St Stephen’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Pupils of all abilities make at least good progress from their starting points. Pupils' progress is rapid in some parts of the school. Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has strongly improved and is high overall, especially at the end of Key Stage 2.

The school's early years provision is outstanding. Children make rapid progress and are taught very well. Teaching is strong and effective across the school.

Teachers communicate clearly and give pupils good advice about their work. Pupils learn well across a good range of subjects. Pupils behave very well around the school and towards each other.

Their ...love of learning contributes strongly to the progress that they make. The school's work to keep pupils safe is meticulous and highly effective. The school takes great care to ensure the well-being of its pupils, including those who have visual impairments.

The school's specially resourced provision for pupils who have visual impairments is excellent. It caters very well for its pupils and ensures that they make rapid progress. The school has a very strong spiritual ethos and set of values.

It encourages thoughtfulness, aspiration and respect for others. The headteacher's leadership is excellent. Together with governors and other leaders, she has swiftly improved the school.

Her very effective management of staff performance has ensured that achievement and teaching have improved significantly since the previous inspection. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers do not always demonstrate the highest expectations of pupils' spelling, handwriting and presentation of work.

Teachers' questioning does not always encourage even deeper reflection by pupils across the school. Leaders have not yet ensured that all pupils achieve as highly as they could. The school is not closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others as fast in Key Stage 1 as it is in Key Stage 2.

Information about this school

The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school. The school includes specially resourced provision for up to 12 pupils who have visual impairments. The VI Specialist Centre currently caters for seven pupils.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding for children known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is approximately in line with the national average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is slightly higher than in most other schools.

Most pupils are of White British heritage. Early years children are taught in one full-time Reception class. The deputy headteacher, the school business manager and the early years leader all joined the school in September 2014.

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