St Matthew’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this caring primary school. Staff forge strong, supportive relationships with pupils.

Leaders take prompt and effective action to resolve any bullying issues or unkind behaviour. This helps pupils to feel safe, well cared for and happy.

Pupils respond well to leaders' high expectations of their behaviour.

They usually behave well in the classroom, in the playground and around the school. They told inspectors that leaders' recent changes to the behaviour policy have helped everyone to understand the rules and to be ready to learn. Pupils cooperate well with one another.

Children in the Reception Year through to pupils in Year ...6, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy learning and achieve well. They live up to leaders' high expectations. Pupils appreciate the range of opportunities that are available to them.

This includes visits and after-school clubs, such as yoga, choir practice and sports club.

Pupils value people's differences. For example, they particularly enjoyed learning about people from other countries and cultures in their world languages day.

Pupils like to make a difference to the school and to make it the best it can be. For example, they enjoyed voting for their favourite piece of play equipment. They also value their roles as mental health ambassadors and play leaders.

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

Leaders have designed a suitably ambitious and broad curriculum for pupils. They have clearly identified the key knowledge that pupils will learn and made it clear to staff when content should be delivered. Subject leaders are equipped well with the skills and knowledge to ensure that they can support teachers to deliver the curriculum with confidence.

Teachers frequently check how well pupils have remembered their earlier learning. Teachers then use this information to shape their future teaching and address pupils' misconceptions. Typically, pupils can make links between what they know and new learning.

This helps pupils to build their knowledge securely throughout each topic. Overall, pupils achieve well in most subjects. However, in a small number of subjects, some teachers do not support pupils to recall and revisit their prior knowledge.

This means that, in these subjects, some pupils sometimes struggle to recall their earlier learning.

Children in the early years develop positive attitudes to learning. Over time, they learn to concentrate for longer periods.

However, in some areas of learning, some staff are still developing their expertise to design learning that deepens children's understanding. From time to time, this prevents some children from securing the knowledge that they need to be ready for the curriculum in Year 1.

There is a keen focus on the teaching of early reading.

Phonics teaching starts from the time that children enter the Reception Year. Leaders ensure that all staff have received the training that they need to deliver the phonics programme well. There is a shared approach to the teaching of phonics across the school.

In the main, pupils read books which contain the sounds that they have been taught. Leaders ensure that staff are equipped well to identify any gaps in pupils' reading knowledge. This ensures that pupils receive appropriate support to catch up quickly in reading.

Teachers read to pupils with expression and enthusiasm. They expose pupils to books from a wide range of authors. Added to this, when selecting texts to read to the pupils, staff consider pupils' preferences.

This helps to further develop pupils' love of reading.

Leaders have suitable systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that teachers are knowledgeable about how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn and achieve well.

Mostly, parents and carers are pleased with how leaders prepare pupils for starting in the Reception class and for their move to secondary school.

Pupils enjoy their learning. Staff deal swiftly and effectively with any rare incidences of low-level disruption.

This is because leaders have established effective routines to support pupils to behave well. Pupils attend school regularly.

Leaders provide pupils with many opportunities to learn about the wider world.

Pupils know it is important to stay healthy, both mentally and physically. Pupils also learn about different religions and cultures. This helps to prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

Leaders, staff and those responsible for governance are proud of their school and the progress that they have made since the previous inspection. Governors and senior leaders look after staff's well-being and consider ways to reduce workload where possible. Governors are committed to their roles.

They challenge leaders to secure the best possible quality of education for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school.

All staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. This helps them to notice and then report any signs that may indicate concerns about a pupil's welfare. Leaders maintain comprehensive records of safeguarding concerns.

They work collaboratively with other agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the support that they need quickly.

Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe. For example, they are aware of the potential dangers of being online, such as giving out personal details to strangers.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to revisit and embed earlier learning. This means that some pupils are not fully secure in the knowledge and understanding that leaders intend them to gain. Leaders should ensure that pupils recall key learning so that pupils know and remember more over time.

• Some staff in the early years do not have the expertise to deepen children's knowledge in some areas of learning. This means that, in these areas of learning, some children in the early years are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be. Leaders should ensure that staff deliver the curriculum in the early years equally well so that children are fully prepared for the challenges of key stage 1.