St James Church School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and welcoming school.

Staff have high expectations for all pupils. Pupils respond to these expectations; they behave well and are keen to learn. As a result, pupils learn the improved curriculum well.

The school is calm and pupils are safe. Pupils know there are adults they can talk to if they are worried. Warm and caring relationships between staff and pupils help build a sense of community.

Pupils at St James are proud to say that they care for one another.

Pupils are respectful to visitors. They talk articulately about their roles of responsibility.

For example, pupils who act as well-being leader...s support younger pupils in the playground. The school is committed to providing pupils with enrichment opportunities to help them gain new experiences. For example, pupils visit the theatre to see live performances.

Pupils learn to stay safe online as well in the wider community. External visitors to the school, such as the police, help pupils to learn important messages from different trusted adults. The school works closely with its community and provides opportunities for parents to participate in cookery workshops held in school.

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

The school is emerging from a period where there have been significant changes to staffing and the curriculum. The trust, headteacher and the senior leadership team have managed these changes sensitively and effectively. They have supported the staff to develop a curriculum that is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

While these changes are having an impact on how well pupils now learn the curriculum, they are not reflected in the published outcomes of 2024 for key stage 2.

The curriculum has been designed to build knowledge and skills progressively from the early years. Some subjects, such as geography, are more established and refined.

For example, to celebrate the rich and diverse culture of the school's local community, the school has chosen Nigeria for the study of a non-European society. As a result, pupils talk in detail about the differences in countries and cultures. They also have strong knowledge of physical geographical features such as tectonic plates.

In other subjects that are still developing, pupils do not have the same level of understanding. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum.

In the early years, staff read to children in a way that engages and excites them. Children are encouraged to use puppets and toys when retelling stories. This helps to foster a love of books from an early age.

Skilled staff support those children who join the school speaking English as an additional language by translating new vocabulary as well as using actions and visual prompts to ensure that children are secure in what they are taught.The school has a robust phonics curriculum that is designed to help pupils learn to read from the time they start school. However, some staff are still developing their expertise in delivering the phonics programme.

This means that sometimes the teaching of phonics is not as effective as it could be. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they could.

The school has refined its approach to behaviour management in the last year.

Staff have high expectations and adopt a consistent approach to managing behaviour. This has led to a significant reduction in the number of behavioural incidents and suspensions. As a result, the school is calm and pupils throughout the school behave well.

Improving attendance is prioritised by the school. While the numbers of pupils missing school has reduced, the school is not complacent and actively works with families to provide support to ensure rates of attendance improve further.

Pupils with SEND are well supported.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly. This helps teachers to adjust the curriculum so that pupils with SEND work alongside their peers and learn the full curriculum.

The provision for pupils' personal development is a strength of the school.

The school's multicultural diversity is celebrated by all at every turn. Pupils are respectful of the views and beliefs of others. Pupils learn to be active and responsible citizens by working with local and national politicians to improve nearby parks.

Staff are committed to playing their part on the school's journey of improvement. They feel supported by trustees and governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff are still developing their expertise in delivering the phonics programme. This means that some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they could. The trust should ensure that all staff are supported to deliver the phonics programme successfully, so that all pupils gain a secure body of phonics knowledge in readiness for their next stages in learning.

• In some subjects, the curriculum has been reviewed and is still developing. The previous curriculum has left some pupils with gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The trust should develop and embed the curriculum so that pupils achieve well in all subjects.