St Michael’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy at St Michael's. They enjoy coming to school. Leaders have created a culture where pupils can talk to adults if they have worries.

Leaders make sure that everyone feels welcome. Staff know their pupils and families well. They expertly tailor support to meet pupils' needs.

Pupils are polite and show respect for each other's opinions. They work together well. Staff have high and consistent expectations of pupils' behaviour.

From the early years onwards, staff help pupils to reflect on their behaviour and to manage their feelings. For example, pupils learn to resolve their differences on 'the chat mat'. Pupils say that staff help them t...o restore relationships when they have fallen out or in the rare cases of bullying.

Staff care for pupils and keep them safe.

Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values such as democracy. Pupils perform the school's own British values rap.

This helps them to remember what they have learned.

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

Leaders, including governors, have a clear and ambitious vision for the school that is shared by staff. Subject leaders have improved the curriculum.

This is having a strong impact in mathematics and early reading.

Where there are strengths in the curriculum, such as in early reading, mathematics and computing, pupils carefully build their knowledge and understanding over time. Pupils remember most of what they have learned.

For example, pupils use concepts accurately in mathematics to explain what they are learning.

In a few subjects, the curriculum is not as developed. Leaders are not clear enough about what pupils need to learn and remember.

Pupils are taught new ideas, but these are not always consolidated. This means pupils are sometimes not able to build up their knowledge over time as well as they could.

Leaders make sure that reading is a priority.

Staff promote a love of reading from the moment children start school. There is a systematic and sequenced approach to the teaching of reading. All staff know how to teach phonics.

As a result, pupils quickly learn to decode words and to build up their fluency. Books are carefully matched to pupils' phonics knowledge. Leaders spot any pupils who are at risk of falling behind with their reading.

These pupils receive the help they need to become strong readers.

Pupils enjoy reading and being read to in school. Leaders encourage a love of reading.

Pupils talk confidently about different genres and authors.

Teachers know pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. These pupils' needs are identified quickly in the early years so appropriate support can be put in place.

Leaders ensure that staff have enough information to help pupils with SEND to learn well.

Pupils have many opportunities to enhance their personal development. Links with the local church develop pupils' understanding of faith and the community.

The personal, social and health education programme is well developed. Leaders teach pupils, in an age-appropriate way, about relevant issues, such as understanding gender and consent, and celebrating differences. Pupils take part in debates on important issues, such as mutual respect and tolerance.

They are respectful of other people's opinions.

Pupils behave well and make the most of their learning time. Leaders support pupils' emotional and mental health.

For example, they use trained counsellors in school to provide extra support to those who need it.

The governing body understands its responsibilities. Its members use their expertise to ask leaders probing questions.

They support leaders' work to improve the school further. Governors' expectations are high. Making sure that staff workload is manageable is a clear priority for leaders.

Staff appreciate leaders' efforts to make workload manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors ensure that all staff have regular and detailed safeguarding training.

This means that staff are alert to any signs of concern, however minor. Staff record their concerns , and leaders act on them. Records of concerns and actions are diligently kept.

Leaders take appropriate action to ensure that pupils are safe, including working with external agencies.

Staff know how to promote pupils' health, well-being and emotional development. They have created a culture of safeguarding where pupils can speak to an adult if they have any concerns or worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, leaders have not clearly sequenced the most important knowledge that pupils need. As a result, pupils are not always able to build on their prior learning. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to build the knowledge they need.

• Some planning does not build well enough on pupils' prior learning from early years to key stage 1. This can impede pupils' progress. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the expertise to design a curriculum that is matched to what pupils already know and can do.

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