St Thomas Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this welcoming and caring school. They enjoy learning new information and appreciate the many worthwhile learning opportunities that the school provides.

Pupils are happy. They feel loved and accepted.

The school's values of trust, friendship, respect and kindness are embedded throughout its curriculum.

These values underpin the harmonious relationships that exist between everyone at the school. Pupils are thoughtful and well mannered. They cheerfully welcome visitors.

The school has high expectations of pupils' academic success across each curriculum subject. Most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disa...bilities (SEND), achieve well. Children in the early years are well prepared for key stage 1 and pupils in Year 6 are ready for their secondary education.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They understand the school rules and relish the array of rewards that they receive for working hard and trying their best. Over time, pupils become confident and resilient learners.

They learn that even in the face of adversity, anything is possible.

Pupils learn to care for living things, including the school's therapy dog. Pupils value the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities such as being a peer mediator or a catering manager.

Such experiences teach them about the importance of communication and responsibility.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum that flows logically from the beginning of the Nursery Year to the end of Year 6. Staff are clear about the important subject content that they want pupils to learn and when they need to learn it.

Through regular training, staff are equipped with high levels of expertise across a broad range of subjects.

The curriculum is typically delivered well. In the main, staff choose appropriate activities to help pupils to make connections with what they know already and to deepen their knowledge.

However, in one or two subjects, staff provide pupils with insufficient opportunities to recap and consolidate their learning. Occasionally, this hinders how well some pupils, including those with SEND, learn.

Generally, staff are adept at checking that pupils have learned all that they should.

They skilfully identify and address misconceptions that would otherwise hinder pupils' learning. At times, gaps in pupils' knowledge and subject-specific vocabulary go unchecked. This sometimes makes it difficult for some pupils to make connections between their existing knowledge and new learning.

The school fosters a love of reading as soon as children start in the early years. In the Nursery and Reception classes, children enjoy listening to well-chosen stories. Older pupils enjoy reading engaging texts from the well-stocked library.

Pupils understand the importance of reading. Most staff deliver the phonics programme effectively from the moment that children enter the Reception Year. Staff routinely check pupils' phonics knowledge and make sure that less confident readers receive effective support.

As a result, most pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy.

The school is aspirational for the achievement of all its pupils. Staff are trained to quickly identify the additional needs that pupils may have, including SEND.

The school makes sure that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need to achieve well. Typically, pupils with SEND thrive in all aspects of their development.

From the start of the Nursery Year, children are taught to play cooperatively and to follow school routines by skilled staff.

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning and develop confidence throughout their time at the school. Pupils in all year groups are remarkably keen to learn and to take part in activities. These positive attitudes contribute considerably to pupils' achievement.

The school places great importance on pupils' high attendance. Pupils know that they need to be in school in order to learn. For those pupils who do not attend school regularly, the school offers highly effective support to families to reduce absence levels.

The school supports pupils' personal development successfully. It takes every opportunity to ensure that pupils respect diversity. Pupils are clear that everyone is welcome at their school.

Pupils learn about the differences between people, including religion and the make-up of different families. They understand the concepts of tolerance and democracy. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

This knowledge prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

Members of the local governing body know the school well. Governors ensure that leaders focus on improving the curriculum.

Governors check that staff have the training and resources that they need to do their jobs well. As a result, staff feel well supported to hone and develop their expertise. There are effective systems in place to ensure smooth working between the local governing body and the trust.

Trustees check that pupils across the school achieve well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, some staff do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to apply what they have learned previously to new learning.

This hinders some pupils from deepening their knowledge as effectively as they could. The school should support staff in designing learning activities that enable pupils to acquire and remember knowledge securely over time. ? In a small number of subjects, staff do not identify and address gaps in pupils' subject-specific vocabulary and essential knowledge well enough.

This hinders some pupils from building securely on what they know already in these subjects. The school should strengthen staff's strategies to check pupils' prior learning. This is to ensure that pupils know more and remember more over time.