St John’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St John's CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here.

They appreciate the small, caring, family ethos of the school. They are safe and report little, if any, bullying. They say if it does occur, it is always dealt with quickly by staff.'

Wonder boxes' are available for pupils to report any concerns they may have. They appreciate that teachers respond to these worries quickly and are always there to help them.

Behaviour routines and expectations are embedded.

Pupils behave well, both in lessons and around the school. Despite being in the middle of unprecedented hot weather, pupils' learni...ng behaviour was consistently positive. They play together cooperatively in the playground and enjoy the chance to chat in the lunch hall.

Leaders are ambitious that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will do well. They have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn across all subjects. This knowledge is well sequenced to promote greater understanding over time.

It has been carefully thought through to meet the needs of the school and its context as the 'smallest school in Enfield'.

Pupils benefit from a wide variety of clubs. Leaders are committed to 'finding' every pupil's talent and developing that through wider enrichment.

Pupils are given opportunities to share their talents, for example the music performances at the church.

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

Pupils' behaviour is a strength and as a result, they are enthusiastic learners. There is a calm, focused and respectful atmosphere in the school, where learning is the priority.

There is no off-task behaviour in lessons, and pupils' attitude to learning is positive.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to develop as confident and independent readers. This begins in the early years.

Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and enjoy both reading and being read to. A daily story time for all pupils develops their love of reading. Staff are knowledgeable about the phonics programme, so it is taught consistently.

Pupils are assessed regularly to identify those at risk of falling behind and helped to catch up with additional interventions. Resource packs are sent home to provide support for parents and help their children practise and consolidate their reading skills. Staff ensure that books used to teach reading are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know.

As a result, pupils are developing the knowledge they need, and practising this, to become fluent, independent readers.

Pupils follow a full curriculum. All subjects match the depth and breadth of the national curriculum.

The size of the school, and the vertically grouped classes, mean leaders have had to give particular attention to the sequencing of knowledge. As a result, the curriculum is bespoke to the school. It has been written with a two-year cycle to meet the needs of mixed-year groups.

Leaders have clearly identified the knowledge to be taught across the full range of subjects from early years all the way through to Year 6. The content is well sequenced to enable pupils to build on prior learning and develop a deeper understanding over time.

Teachers are knowledgeable.

They understand the sequence of learning in the subjects taught and teach it effectively. They know pupils well, so, in lessons, they carefully adapt teaching to ensure the skills delivered are at a higher level for Years 2, 4 and 6 in the mixed year groups. Pupils talk confidently about their learning.

They work hard in lessons and are proud of their achievements. However, the curriculum is still embedding. This is the first year it has been delivered fully since the pandemic.

Consequently, only the first year of the two-year cycle has been delivered. Leaders are still in the early stages of establishing routines for pupils to revisit and reinforce learning from previous years.

In all subjects, learning begins in the early years.

This is evident in early mathematics. In Reception, a range of activities enables children to learn about and practise counting. For example, children learn about odd and even numbers, sorting them into two groups to deepen their knowledge of numbers to 10.

Consequently, they are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

Pupils with SEND are well supported. They access the same curriculum as their peers, with key adults used to help.

Support is tailored to each individual so they can make the best possible progress from their starting points. Staff make adaptations to ensure that all pupils access the same curriculum content.

Leaders prioritise pupils' wider enrichment.

Eco-committee provides opportunities for pupils to grow vegetables and recycle. Leaders also promote walking or cycling to school to ease the congestion on the busy road outside. School councillors represent pupils' voices and make contributions to the school.

Pupils appreciate these opportunities and take them seriously.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about leaders' consideration and support for their workload and well-being. They enjoy working at the school.

They see it as a 'family' and are committed to supporting each other.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have clear procedures in place to keep pupils safe.

Staff are well trained and can identify pupils at risk of harm. Any concerns are reported quickly. Governors are aware of their statutory safeguarding responsibilities and keep up to date through regular training.

Leaders seek help and advice from outside agencies. They know families well. They are particularly committed to supporting those families who are most vulnerable, to ensure the best possible outcomes for children.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum responds to any current issues and gives pupils the information they need. As a result, pupils are aware of ways to stay safe online and who they can go to if they feel unsafe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Curriculum plans are well sequenced.

Leaders identify the key knowledge and essential vocabulary for pupils to learn. However, the full implementation of the school's curriculum is not yet firmly embedded, due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic. At this point, only the first year of the two-year cycle has been implemented.

Consequently, there are no well-established routines for the reinforcement of pupils' learning from previous years. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that the well-planned curriculum is fully embedded to enable pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding over time.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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