St John’s Highbury Vale CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and secure in this school.

This is because adults keep them safe. Pupils know and follow the routines that help them to move safely around the school. Through an extensive personal development programme, they learn the difference between unkind behaviour and bullying.

They feel well equipped and well supported by adults to deal with both on the rare occasions they happen. Overall, pupils are calm, confident and peaceful in lessons and at breaktimes.

Pupils are expected to work hard and take responsibility for their learning.

This means they achieve well, including most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)....

There are many leadership opportunities for pupils. They take these seriously and habitually act responsibly.

For example, a group of pupils independently organise the music and set-up for collective worship. Others are class or sports leaders. They do jobs such as ring the bell at the end of break, organise competitions and represent the pupil voice.

The school has a strong sense of community. This stems from the small setting, strong parental involvement and links to the church. Events such as picnics, 'French Day' and the Easter bonnet parade provide opportunities to bring everyone together.

Pupils enjoy learning about each member of their community and celebrate their differences.

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

The school has implemented a broad and balanced curriculum that matches what is expected nationally. Most subjects have been set out with high ambition to ensure that pupils learn the appropriate building blocks of knowledge at the appropriate stage.

This ensures that pupils can consolidate and apply this knowledge as it becomes more complex. For example, pupils in Reception learn to make sounds and understand instructions phonetically before they start formal phonics. Similarly, they sort shapes according to the number of sides they have.

This prepares them for more in-depth mathematical awareness of shape and geometry later. The curriculum is more secure and embedded in some subjects than others. Leaders are in the process of reviewing and updating a small number of subjects to ensure consistency across all areas.

In most cases, new knowledge is presented clearly. Tasks typically enable pupils to know and remember more over time. Additionally, teachers regularly check to see if pupils have learned what is intended and take appropriate steps to address misconceptions.

Pupils with SEND are identified quickly, and the school ensures that the appropriate agencies and specialist support are accessed in a timely fashion. However, the adaptations made in class are not routinely well matched to the needs of pupils with SEND. This can occasionally lead to pupils having some gaps to their knowledge.

The school has a well-established and approved phonics programme in place. Leaders ensure it is delivered consistently. They also regularly check what pupils know and use additional support to help them catch up if they fall behind.

The sharp focus on early reading means pupils quickly gain the skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

Behaviour is generally calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and their teachers.

On the few occasions when behaviour needs addressing by staff, pupils quickly correct their conduct, and learning continues with little disruption.

The school has ensured that pupils have access to a very stimulating and enriching wider curriculum. They learn about different cultures and faiths, protected characteristics, equal opportunities and the full range of family structures and relationships.

Pupils are taught how to be healthy in mind and body and how to keep themselves safe online. They contribute to their community by regularly raising money for charity and participating in projects that support the environment. The school arranges many visits, including to places like the Houses of Parliament, the zoo and a range of museums and galleries.

Pupils also benefit from participating in numerous sporting activities and inter-school competitions. Leaders take steps to ensure that all pupils benefit from this exceptionally well-considered programme of activities.

Leaders, including governors, have a strong understanding of the challenges faced by the school.

There is a very new leadership team in place. These new leaders have moved quickly to get to know the pupils and their families. While they have already had a positive impact on the education provided, many of their improvements need time to embed.

Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. Parents and carers say that communication is an embedded strength of the school and changes in leadership have not altered this.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subjects are not as consistently well structured and sequenced as others. This means pupils are not securing all the necessary component knowledge into their long-term memory before tackling more complex ideas. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums clearly identify the key knowledge the school wants pupils to secure and at what stage.

Adaptations for pupils with SEND are not routinely meeting their needs. This means that some pupils are not accessing the curriculum as well as they could. The school must ensure that staff consistently make appropriate adaptations to allow all pupils to access the curriculum.

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