St John’s Mead Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St John's Mead Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. Parents say that they value the love of learning that the school instils. Equally, parents speak positively of the care their children receive.

Bullying is rare. When it does occur, leaders take swift and effective action to resolve it.

The school's values permeate its work.

Leaders have a clear vision and expectation that pupils 'value effort, others and self'. Pupils live up to these expectations and behave well. Pupils have positive attitudes and respect each other's learning.

As a result, a calm and purposefu...l atmosphere permeates the school.

Pupils learn about respect and tolerance. Leaders provide experiences for pupils to understand and appreciate difference.

For example, leaders invited local musicians and performers to share different types of artistic culture. These include, for example, a reggae group and an African theatre group. Pupils learn about different types of families and relationships.

Pupils learn how to manage their emotions and develop their resilience. Leaders noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils' mental health and adapted the personal development curriculum. This now helps pupils to learn how to recognise their own emotional states.

Pupils learn how they can take on challenges to develop their character.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. They want pupils to acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. At all ages, there is a strong focus on developing pupils' vocabulary. The curriculum in the Nursery helps children make the transition to Reception.

Leaders prioritise reading. They have fostered pupils' love of reading and devised an effective early reading curriculum. This curriculum is sharply focused on giving pupils the phonic knowledge they need to read accurately and fluently.

Pupils read from books which are carefully matched to their phonic knowledge. Leaders use assessment to identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Where pupils have gaps, they receive effective support to catch up.

As a result, pupils have a strong foundation for learning across the curriculum.

Leaders have further improved the mathematics curriculum. There is a clear focus on number in the early years.

At key stages 1 and 2, the curriculum is designed to help pupils remember mathematical facts and methods. Equally, the curriculum develops pupils' mathematical reasoning and knowledge of how to solve problems. As in other subjects, pupils set out their work neatly and with pride.

In other areas of the curriculum, leaders have set out precisely what they want pupils to learn. This includes subject knowledge, as well as knowledge of how to learn about the subject. For example, in religious education, pupils learn about a range of different religions and beliefs.

They do this in a variety of ways, such as hearing first-hand from members of different faiths and comparing extracts from religious texts. However, at times, they do not always recall knowledge from their previous learning as well as they could.

The curriculum meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders identify pupils' needs and share useful information with staff. Teachers, in turn, use this information to adapt the curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

The personal development curriculum helps pupils to gain an understanding of healthy relationships. Leaders use what pupils say and local information to help ensure that the curriculum is age appropriate. Pupils learn about protected characteristics and how to stay safe when online.

Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel well supported and developed by leaders. Leaders have created a professional development programme to improve teachers' subject knowledge and how to teach the curriculum effectively.

Leaders keep the curriculum under review, strengthening it where necessary.

Leaders and governors have a clear vision for the school. Governors provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

Their work enhances the effectiveness of the school. Governors ensure statutory requirements are fulfilled and that resources are well managed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They ensure appropriate checks are undertaken on adults working in the school. They train staff effectively and ensure safeguarding maintains a high profile.

Staff swiftly report concerns about children or adults to leaders with responsibility for safeguarding. Leaders, in turn, take appropriate action to help protect children.

Leaders make appropriate referrals to safeguarding partners, escalating their concerns if they feel support is not good enough.

Leaders work with external partners to secure the right support for children. The school has appropriate policy and practice in relation to sexual abuse and harassment.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, pupils do not always recall knowledge from their previous learning as well as they could.

Where this is the case, they are not well prepared for what comes next. Teaching should ensure that important subject knowledge is clearly identified and explicitly taught, so that pupils can draw more readily on what they have learned before.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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.

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