St John’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St John's Church of England Primary School.

They talk with pride about being a responsible citizen and how this helps them to make a positive contribution to the life of the school and beyond. Pupils enjoy singing and playing board games with the elderly in a local residential home. This helps to build strong links with the wider community.

Adults have high expectations of pupils. Most pupils respond positively to these. Children in the early years get off to a good start.

Staff support them to learn the school rules and routines quickly. During lessons, pupils focus on learning and are keen to share their ideas. Adults use 'silent inst...ructions' that pupils follow.

This creates a purposeful learning environment.

Adults know the pupils and families well. Pupils know that adults will help them to solve any worries they have.

Pupils enjoy a visit to the 'lodge' where they can have some quiet time.

Pupils have many meaningful opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility. Spiritual leaders run whole school assemblies and the eco-council keeps the school tidy and looks after the environment.

These roles help to build pupils' confidence and leadership skills.

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

The school has gone through a period of leadership changes. Some parents feel unsettled by this.

However, the school, supported by the trust, continues to strive for a high-quality education for all pupils.

The school has a clear vision for what they want pupils to know and remember. The curriculum is broad and ambitious.

It is well sequenced, which supports most pupils to build knowledge well. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not used effectively to check that pupils have learned the intended curriculum. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

Reading is at the core of the school's curriculum. Older pupils read a wide range of texts. They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors and books.

Pupils get rewarded for reading often. They celebrate when they win the reading trophy and enjoy the 'reading café' where they share books with parents. All of this supports pupils to develop a love of reading.

The school's strong focus on reading begins in Reception Year. Children get off to a strong start and learn to read from day one. Oracy, communication and language drive the early years curriculum.

Adults model the use of key vocabulary for children to use in their daily interactions. Children enjoy listening to a wide range of stories. They join in with key phrases with expression and enthusiasm.

Ongoing coaching and training, support adults to expertly deliver the phonics programme. The school uses assessment information effectively to identify pupils at risk of falling behind. These pupils receive the support they need to help them to keep up.

Pupils in the early stages of reading read books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency.

The school's commitment to all pupils taking a full and active role in all aspects of school life is impressive.

Adaptations to learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enable them to build knowledge sequentially in some subjects, particularly in mathematics. However, this is not the case in some wider curriculum subjects. Some pupils with SEND struggle to recall their learning.

These pupils do not build knowledge well over time.

The work pupils produce reflects their positive attitudes to learning. Most pupils demonstrate the school's values throughout the school day.

During social times, pupils enjoy a wide range of activities. including organised 'active' games. Older pupils enjoy their role as 'playtime partisans'.

This helps them to set a positive example and promote play for younger children.

Pupils' character development is interwoven throughout the curriculum. Visitors to the school and educational visits are carefully designed to enrich pupils' experience.

Links with a local university enhance pupils' talents and interests. The school ensures pupils learn about a range of different careers. Parents share their expertise which enlightens pupils' understanding of the world of work.

Pupils have a deep understanding of fundamental British values. They know that respect for one another is paramount. Pupils are morally grounded.

They know that honesty brings integrity. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures. They know that any form of discrimination is unacceptable.

Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of consent. They learn how to stay safe in the community and when online.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the wider curriculum, some learning provided for pupils with SEND does not help them to remember the most important knowledge. As a result, these pupils do not build their knowledge well. The trust should ensure that learning provided for pupils with SEND in the wider curriculum helps them to know more and remember more.

• In a few wider curriculum subjects, some pupils do not build knowledge as well as they do in other subjects. Assessment information is not used effectively to identify gaps in what pupils know and remember. The trust needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively across all subjects to inform future curriculum design so that pupils build knowledge as well as they do in more established subjects.

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