St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents and carers and staff are proud of their kind and inclusive school. The school's Christian ethos and values are at the heart of this. Staff prioritise getting to know pupils and their families, including those who are not yet confident in speaking English.

Pupils are pleased to talk about how diverse and respectful their school is.

Staff have high expectations of all pupils' behaviour, and model exactly what they expect. As a result, pupils are courteous and try hard to do what is right.

They behave well in lessons and focus on their learning. Happy pupils feel safe and secure in this caring school. If bullying happens, leaders deal with it eff...ectively.

Parents value the way that the school meets each pupil's individual needs. Summing up the views of many, one parent said, 'The teachers always go the extra mile both in and outside of school.'

Pupils are helped to broaden their horizons.

Many pupils take part in the wide range of clubs, activities and experiences. As they get older, they develop aspirations for the future, supported by an understanding of how to achieve their goals. Pupils embrace positions of responsibility as a way to contribute to the school and serve others.

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum. Pupils have a secure understanding of what they have been taught, and while they achieve well in some subjects, it is inconsistent. For example, in computing and personal, social and health education (PSHE), the curriculum is not as well planned as it is in mathematics.

Leaders have not been clear enough about precisely what they want pupils to know in these areas and in which order. As a result, teachers do not always know what to check for before moving on and pupils do not build their knowledge securely enough.

Leaders prioritise reading.

Pupils are learning to read well. In early years, staff are relentless in focusing on developing children's early communication and language. Teachers and support staff have received effective training following the recent introduction of a new phonics programme.

Staff confidence and expertise are making a positive difference to pupils. Staff accurately assess pupils' phonics and reading skills in a timely manner. This helps staff ensure that all pupils read books that match their phonics understanding and develop their fluency.

Staff are developing pupils' vocabulary, confidence and understanding of what words mean. This helps pupils to learn in other areas of the curriculum more successfully.

Children in early years settle quickly into routines so that they can play and learn cooperatively.

Pupils' behaviour across the school is very good. They socialise happily at playtimes, move around the school sensibly and are polite. Pupils respect the school's rules, values and each other, so any disruption is rare.

PSHE and personal development are at the heart of the curriculum at St Leonard's. Attendance of pupils, including for those who are disadvantaged, has remained high because of the thoughtful oversight and support provided by the school.

Pupils have many opportunities to develop their interests beyond their studies.

They enjoy and value a range of sports clubs and other opportunities, including in Spanish and mindfulness. Residential trips have restarted for pupils to learn new things, such as caring for animals, in real settings. The ambition of leaders to reconnect with their community and church and to provide rich experiences to supplement the curriculum is impressive.

Pupils embrace opportunities to serve on the school council or as anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils understand the importance of personal responsibility and take pride in their contributions. Leaders have prioritised engaging parents more directly in their children's learning.

For example, they have welcomed parents into Reception Year to share stories and have invited families to read together in the revamped library after school. As a result, parents feel included, and pupils are thriving. At St Leonard's, relationships are cherished.

Staff have clear aspirations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school identifies their needs accurately and they are supported well in class. This includes through resources, the allocation of staff and appropriate adjustments to learning the curriculum.

Leaders work with staff and other agencies to ensure that provision is effective. They are also focusing rightly on working more closely with families to identify any barriers. Leaders are reviewing their own capacity, following recent staffing changes, to support more pupils.

Knowledgeable governors work well with leaders. They have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities. Staff are proud to be part of the team.

They appreciate and value that leaders are so considerate of their workload. Principled leaders carefully balance staff well-being with a relentless focus on improving pupils' learning and lives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are trained to recognise the potential signs of harm. They report concerns promptly and leaders diligently follow these up. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils quickly get the help they need.

Leaders act appropriately to raise awareness of risks with pupils and where to get help.

Leaders are persistent in identifying and protecting the most vulnerable children and families. Local contextual risks are well considered and acted on.

Checks on adults appointed to work in the school are carried out thoroughly and monitored by governors. Leaders have clear systems and practices in place.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects such as computing and PSHE, leaders have not identified the smallest steps in learning or sequenced them coherently.

This means that pupils do not learn new knowledge as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that these component pieces of knowledge are thoughtfully sequenced to enable the acquisition of cumulatively sufficient knowledge, in line with other subjects. ? Teachers' subject and pedagogical content knowledge is too variable across the school.

This means that the delivery of the curriculum is sometimes inconsistent. As a result, pupils do not always receive consistently high-quality teaching to enable them to learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that staff are well trained, monitored regularly and provided with clearer expectations about what should be taught in all subjects.