St Philip’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being a part of this nurturing school where everyone is valued.

Pupils meet the high expectations that the school sets for their achievement. They are confident and proud to talk about their learning. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well during their time at the school.

The school's behaviour systems are clear. There is a calm and orderly environment where pupils are happy and thrive. Pupils, including children in the early years, feel safe and secure.

They have a trusted adult whom they can go to if they have a worry.

Pupils are tolerant and respectful towards adults and towards... each other. They are proud of the school's diverse pupil community.

They are keen to welcome new friends from all over the world. Pupils who begin at the school from other countries settle quickly. Staff support these pupils well in learning the English language and in accessing the wider curriculum.

Pupils enjoy the range of enrichment opportunities on offer. For example, they attend after-school and lunchtime clubs. These activities include multisports, band ensemble and drama club.

Staff also encourage pupils to broaden their talents and interests by accessing local cricket, tennis and art clubs in the community.

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

The school carefully considers the needs and interests of the pupils in its curriculum design. In most subjects, the curriculum is well ordered and flows from the early years.

In the early years, the essential knowledge and skills that children require for future learning are well thought out. However, in a small number of subjects in key stages 1 and 2, the school continues to refine the key knowledge that pupils must learn. This means that, in these remaining subjects, teachers are sometimes unclear about what pupils need to know to ensure that they have secure foundations on which to build new learning.

In those subjects that are well designed, staff skilfully check what pupils know and remember. Teachers make sure that pupils revisit and recap previous learning, so that they successfully develop their knowledge over time. In those subjects that are less well designed, these checks are at an earlier stage of development.

As a result, some pupils struggle to recall knowledge as fluently as they should in these curriculum areas.

The school prioritises the teaching of early reading. Staff receive regular and appropriate training to deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

They share this knowledge with parents and carers who attend school workshops regularly. This enables parents to support their children to develop greater fluency and confidence in reading. In the Nursery class, adults carefully develop children's listening skills.

Children successfully learn letters, and the sounds that they represent, in preparation for the Reception Year. Pupils develop their reading fluency by reading books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. This ensures that pupils achieve well.

If pupils struggle with reading, skilled staff provide effective support to help pupils to catch up quickly.

The school makes sure that staff receive appropriate training to identify pupils' additional needs with accuracy and in a timely manner. Staff successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers.

This includes pupils who are taught in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). As well as attending lessons in the specially resourced provision, these pupils regularly learn alongside their peers in mainstream classes. Staff provide these pupils with well-tailored, additional support.

Children in the early years settle into school quickly. They form secure relationships with adults and with their friends. Older pupils build on this positive start.

They commit to their learning in lessons. Pupils of all ages work and play cooperatively together.

The school provides high-quality pastoral support for its pupils.

Through well-planned trips, as well as external speakers who visit school, pupils learn about a wide range of local issues, including gangs and knife crime. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and they learn about healthy relationships. The school encourages pupils to be responsible citizens through various leadership roles, such as being a member of the school council or by becoming an ethos 'sparkle' champion.

Staff feel fully supported. They appreciate that their workload and well-being are considered by the school before any changes are brought in. For example, the newly introduced assessment systems do not overburden staff.

Governors understand their statutory duties, and they work effectively with leaders, staff and members of the local church community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is in development in some subjects in key stages 1 and 2.

This means that sometimes teachers are unclear about what pupils need to know to be able to build on previous learning. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking. This is so that, in all subjects, pupils build a secure body of subject knowledge over time.

• The school's work to establish an effective assessment system is in the early stages of implementation in some subjects. This means that teachers' checks on what pupils know are not as effective as they could be. The school should refine its assessment systems to ensure that pupils know and remember more over time.