St James’ Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and caring school. They value their education and appreciate their teachers. Relationships are warm and supportive.

This helps pupils feel happy and safe.

Pupils respond positively to the high expectations the school has for them. The school ensures that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school has introduced an ambitious curriculum that supports pupils' personal and academic development considerately.

Pupils generally behave well in lessons and at less structured times. They are polite and curious.

They greet visitors cheerfully with smiles on their faces. At playtimes, t...hey play together positively. They access a range of engaging play equipment such as hoops, stilts, footballs and construction materials.

Pupil play leaders facilitate games usefully and help to organise resources diligently. Happy relationships are evident throughout the school.

The school provides a range of extra-curricular clubs that spark pupils' interests and develop their talents effectively.

Pupils can access an array of sports clubs or engage in arts and creative pursuits. The school uses the on-site woodland area well as a space for pupils to learn in an outdoor context. Members of the 'Junior Leadership Team' prepare speeches for their class.

They are democratically elected and contribute considered ideas for how the school might be improved.

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

The school places a strong emphasis on pupils learning to read. The school ensures that pupils 'learn to read so that they can read to learn'.

Pupils at the early stages of reading benefit from phonics lessons that are taught consistently well. If pupils slip behind with their reading, they are supported adeptly to keep up by expert adults.

The school has developed and introduced an ambitious curriculum.

There is a very clear sequence of learning that runs from Nursery to Year 6. Wherever possible, there is a meaningful context for pupils' learning. For example, in the early years, children record scores from a catching game by writing numbers on the playground with chalk.

This is just one example of many where children in the early years practise mathematics and writing meaningfully.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils.

While some pupils with SEND have targets that reflect their needs, there are others whose targets do not precisely meet their specific needs. When this is the case, the impact of the planned provision for these pupils cannot be checked, and it is harder to adapt the curriculum for them. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they should.

In most lessons, pupils are attentive, engaged and enthusiastic. They respond positively to teachers who explain concepts clearly. Teachers use questions skilfully to check on pupils' learning.

Teachers have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. The school uses expertly designed systems to make precise checks on pupils' learning. Gaps in learning are identified and addressed.

On some occasions, the school's behaviour policy is not implemented consistently by staff to ensure pupils are attentive and engaged.

Children get off to a flying start in the school's exceptional early years provision. Children develop high levels of independence while also playing and learning cooperatively.

They respond very carefully to consistently high expectations and well-established routines. Adults provide excellent support for children with SEND. Adults also interact positively and purposefully with children.

These interactions have a strong focus on broadening the words children know and the development of communication and language. Children in early years thrive socially and emotionally and achieve exceptionally well.

The school places a high priority on attendance.

The school analyses attendance data and works diligently to address pupils' absence. It works closely with families where attendance is too low. This work has contributed to improved attendance.

Through the school's curriculum for 'Living and Learning', pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about healthy relationships. Pupils celebrate diversity.

They reject discrimination, such as racism. Pupils state that relationships are based on mutual respect. Pupils have regular opportunities to discuss and debate important topics such as 'Are equal and fair the same thing?' or 'Is it ever acceptable to break the law?'.

Through daily collective worship, important themes and issues are explored such as the importance of fundamental British values and discussion of protected characteristics.

The school ensures that staff receive regular, high-quality training and development. This contributes to staff having excellent subject knowledge across a range of subjects.

Membership of the federation brings considerable strengths. Staff benefit from leadership development opportunities that arise from their work across different schools. Governors are skilled and knowledgeable and fulfil their responsibilities well.

They make regular visits to school. They use these visits to evaluate the impact of leaders' decisions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils with SEND have targets that do not precisely represent specific needs. This means that the impact of the planned provision for these pupils cannot be checked and it is harder to adapt the curriculum for them. For these pupils, the school should more carefully assess pupils' specific needs and adapt provision so they learn more and remember more of the curriculum.

• The behaviour policy is not applied consistently by all staff. Therefore, a small minority of pupils do not live up to the school's high expectations for behaviour. The school should ensure that all staff have the same high expectations for pupils' behaviour and apply the school's behaviour policy consistently.

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