St Margaret’s Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher provides strong leadership. Together with the deputy headteacher and, more recently, the interim executive board, she has driven the school forward and improved teaching and achievement since the last inspection. Teaching is now good because leaders have used rigorous checks and training to raise the quality.

Pupils' achievement is now good in English and mathematics. Teachers plan lessons in these subjects that take good account of pupils' different capabilities. Marking in English and mathematics is detailed and provides pupils with clear steps to improve their work.

As a result of good teaching, children in th...e early years make good progress. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy their lessons.

Behaviour around the school is good. Pupils show respect and courtesy for one another. They are proud of their school.

The school supports pupils from the Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller communities well. The school provides a safe environment for pupils. Pupils feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe.

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. It is a harmonious community where the cultures of all pupils are respected and celebrated. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils do not make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. When writing in subjects other than English, they are not given such clear guidance on how to improve. The work pupils are set in subjects other than English and mathematics is sometimes too easy or too hard.

Information about this school

St Margaret's Church of England VA Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The early years comprises one Reception class, where children attend full time. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average.

Just over half the pupils are White British, approximately 29% are African and approximately 10% are Gypsy Roma or of Irish Traveller heritage. Approximately 28% of the pupils speak English as an additional language. This is above average.

Just over 11% of the pupils are disabled or have special educational needs. This is below average. Around 18% of the pupils are supported by the pupil premium (additional funding provided for disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or in local authority care).

This is below average. Since the last inspection, the local authority and diocese applied to the Department of Education to replace the governing body with an interim executive board (IEB). This was granted and the IEB took on the governance role in June 2014.

The school is a member of the Basildon Excellence Panel. This group of schools provides support and training for its partner members. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.