St Giles-on-the-Heath Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Giles-on-the-Heath is a small and supportive school.

Many staff and parents and carers reported that leaders go 'above and beyond' for each pupil. Staff know pupils as individuals. Leaders want all pupils to do well.

Pupils feel happy and safe in school. Pupils follow the school's values of respect, kindness, resilience, honesty, trust and cooperation. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour, and pupils meet these expectations.

Bullying is extremely rare, but pupils are confident that if it does happen, leaders will deal with it quickly. From the age of two, children play well together and enjoy learning in the foundation stage unit.

Lea...rning in the classroom is rich and engaging.

Staff know pupils' needs well. They use this knowledge to provide learning experiences that help pupils to succeed.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of extracurricular clubs, including for dance, construction and cookery.

Pupils take part in many trips, for example in visiting The Eden Project. Older pupils take on responsibilities with pride, including being a reading buddy for a younger pupil and helping with clubs at lunchtime.

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

School leaders are ambitious for pupils.

They have set out the key knowledge they want pupils to know and remember in most subjects. For example, in mathematics, pupils solve worded problems in different ways using what they have learned before. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not planned the crucial knowledge that they want pupils to remember.

As a result, some pupils do not remember as much as they could over time or make links with what they have learned before.

Leaders prioritise reading. They ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics.

Children begin their phonics learning in the foundation stage unit and start to learn to read as soon as they start in Reception Year. Staff use assessment well to identify which sounds pupils know and need to learn next. Teachers check that pupils are keeping up with where they need to be.

Most pupils read well with fluency and accuracy. Pupils at risk of falling behind get the help they need to catch up quickly. Most pupils read books that match the sounds they know.

Pupils enjoy reading and talk enthusiastically about books. Staff feel confident to teach reading and appreciate the significant investment in training.

Leaders plan learning for children in early years through stories.

Staff have high expectations of the youngest children. Children quickly learn to follow routines. They learn well with each other and start to become independent.

Leaders and staff work well together to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They gather information to identify pupils' needs from parents and external specialists. In classrooms, teachers make suitable adaptations for pupils.

As a result, pupils with SEND can follow the same curriculum as their peers and they thrive.

Leaders prioritise developing pupils' emotional well-being as well as their physical health. Experienced staff provide effective social and emotional support for pupils and their families.

One parent told inspectors, 'Both my children are blossoming in an encouraging and safe environment.'

Leaders have a firm commitment to the personal development of pupils. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum helps pupils to learn about relationships.

They understand that voting helps them to have their say. Pupils learn about respect and understand that everyone should be treated equally. However, the PSHE education curriculum does not help pupils to fully understand about life in modern Britain.

Leaders support families to encourage all pupils to be in school as much as possible. Nevertheless, some pupils do not attend regularly enough and so these pupils miss out on important learning.

Governors have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement.

They provide appropriate support and challenge to school leaders. Staff feel well supported in their roles. They say that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

They value the training they have received to develop their subject knowledge. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders' actions ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding. All staff understand that 'it could happen here'. All staff, including governors, receive frequent and relevant safeguarding training.

Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil's welfare. Leaders are relentless in their work with external agencies. They check staff recruitment thoroughly.

Pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have any concerns, and will help them. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online, and have a clear understanding of personal boundaries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, pupils do not link the things that they have learned previously with the work that they are doing now.

As a result, they are not able to remember as much as they could. Leaders must ensure that pupils make links with the knowledge that they have been taught before. ? The personal development programme is in place and functioning.

However, opportunities for pupils to learn about life in modern Britain are not fully developed. As a result, some pupils do not learn enough about different lifestyles. Leaders should improve the personal development programme further.