St Matthew’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Matthew's CofE Primary School is inclusive and nurturing.

Pupils enjoy coming to school, where they say, 'no one is ever left out'. Leaders and staff have built trusting and respectful relationships with every pupil. They know pupils well and make sure that their needs are met.

This helps pupils feel safe and cared for. As one parent commented, 'the care, love and support that all staff give to pupils and their families at St Matthew's is remarkable'.

The school's values to 'aim high, encourage and have faith' are deeply rooted throughout the school.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special education...al needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They want every pupil to succeed. Pupils do their very best to meet these expectations.

They have good attitudes to learning and work hard in their lessons.

Teachers have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils behave well in class and around the school.

If any silly behaviour happens, teachers are quick to deal with it. Pupils know and follow the school rules. Although bullying is rare, pupils are rightly confident that teachers would take action to deal with it if it occurred.

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

Trust leaders have high aspirations and a clear vision for change. They provide targeted support for senior and middle leaders that has resulted in rapid school improvement. Staff appreciate the high-quality professional development they receive.

They are grateful for leaders' support in managing their workload so that they can do their job well.

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that is varied, interesting and stimulating. They have identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember, and the order that it should be taught in.

In all subjects, the curriculum begins in the Nursery. This ensures that pupils are ready for each new stage in their education.

In many subjects, careful thought has been given to planning subject-specific vocabulary.

This helps pupils practise and remember what they have learned. For example, in physical education, pupils recap vocabulary such as arm swing, foot contact and head position to remind them about the skills they need to develop in running.

However, in a small number of subjects, technical vocabulary has not been planned as well.

Some pupils struggle to recall knowledge or talk about their learning. As a result, their knowledge in these subjects is less secure. For example, when discussing an experiment in science, pupils were not able to use vocabulary such as activate or temperature to explain how yeast makes bread rise.

Pupils' explanations did not demonstrate a depth of understanding.Leaders prioritise reading from Nursery onwards. Children explore sounds through rhyming, singing and listening to stories.

As soon as they are ready, children have daily phonics lessons, where they link letters and sounds to read simple words. This gets them off to a flying start when they begin learning to read in Reception. Teachers choose books that are well matched to the sounds that pupils can read.

They make regular checks to ensure that pupils remember their learning. If pupils fall behind, the phonics leader gives pupils the extra help they need to catch up. As a result, most pupils are reading confidently and fluently when they start key stage 2.

Leaders have high ambition for pupils with SEND. Teachers identify pupils' needs and carefully adapt subject planning. This enables pupils to access the full curriculum and achieve well alongside their friends.

Pupils who attend the school's special needs support centre have individual teaching plans that are bespoke to their needs. This supports them with their learning in the support centre and helps them to integrate into the mainstream life of the school.

Teachers plan many opportunities for pupils to develop their personal skills.

Through the forest school curriculum, pupils connect outdoor learning with other areas of the curriculum. Pupils deepen their learning by attending educational trips. They also attend trips that broaden their cultural experiences, for example, Year 5 and Year 6 pupils watched 'The Nutcracker' at the Royal Opera House in London.

Staff encourage pupils to look after their physical health. Pupils experience a wide range of sporting opportunities, such as badminton, archery, cricket and golf. Pupils have a good understanding of faiths and cultures that are different from their own.

They understand that families are not all the same.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders deliver regular safeguarding training for staff.

Clear systems are in place to report concerns, which are understood by everyone. When staff have concerns, they follow these processes diligently and in a timely manner. Leaders work with a wide range of external agencies to make sure pupils are safe.

They provide helpful support for families when it is needed. Leaders and governors regularly check records of recruitment.

The curriculum helps pupils learn how to stay safe.

This includes knowing how to keep safe online. Pupils talk to adults if they are worried or concerned about something. They know staff will help them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils are not explicitly taught the key vocabulary they need in all subjects. This means that sometimes they find it difficult to recall knowledge and articulate what they have been learning. Senior leaders need to ensure that all subject leaders identify and sequence the key vocabulary pupils need to learn to help them embed knowledge in their long-term memory.