St John’s Angell Town Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St John's Angell Town Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff support pupils' well-being at this welcoming and friendly school. Pupils report any concerns they have, and teachers sort them out quickly.

This helps pupils to feel safe and comfortable at school.

Pupils learn the school's ambitious curriculum, achieve well and the school teaches them thoughtfully about choices for their future. For example, during a 'careers day' the school arranges for visitors to talk to pupils about how to become a nurse or an astrophysicist.

Pupils beha...ve in a kind and respectful manner here. In the early years, adults show children how to listen well, and play together by taking turns and sharing. Older pupils help each other in the classroom and include others in the playground.

Pupils benefit from taking up leadership responsibility. At breaktimes, pupils who are play leaders set out equipment, and those who are well-being ambassadors check that other pupils have someone to play with.

The school promotes pupils' wider development well.

Educational visits extend pupils learning, such as a visit to the Science Museum or making pizza in a local restaurant. Pupils have many opportunities they do not ordinarily have, such as canoeing and building campfires on a residential trip.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well sequenced and ambitious, from the early years.

Pupils develop broad knowledge which they apply well. For example, they produce artwork using a wide range of materials and techniques and evaluate how successful their attempts are. Likewise, in science, pupils explain the purpose, process and findings for their practical activities.

The school provides effective training to staff, which helps them to develop strong subject knowledge. In the early years, adults extend and deepen children's knowledge through purposeful activities and carefully chosen language. Teachers present subject matter clearly and help older pupils to understand important ideas.

They break content down so that information is manageable for pupils to understand. For example, pupils in Year 4 are firstly supported to recall times tables facts before using that knowledge to calculate the area of a shape.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively.

Teachers make adaptations to teaching and resources to support pupils with SEND, who typically learn the curriculum well. Generally, teachers deliver the curriculum well. However, on occasion, some teachers do not check that pupils have understood what they are learning.

This includes when they introduce new vocabulary. This leads to teachers moving on to new content before pupils are ready in some instances. As a result, pupils sometimes forget important information, or make mistakes that are not corrected swiftly.

The school prioritises reading. Training ensures high levels of staff expertise. There is a strong focus on developing pupils' phonic knowledge.

Staff carefully identify the sounds pupils know and address any gaps in their knowledge swiftly. Pupils practise reading key sounds in well-matched books. Staff support pupils to form letters and practise writing regularly.

This supports pupils to read and write fluently and accurately.

Teachers read a range of high-quality literature to pupils. Books are carefully chosen to provide pupils with rich language and content which extends their knowledge.

Teachers provide regular opportunties to pupils to discuss books. However, teaching sometimes focuses overly on simple information about texts. Pupils are not routinely supported to infer important meanings in the books they read.

Some pupils do not routinely read for pleasure beyond the school curriculum.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. From the early years, they teach pupils to follow consistent routines, to listen attentively and to work hard.

Pupils who need more help to meet the school's expectations receive a range of well-considered support. As a result, the school is a calm and orderly place where children learn free from disruption.

The school encourages pupils' good attendance and punctuality.

Staff take effective action to help pupils improve their attendance, including providing thoughtful support to families where required.

The school supports pupils' personal development well through a thoughtful curriculum. Pupils are taught to understand healthy relationships and how to stay safe, including online and in the local area.

Leaders check that pupils can put what they know into practice to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn about the importance of treating people from different backgrounds with respect. They visit places of worship such as a Hindu temple and a Jewish synagogue to help them understand different people's beliefs and customs.

This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

Leaders, including the governing body, work closely with families to understand the needs of pupils. They are quick to make improvements where they see that they can offer pupils a better experience at the school.

Leaders consider the wellbeing of staff. They check how school policies impact upon staff workload and provide thoughtful support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teaching does not consistently support pupils to develop a detailed understanding of the books they read. As a result, pupils are less confident than they might be in discussing literature. Some pupils do not routinely read for pleasure outside of the school curriculum.

The school should ensure that pupils are taught the knowledge they need to talk about the deeper meanings of texts, and are supported to read widely beyond texts offered in the school curriculum. ? In some instances, teachers' assessment does not help them to identify where pupils do not know curriculum content securely. Where this is the case, teachers sometimes ask pupils to complete tasks that do not build well on what they know.

In other instances, pupils make mistakes that are not identified and addressed swiftly. This leads to pupils having some gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils' knowledge carefully, providing work that builds well on what they already know and addressing gaps and misconceptions promptly.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.