St Giles CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Since joining the school shortly before the last inspection, the headteacher has worked tirelessly with her staff and governors to improve the quality of teaching and improve outcomes for all pupils. The headteacher has high expectations for staff and pupils. She is ambitious and has high aspirations for this small village school.

She is outward looking and seeks to capitalise on partnerships with other local schools and those within the community. As a result of staff training, the quality of teaching is good. Teachers know their pupils well and plan work that helps all pupils to make good progress.

Pupils' outcomes in reading, writing a...nd mathematics have been improving year-on-year. The most recent information recorded by the school shows that a higher proportion of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils have very positive attitudes and they feel safe and secure in school.

They behave well and show respect towards each other and adults. Not all pupils use spelling, punctuation and grammar accurately. They do not all write neatly or present their work as well as they should.

School values underpin all aspects of the school's work. Pupils, staff and governors know and articulate these values. Pupils understand how these values affect their behaviour and their learning.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively both through the curriculum and through the example set by adults. Governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They visit school frequently to check for themselves how well pupils are learning.

Subject leaders have been well trained and carry out their roles effectively. They have introduced new programmes for teaching writing and mathematics. These are already raising standards, particularly in mathematics.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. They are warmly welcomed into a stimulating environment where they learn well and make good progress. There is not always enough challenge for the most able pupils and too few reach the higher levels, particularly in writing and mathematics.

Although there is a broad and balanced curriculum, the coverage of some subjects, including history, geography and science, is superficial in some classes.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than most primary schools, and pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. There is provision for children in the early years in the Reception class.

The vast majority of pupils are White British with very few who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with SEND has increased over the past three years and is now above the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is lower than the national average for primary schools.