St Michael at Bowes CofE Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Strong leadership from the headteacher, senior and subject leaders keeps the focus on improving teaching and learning at the heart of the school's work.

Governors support the school well in its endeavours and check carefully on progress towards meeting its targets. Overall good teaching is enabling pupils to learn new ideas securely and make good progress over time, so that pupils' achievement is at least good. The additional adults supporting learning are highly skilled and make a significant contribution to the progress of pupils in each class.

The school's status as a 'Rights Respecting School' permeates all that it does and has a ver...y strong influence on the pupils' personal development. The pupils' exemplary behaviour and very positive approach to learning make for an orderly school and calm classrooms. Pupils greatly enjoy school and value the support from their teachers.

This is reflected in their rising attendance levels. Pupils feel very safe in school and have many ways of accessing support if they need it. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching is not always interesting enough to stimulate the pupils' imaginations and thinking.

The progress of the most able pupils slows at times because not all teachers set them challenging enough work. Learning slows at times because teachers do not check carefully whether pupils understand fully and this leaves some confused.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the majority of primary schools.

Almost all pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Two thirds speak English as an additional language. Many are at the early stages of learning English.

The school receives pupil premium funding for a well above average proportion of the pupils. This is additional government funding which, in this school, supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average and falling. More pupils than in most other primary schools join or leave part-way through their primary education. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.