St John the Baptist Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming here. They take pride in their work and know adults want them to succeed.

Pupils are benefiting from recent changes to the curriculum. As a result, most pupils across the school can recall key knowledge they have learned. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading, including book club.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to access the full curriculum.

Pupils follow routines well. In early years, staff teach children how to share and be independent.

Pupils trust staff and respect each other. They refer to school as a safe space. Pupils are motivated to be 'learner of the week'.
<...br/>Through 'values awards', pupils understand how to demonstrate trust, courage and truthfulness. As a result, the school is a harmonious place to learn and play in.

Older pupils take on leadership roles such as sports ambassadors, librarians, or organising collective worship.

In every class, pupils have responsibilities to carry out. Pupils raise money for new equipment, thereby making a positive contribution to school life. There are a range of sports clubs and experiences offered.

Pupils learn to play the guitar and take part in choir and orchestra events. There are regular trips, visits to church and residentials. All this broadens pupils' horizons.

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

The school is successfully steering itself through a period of change. New subject leaders have recently updated the curriculum, including in early years. This has ensured the curriculum logically builds pupils' knowledge over time.

Staff have welcomed training on this new curriculum content and approach. In subjects such as mathematics and history, pupils use their prior learning well to help understand new knowledge. Staff address any misconceptions that pupils have before teaching something new.

Pupils secure the skills they need to read. In early years and key stage 1, most pupils know the sounds they should do for their age. They develop reading fluency with books well matched to their ability.

Staff keep a close eye on pupils of all ages who find reading tricky. Due to timely interventions, these pupils catch up quickly. Pupils have opportunities to read a range of texts and widen their vocabulary.

This is evident in how pupils are starting to use more ambitious language in their writing.

The school has increased the numbers of pupils achieving the expected standard in Year 6 national assessments. In early years, the school has designed the curriculum to meet the needs of the specific children in that class.

Pupils throughout the school with SEND benefit from adjustments made so that they can access the curriculum successfully.

However, several pupils across the school are capable of learning in more depth. At present, it is not sufficiently clear to staff the level of detailed knowledge they need to teach within certain subjects.

This limits how well pupils deepen and make connections in their knowledge. In addition, some staff are still getting to grips with using checks on learning to adapt their teaching or questioning. There are instances when pupils are set work they can do already.

Opportunities for pupils to extend their knowledge are not always maximised. This also includes in early years and for some pupils with SEND.

Pupils understand what bullying is.

On the rare occasions bullying or discriminatory behaviour may occur, pupils know the school will address it. In lessons, pupils are engaged and learning is not disrupted. Pupils who need additional support with their emotions are skilfully managed.

More pupils are now attending school regularly. The school continues to work with families where pupils' attendance is still low.

The school's vision is about pupils having the skills and knowledge to 'run the race' of life and help others do the same.

This thread runs through the school's personal development programme. Pupils respect different cultures and viewpoints. Through learning about justice and service, for example, they appreciate the British values of rule of law and democracy.

They understand how to have a healthy mind and body. They know how to stay safe, including when online, when crossing the road or near water.

Staff are positive about working here.

They appreciate how leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Governors know the school well and fulfil their statutory duties. They provide challenge and support.

However, the school is still refining how it checks on how well pupils are learning across the curriculum. In some instances, these checks are not yet sufficiently robust. Work on this has started but is still at the early stages.

Many parents are positive about the school. However, some parents feel the school could improve its communication.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some aspects of the curriculum, the detail and depth of knowledge the school expects pupils to know is not explicit enough. This means that some pupils do not deepen their knowledge across subject areas and so are not achieving as highly as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff across the whole school understand exactly what in-depth knowledge they need to teach and how best to support pupils to acquire it.

• In some areas, the checking of how well pupils learn the curriculum is not as consistent or robust as it could be. As a result, the school is not providing some pupils sufficient opportunity to extend their learning. The school needs to ensure that checks on learning are consistently rigorous so that pupils achieve what they are fully capable of in a timely manner.