St Stephen’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is one big happy family. School leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers.

Together, they strive to ensure that every pupil can thrive. Pupils said that they love the way teachers make their lessons so interesting and engaging. They thoroughly enjoy participating in the wealth of extra-curricular activities and performance opportunities on offer.

Everyone is included. Staff's passion and joy are infectious. Pupils do not want to miss out.

Consequently, attendance is consistently very high.

The school is determined to give pupils the highest quality of education possible. Pupils' achievements from the early years upwards and a...cross the full range of subjects are routinely exceptionally high.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils enjoy warm working relationships with adults. They are respectful of all people.

Right from the early years, staff teach children to be kind and helpful towards each other. Around the school, pupils are calm, purposeful and cheerful.

Parents cannot speak highly enough about the school.

The school runs multiple workshops for parents. These help them to support their children in a variety of ways. Beyond this, there are several staff and family social events, including the annual family supper and the recent camping trip and walk across the Isle of Wight.

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

The school has a vision and ambition for excellence in all that it does. It brings this to fruition through the curriculum, which goes well beyond expectations. Every subject has been thoroughly thought through in terms of what knowledge the school wants pupils to know and by when this should be taught.

Across the subjects, teachers have high levels of expertise and skills to teach effectively. There are subject specialists for Spanish, music, physical education (PE), gymnastics and dance. Spanish, for example, is taught from Reception all the way through to Year 6.

Across the board, staff often check pupils' knowledge and skills. They use their findings to help all pupils, including those with SEND, to catch up quickly should they fall behind. For example, in PE, staff give pupils extra booster sessions if they have struggled to master a specific skill.

There is a strong commitment to ensuring that inclusion and diversity are embedded in the school. This influences the choice of texts that are read in English. Pupils are exposed to literature reflective of a wide range of communities and experiences.

It also impacts on the choice of resources, such as dolls in the early years that reflect different cultures and disabilities. Subject leaders arrange enrichment activities like clubs, educational visits and visitors to the school. These are planned to extend pupils' knowledge and whet their appetite for the subjects.

For example, children in the early years had a video link with an American-based palaeontologist, who was digging up a dinosaur. As part of the annual Year 5 residential trip to France, to learn about World War 1, pupils visit the war cemeteries. They specifically visit the grave of a soldier who had been a pupil at this school.

The school employs a scientist in residence. She runs extra workshops for every class to broaden pupils' scientific knowledge. As a result, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, achieve exceptionally well across both the school and their subjects.

Teaching of reading is a top priority. From Reception, well-trained staff are proficient in delivering the school's chosen phonics programme to a high standard. Staff ensure that all pupils are supported to keep up with the expectations of the programme.

As such, pupils become confident and fluent readers. Lots of activities promote pupils' love of reading. There are weekly visits to the school's well-resourced library, as well as visiting authors.

Every class is named after a living poet. Staff teach pupils about the chosen poet, and they learn some of their poems by heart. The school also arranges opportunities for pupils to communicate with their named poet.

From early years upwards, staff focus very sharply on developing children's and pupils' vocabulary and speaking skills. Staff encourage pupils to voice their thoughts and opinions. Pupils thus learn to engage in conversation with confidence and are highly articulate.

Early years staff establish clear routines for behaviour from the start. Children quickly learn to follow the instructions of adults. They pay attention to formal teaching sessions and work well together.

Pupils work diligently and collaboratively in class, as they want to achieve their best. These positive attitudes make a strong contribution to pupils' high achievements.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is exceptional.

There is a very high uptake of the many clubs on offer. Equality is at the heart of the school's work. During their time at the school, every pupil is given an opportunity to take on a leadership role and to take part in competitive sport.

Every pupil has a part in the annual end-of-year musical production. Pupils choose the charities they want to support. They make their own arrangements for raising funds.

The school works to raise pupils' aspirations for the future, such as through the 'cracking careers' programme. Lots of people, including parents, come in every half term to talk to pupils. They discuss their careers and how their education helped them in their journey.

There are many opportunities provided to nurture pupils' talents. For example, some talented musicians are helped to get scholarships to attend specialist music schools. During their time at school, all pupils are taken on five residential trips.

Governors bring a range of expertise and experience to their work. They play a key role in supporting the school and checking that it provides an excellent education for all. Staff said that leaders are considerate of their workload and welfare.

They greatly appreciate the many opportunities they have to develop their careers. There is a strong sense of camaraderie, and staff retention is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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