St James School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

All groups of students make good progress during their time at the school. The school's work to support disadvantaged students is effective. The good development of their literacy and numeracy skills means they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training.

The school shares its approaches to using pupil premium funding with other schools in the region. Assessment information is used very effectively to help students to improve their learning. The support for disabled students and those with special educational needs is particularly strong.

Students enjoy coming to school and get on well wi...th each other and with staff. They respect the school and the opportunities it provides. The school is a safe environment for students and staff.

Governors are rigorous in ensuring statutory requirements for safeguarding are met. Students say theirs is a friendly school, where bullying is rare. They are confident that staff will deal with any issues as soon as they occur.

The quality of teaching is good, particularly in English and mathematics. Students who have struggled in the past are helped to make rapid progress and to achieve well. The headteacher and her staff are determined to improve the school further.

Leaders have a strong track record of improving students' achievement in English and mathematics. The governing body brings a wide range of experience and skills to support the school. They are effective in challenging leaders to bring about further improvements.

The school makes sure that students are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Its focus on inclusion and equality of opportunity is strong. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Sometimes, students' achievement in their other subjects is not as high as it is in English and mathematics.

There is some inconsistency in the quality of teaching across the school. Actions taken by school leaders are tackling this variation. In a small number of lessons, the behaviour of a few students sometimes gets in the way of learning.

Students say that staff usually deal with this well. The school's approaches to self-review and improvement planning do not focus enough on students' achievement across all their subjects.

Information about this school

This is a smaller-than-average-sized secondary school.

The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and for students known to be eligible for free school meals, is broadly average. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is above average. The proportion of students from minority ethnic communities is broadly average.

The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is also broadly average. A small number of Year 7 students benefit from the nationally funded 'catch-up' programme, which is for students who do not achieve Level 4 in reading or mathematics at the end of their primary schooling. The school works in close partnership with other institutions as part of the Ted Wragg Trust.

These institutions include Isca Academy, Cranbrook School, Exeter College and the University of Exeter. The governing body is currently considering proposals for the school to acquire academy status. The headteacher of St James School acts as executive headteacher across the trust.

The head of school is increasingly taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of St James School. In 2014, the school met the government's current floor standards at Key Stage 4, which represent the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The school has received a national award for its use of pupil premium funding and is a lead school for behaviour.

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