St Margaret’s Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Margaret's is a warm and friendly school.

From Nursery, pupils are happy to come to school. They look forward to the exciting learning that staff prepare for them, especially their history lessons.'

Be safe, be kind and be ready' are the new behaviour expectations that pupils are proud to share.

They know how to keep themselves safe and who they can talk to if they have worries or concerns.

Pupils are kind and caring towards each other. On some occasions, pupils do experience some unkind behaviour, which can lead to low-level behaviour in class.

This is dealt with quickly by the school. Pupils know what bullying is and that it can happen.... They trust the adults in the school to 'sort things out'.

Staff changes have meant that pupils have not had consistency in their learning. This is no longer the case. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' achievement.

Pupils learn a well-balanced and sequenced curriculum that helps them to do more in their learning. As a result, pupils achieve well and talk enthusiastically about what they have learned.

Pupils attend various extra-curricular activities.

They enjoy their lunchtime play where they can participate in art activities, sports games and building activities.

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

The school has experienced a turbulent time, with changes in staffing and leadership. This has now been stabilised.

Staff feel well supported by the school. The trust and the school leaders have worked rapidly to improve the school. Communication with parents about their child's education is improving and school leaders are continuing to work on this.

The school has implemented a clear and concise curriculum that sets out what pupils will learn from the early years. Recent changes to the curriculum have ensured that staff better understand and implement the high expectations that the school has set out. This means pupils experience a curriculum that builds their knowledge and understanding over time.

In some instances, staff do not always know the curriculum well enough in some subjects to adapt their teaching. This means that some pupils do not access what they need and they develop gaps in their learning.

Reading has been prioritised across the school.

Children in Nursery develop their storytelling skills with enthusiasm, especially when retelling the story of a bear hunt. The youngest pupils receive high-quality phonics teaching from Reception. Staff check pupils' understanding closely.

Any pupils not keeping up with the programme are identified quickly and receive the support they need to achieve. Older pupils benefit from a rigorous reading curriculum that develops the main skills of reading. Pupils enjoy reading a range of different texts.

They are confident in applying their reading skills to other areas of the curriculum, such as history and geography.The school has processes in place for identifying pupils with additional needs. Staff are skilled at supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff know pupils well. They ensure that pupils get the right support to access the curriculum. The school ensures that pupils with SEND are supported in all areas of school life so that they can achieve well.

Pupils enjoy school and, as a result, attendance is positive. Pupils who find arriving at school on time challenging are well supported. Pupils look forward to the 'early bird' week when they can earn rewards for being on time.

The school works closely with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils' attendance is improving.

Pupils have a strong understanding of the school's values, including respect. They behave calmly and respectfully when moving around the school.

In lessons, most pupils are focused on learning and are keen to learn. They know that they must try their best, but this high expectation is not always reinforced by some staff. This is also the case for some children in Reception.

On some occasions, when pupils display low-level behaviour, staff are not always quick to correct this. This means that some pupils are not focused and distract others from their work.

The range of school trips, visits and experiences helps pupils learn about the wider world around them.

They learn about being different and what it means to make a difference in the world by using your voice for change. Pupils in Year 6 have many responsibilities and they enjoy these. However, pupils in other year groups would also welcome the opportunity to be responsible and champion school subjects such as sports and mathematics.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some cases, staff do not always have the subject knowledge they need to adapt the curriculum effectively for pupils. This means that some pupils are not learning the intended curriculum and have gaps in their learning.

The school needs to ensure that all staff teach the curriculum effectively. ? On occasions, some pupils' behaviour distracts them and others from being focused on their learning and trying their best Staff are not always quick at setting high expectations for positive attitudes to learning. The school needs to ensure the high expectations for behaviour are set consistently to ensure that pupils are focused on their learning and proud of their work and achievements.