St Paul’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Paul's CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make friends quickly and interact positively when learning and playing together. If there is ever unsettled behaviour, including any rare instances of bullying, it does not last for long as teachers are quick to resolve things.

Pupils are safe and know there are adults who they could go to if they have any worries.

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils' achievement and are ambitious to broaden pupils' experiences beyond their academic studies. Leaders are committed to providing pupils with opportunities to get to know and appreciate their local area, ...for example with educational outings to a local river and historical locations.

Pupils are also excited by visits to places that are less familiar to them. They enjoyed writing about a recent excursion to the seaside. Pupils look forward to the residential trip in Year 6.

Pupils appreciate the activities that leaders arrange for them, including learning a musical instrument, playing dodgeball, reading a thought-provoking book and getting better at multiplication tables. Pupils are keen to take on responsibilities, for example as members of the school council or sports leaders who help to organise activities at breaktimes.

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

Pupils study a broad range of subjects.

Subject leaders have redesigned the school's curriculum and checked that the content of subjects matches the breadth and depth of the national curriculum. In a few subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils are expected to learn are not routinely demanding and pupils do not have opportunities to deepen their learning. Subject leaders' curriculum thinking is ongoing as they refine their plans in these subjects and provide further training and guidance for staff to ensure that the content of every subject is sufficiently ambitious.

Teachers' systems for checking pupils' learning are further ahead in some subjects than others. For example, in mathematics and English, teachers regularly assess how well pupils know and understand key facts. They provide support for those who are at risk of falling behind.

Pupils have regular opportunities to recap and reinforce prior learning, with a particular focus on subject-specific vocabulary. However, in some other subjects, assessment systems are not as well established. Leaders' plans to address this are at an advanced stage.

Teachers identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and are alert to any need for further support. Teachers work with subject leaders to develop approaches to teaching that enable pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum content as others.

Leaders ensure that the teaching of early reading is prioritised in the school.

Teachers have received training in the use of the school's chosen scheme so that there is consistent and competent teaching of phonics in the early years and Years 1 and 2. Opportunities for pupils to develop their reading fluency and comprehension are well established. This includes regular review and recap of new phonics sounds that pupils have learned and opportunities to read out loud to adults.

Teachers organise activities that encourage pupils' interest in books. They bring stories to life through drama or discussions about social and contemporary issues that feature in chosen texts.

Pupils are polite and respectful around the school.

In discussions, they listen to each other sensibly. They are attentive to their teachers' expectations and appreciate the help they receive should they find anything difficult. Pupils follow well-established routines, and teachers apply the behaviour policy consistently.

All this helps to promote a calm and orderly atmosphere in class so that learning the curriculum is not interrupted.

Leaders are restoring opportunities for pupils to have experiences beyond the taught curriculum which were paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders are keen to give pupils opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them, including travel to distant parts of the country.

Leaders have made some adjustments to the school's personal, health and social education programme following consultation with parents and carers. This includes ensuring that pupils understand the complexities of issues such as consent in an age-appropriate way. Staff have received additional training on looking after pupils' mental health and well-being.

Staff appreciate leaders' support with the management of their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders set out clear expectations and responsibilities for the safeguarding of pupils.

They ensure staff's training is up to date and revisited regularly. Leaders ensure that staff are alert to any signs that a child may not be quite themselves or at risk. Staff know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns.

Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding work closely with outside organisations to help pupils and their families receive the support they need. Leaders are aware of local contextual risks and additional vulnerabilities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pupils are encouraged to take steps to keep themselves safe.

For example, pupils are taught how to stay safe online and why this is important.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The subject content leaders expect pupils to learn in some subjects is not sufficiently ambitious to support pupils to achieve highly. However, it is clear from leaders' actions that they are in the process currently of finalising the design of the curriculum in these subjects.

For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders should consolidate their curriculum thinking and complete the process of reviewing the curriculum in all subjects within the identified timescales to ensure that pupils learn and build essential knowledge in these subjects. ? In some subjects, leaders are in the early stages of using systems to assess pupils' learning.

In these subjects, gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding are not identified swiftly. Leaders should ensure that their expected assessment strategy is implemented fully to identify any areas where pupils need further support.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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