St Luke’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about school and are safe. They enjoy the warm and supportive environment leaders and staff create. Pupils play together happily in the playground.

There is a calm, orderly atmosphere around the school. Pupils, parents and carers are confident that staff manage any incidents of bullying effectively should they occur.

Each day, pupils access an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs, including football, chess and drama.

The school is alive with wider curriculum activity before school, after school and at lunchtimes, such as skipping and gymnastics. Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities on offer. They talk proudly about the num...ber of clubs they attend and different experiences they gain.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Leaders' secure subject knowledge, and typically regular checks on pupils' learning mean that pupils who are struggling are quickly spotted. Leaders help pupils keep up with the curriculum.

This consistent approach leads to pupils achieving highly.

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

The school curriculum is ambitious and well designed. Most subject leaders have strong subject knowledge.

This helps them plan the curriculum well. Leaders sequence subject content effectively from the early years to Year 6. This means pupils build knowledge based on what they learned previously.

For instance, the mathematics plans in the Nursery include many opportunities for children to develop an understanding of counting and number so that they are ready for learning in Reception and beyond.

Leaders have appropriate plans to measure how well teachers teach subjects. Typically, teachers make sure that pupils remember important information.

They systematically check that pupils can recall what they learned previously. This helps pupils to connect prior knowledge with new learning. Some teachers do not have secure knowledge to teach beyond their subject expertise and, as a result, pupils' grasp of new knowledge is less secure.

Leaders regularly check that pupils are knowing more and remembering more. They quickly spot any pupils who fall behind and put support in place to help them keep up.

Leaders prioritise reading across the school.

Pupils enjoy reading. They typically said, 'We don't just like reading, we love it'. When pupils are at the early stages of learning phonics, leaders make sure they read books matched to the sounds they know.

This helps pupils to feel successful and builds their confidence. The school's phonics programme begins as soon as children enter the school in the Nursery. Pupils who struggle to keep up with the programme receive additional daily support.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They learn alongside their peers. Leaders work effectively with a range of external professionals to provide additional tailored support where necessary.

Parents appreciate the guidance they receive from leaders to help their child's learning at home. Pupils who speak English as an additional language are helped to develop their spoken and written English quickly.

Pupils behave well in lessons and in the playground.

Pupils know the school's expectations and generally follow the rules. Teachers address low-level disruption in lessons so that there is minimal impact on learning. The praise, encouragement and rewards pupils receive help to motivate them to do their best.

Leaders make sure all pupils access extra-curricular clubs and wider opportunities. Leaders use a fair system for allocating places so that no pupil is left out. Pupils take on different responsibility roles in the school, such as school council representatives and playground buddies.

Pupils, including those in the early years, enjoy learning about relationships, faiths and cultures that are different to their own.

The school is well led and managed. Staff feel supported by leaders and governors to manage their workload and prioritise their well-being.

This helps to create an atmosphere where staff feel valued and trusted. Governors understand their role of providing support and challenge to leaders. Governors work closely with senior and subject leaders to check that they are making the right decisions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive training so that they know how to identify that a pupil may need help and support. Staff know and use the systems in the school to raise any concerns with leaders.

Leaders work with different external organisations to provide help for pupils and families.

Pupils know the different ways they can report a worry or any concern in school. They are taught how to use technology safely, including how to keep safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject plans are not implemented consistently by all teachers. As a result, some pupils do not know and remember important knowledge to help them understand new learning. Leaders should prioritise training and support for teachers so that all subject plans are taught well by all teachers.

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