St Luke’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Luke's is a place in which pupils are happy and safe.

They learn about positive relationships through the 'St Luke's way,' the school's set of agreed values. Pupils are well cared for and are respectful to adults and each other. Younger pupils benefit from working alongside their older peers in mixed-age classes.

Pupils collaborate well, including children in the early years. They listen to each other and take turns respectfully.

Pupils do not benefit from a well-considered curriculum in all subjects.

In some areas, pupils' learning does not build closely enough on their prior knowledge. This means they do not always achieve as well as they could....

Behaviour is positive.

Pupils respond well to leaders' high expectations for their conduct. This helps them to be orderly around the school. Pupils learn to consider others.

As result, bullying is rare. If it does occur, adults resolve any issues.

Pupils learn about important life skills, such as information regarding possible future careers.

They experience exciting visits and activities which develop what they learn in class. Opportunities provide equity for all pupils. For example, a recent event inspired all pupils, irrespective of gender, to consider a career in engineering.

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

Leaders are working collaboratively with the trust to review and improve the curriculum. They have put in place an ambitious curriculum aimed to help all pupils develop the knowledge they need to be successful. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In some subjects this is working well, for example in mathematics and in art and design. In other curriculum areas, and in some aspects of the early years, leaders have not broken down the learning precisely enough for the specific needs of the pupils. This particularly applies to pupils in mixed-age classes.

This means that some pupils do not develop the detailed knowledge they need.

The delivery of the curriculum is variable. Where the curriculum is well designed, teachers plan appropriate activities that help pupils learn the key knowledge.

Staff know how to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. However, in some areas, the lack of precise plans means teachers do not check closely enough what pupils know.

In early years, children confidently build up what they know in key aspects, such as understanding of number.

However, in some areas of learning, staff do not have the secure expertise to check what children know effectively. This means children are not as ready for Year 1 as they could be.

Pupils are taught to start to read using a new phonics scheme.

This develops pupils' knowledge of sounds in a coherent way. That said, not all staff have the secure expertise needed to teach the programme consistently well. Most pupils quickly develop fluency and accuracy in reading.

However, some pupils who are in the early stages of reading struggle to read confidently. Some of these pupils read books that do not match the sounds they know closely enough. While this is the case, older pupils are enthusiastic readers.

They access a range of books that reflect the diverse nature of the school community.

Leaders have established a clear vision for how they want pupils to behave. They have put in place effective processes and routines that pupils and staff understand.

This supports pupils' focus and encourages positive attitudes towards their learning. Leaders ensure they consider pupils' views about behaviour. For instance, the school council has set the rules for lunchtimes.

As a result, there is a calm and purposeful culture.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum that pupils access supports their personal development well. For example, they learn about managing money for when they have pocket money or a part-time job.

Leaders plan how to prepare pupils effectively for life in modern Britain. For instance, well-considered events, such as visits to the local cathedral and holocaust exhibitions, build closely on classroom learning. This leads to pupils articulating a mature understanding of people from different cultures.

Staff welcome how leaders consider their workload when changes are made. Staff particularly appreciate the opportunity for training in a range of subject areas, delivered by the trust.

The trust ensures that there is effective oversight of leaders' work.

Trust leaders and governors carry out regular checks on statutory responsibilities, such as safeguarding. The trust is focused on supporting improvements to the school's curriculum, and leaders have already taken effective action to reflect this priority.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise safeguarding. Staff are vigilant to any concerns affecting pupils' welfare and report these promptly. Leaders act in a timely way on information given.

They are tenacious in ensuring that vulnerable pupils and families receive appropriate support. Safeguarding checks made on adults who work in the school are in place and are well managed.

Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe through the PSHE curriculum.

They understand about the risks they face in the local community and online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not identified and sequenced precisely enough the knowledge that pupils need to learn in all areas of the curriculum. This includes some aspects of the early years.

As a result, pupils do not develop a detailed understanding in all subject areas. Leaders must ensure that all curriculum plans clearly identify what knowledge is required and in which order it should be taught so that pupils learn well over time. ? There is some variation in the expertise of staff to deliver the new phonics programme consistently well.

This means that readers needing the most support do not achieve fluency and accuracy quickly enough in reading. Leaders should ensure that books are consistently well matched to pupils' phonics stage and that staff have the knowledge they need to teach early reading effectively. ? Staff teaching in the early years do not have a consistently strong understanding of the curriculum.

As a result, adults are not accurate enough in checking and responding to what children know in some areas of learning. Leaders should ensure that the full curriculum in early years identifies the knowledge that needs to be learned and assessed. Leaders should then ensure that all staff have the relevant expertise to help children build secure knowledge in readiness for Year 1.