculum. The effectiveness of the delivery of this new curriculum is variable across the different subjects.

Pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be.

Pupils are happy at school. They have positive relationships with staff, which helps them to feel valued.

Pupils know who to speak to if they are concerned or worried. They are confident that trusted adults will keep them... safe. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils behave well and work hard in lessons. Where teaching is most effective, pupils enjoy their learning.

The school has not thought carefully enough about its approach to promoting pupils' personal development.

Pupils do not benefit from high-quality opportunities to learn about heathy lifestyles or fundamental British values. They are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be. However, pupils talk proudly about their leadership roles as mental health leaders or eco commute members.

Pupils develop their talents and interests as they access clubs such as cross-stitch, choir and American football.

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

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the school has acted to improve the quality of education that it provides. However, its analysis of the impact of this work is inconsistent, and at times lacks urgency.

This means that there are missed opportunities for the school to swiftly address any ongoing weaknesses, including in relation to the delivery of the curriculum. This hinders how well pupils achieve.

The school has recently improved the curriculum so that it is coherently sequenced and ambitious.

However, it has not ensured that staff are fully equipped to deliver this new curriculum consistently well. Sometimes, teachers do not implement the curriculum as intended or devise lesson activities that help pupils learn the important knowledge needed.

Teachers check how well pupils learn and remember the curriculum.

However, the school does not ensure that this information is used effectively in order to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions in pupils' knowledge. This means that sometimes pupils move on to new concepts before they are ready. This makes it difficult for these pupils to build new learning securely on what they already know and can do.

The early years is a happy and safe environment. Children engage enthusiastically in the well-considered activities that deepen their understanding of the world around them. Children benefit from the high-quality interactions that they have with adults.

The curriculum in the early years prepares children well for Year 1.

Pupils with SEND are identified quickly by skilled staff. Staff work well with other professionals as well as parents and carers to provide appropriate support for these pupils.

Most pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life, including sports clubs and the school choir. However, as with their classmates, these pupils' learning is hampered by the weaknesses in the delivery of the curriculum. Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could, especially in reading and writing.

The school has not ensured that pupils at the early stages of learning to read, especially in key stage 1, receive the help and support that they need. This hinders how quickly these pupils gain the phonics knowledge that they need to become confident and fluent readers. The school has recently introduced a new phonics programme for younger pupils and a new reading curriculum for key stage 2.

It is early days. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 are benefiting from the new phonics programme and enjoy listening to stories. However, older pupils do not learn to read as well as they should nor enjoy reading for information or pleasure.

Pupils behave well when moving around the school and at breaktimes. They are polite and kind to staff and each other. The school supports those pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour well.

The school places high importance on pupils' attendance. It identifies and supports those pupils who struggle to get into school on time every day. This has made a positive difference.

Most pupils attend well.

The programme to promote pupils' personal development does not ensure that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils struggle to recall their learning about other faiths or about people who are different to themselves.

In addition, they do not have a secure knowledge of healthy eating. Pupils do understand important concepts such as tolerance and respect. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including online, and have a secure understanding of a range of issues, including consent and healthy relationships.

Governors provide appropriate challenge and support to the school. They are committed to increase the school's capacity to improve the quality of education. However, much of this work is at an early stage of development.

As it brings in changes, the school pays due regard to staff's 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)

• The school has not ensured that pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read, especially in key stage 1, receive appropriate support to improve their reading.

As a result, some pupils do not have the knowledge and skills that they need to read with fluency and confidence. This hinders them from accessing the full curriculum. The school should ensure that pupils receive the support that they need to overcome gaps in their phonics knowledge so that they can catch up quickly with their peers.

• In some subjects, teachers do not deliver the curriculum as intended. This hampers the learning of some pupils, including pupils with SEND. The school should ensure that staff deliver the curriculum consistently well so that pupils build secure subject knowledge.

• The school's assessment strategies are not used effectively in order to check on pupils' learning. This means that some pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff identify and address gaps in pupils' learning so that pupils build a secure body of knowledge over time in each subject.

• The school has not ensured that pupils learn the important concepts that they need to be prepared for life in modern Britain. Some pupils do not have a secure understanding about aspects of a responsible life in modern Britain, such as healthy eating and understanding people in society who are different to themselves. The school should ensure that pupils have the knowledge that they need to be well prepared for life beyond the school.