St Paul’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. High moral and spiritual values and beliefs underpin the school's high achievement and pupils' outstanding personal development. Children get off to a flying start in Reception.

All groups of pupils make huge strides in their learning throughout the school. Pupils' excellent progress in reading and mathematics last year raised standards considerably. A similar rapid improvement in writing this year is leading to much higher attainment in the subject.

Teachers provide enjoyable activities that are often exciting and make pupils think hard. Pupils are highly engaged by activities in lessons. They try hard and want to learn.
.../>Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. They are smart, tolerant and kind each other. They feel very safe in school.

Strong, but consultative leadership by the headteacher helps to develop staff skills. Leaders have greatly improved teaching and hence pupils' achievement. The headteacher and his deputy have excellent oversight of pupils' progress and teachers' work.

Teachers with responsibilities for subjects and areas of the school check the work of colleagues and help them to improve learning in their own and other schools. The school reflects well on its practice and there is a strong desire to improve provision. There is a rich and stimulating curriculum that promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well.

A capable and strong governing body has excellent oversight of the work of the school.

Information about this school

This is a much larger than the average primary school. The overwhelming majority of pupils are White British; a lower-than-average proportion are from minority ethnic groups.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is similar to that in most schools. The number of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding (pupils known to be entitled to free school meals, looked after by the local authority or from families with a parent in the armed services) is very small. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is lower than average.

The proportion who are supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is lower than average. There has been a particularly high level of mobility into Key Stage 2 and eight pupils were late entries into last year's Year 6. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

St Pauls C of E Primary School converted to become an academy school in March 2012. It is part of the Diocesan Trust. When its predecessor school, also called St Pauls C of E Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.

The headteacher also has responsibility for a neighbouring school that Ofsted placed into a category. It has now been judged to be good. The headteacher and his staff work in other schools locally and further afield, to share good practice.

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