Staverton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staverton Church of England School is a community where pupils and their families are welcomed. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well and increasingly they do so.

Pupils are proud of their school and trust adults to help them to resolve their worries. Parents recognise the improvements that have been made at the school and are keen to support with its ongoing work.

The school has high expectations for behaviour.

Pupils are clear about the school rules and understand why they are important. On the rare occasion that behaviour is not acceptable there are clear consequences. Pupils then receive the support that they need to learn from the mistak...e and improve their behaviour.

Consequently, the school is calm and pupils learn without disruption.

A love of reading is at the heart of the school. Stories are used to help pupils learn about the school values and consider their own spirituality.

Pupils are enthusiastic talking about the books that they are reading. Events, such as author visits and trips to museums, further help to bring the curriculum to life. Older pupils are role models for younger pupils.

They take on additional responsibilities to help adults make the school a better place.

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

Pupils begin to learn to read from the moment they join the school in Reception. Adults are highly skilled at supporting early readers.

Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know so that they increase their accuracy and fluency. The school provides support for pupils who need additional help to catch up or keep up with their peers. Reading stories provides inspiration for writing.

They light pupils' imagination to both re-tell and craft their own stories for others to share.

The school has reviewed and enhanced the curriculum to ensure that pupils from Reception to Year 6 build their knowledge and understanding. Each subject has set out the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn.

This includes teaching about what makes each subject unique. Pupils are confident to talk about their learning. For example, explaining the skills they have learned in physical education to help keep themselves healthy.

The school has systems to check what pupils know and can do. However, this information is not always used to help improve the curriculum and adapt teaching. As a result, some of the gaps in pupils' understanding or misconceptions remain.

The school swiftly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes a very comprehensive review of children's individual learning needs while in Reception. 'The Nest' also provides additional support for pupils' well-being.

The school knows pupils well as individuals and, as a result, they are well supported to learn the curriculum.

Continuing to raise attendance is a priority for the school. The school is working proactively with pupils and their families to remove barriers that prevent them attending well.

For example, the breakfast club is helping pupils to get ready for the day.

The personal development provision has been designed to prepare pupils for adult life in a multicultural country. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online.

Pupils have a strong sense of what makes relationships healthy. They understand how to be a good friend and be respectful of others. This means that bullying is rare and never tolerated.

From Reception, children learn about how to work with others collaboratively, reinforcing the community feel of the school.

Pupils enjoy the range of clubs offered, participating in activities such as craft club and golf. School performances, such as the annual nativity, develop pupils' talents.

The school enrich the curriculum with guests and visits. Pupils are proud of the artwork produced in collaboration with a visiting artist. It is displayed for all to enjoy.

In Reception, exceptionally well-designed activities are used to develop children's views of the world. The adults continually model high-quality speech and language, so that children quickly develop their communication skills. Children show particularly high levels of independence and resilience with their learning.

Leaders recognise that there has been a period of significant change. Throughout this time, they have been considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. There are many areas of school where improvements can be seen, such as the conduct of pupils.

However, at times the school has not been clear about what the intended impact is of changes that have been made. This makes it difficult for those responsible for governance to both support and challenge leaders to further improve the school for the benefit of all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• While assessment systems are in place, the information that these provide is not used effectively to review the curriculum and plan for improvements and adaptations. As a result, the gaps and misconceptions that pupils hold remain. The school should make sure that assessment information is used to accurately evaluate pupils' current understanding of the curriculum to inform future planning and curriculum development.

• At times, the school has not been clear about the intended impact of the changes that have been made. This means that leaders and those responsible for governance are unable to accurately review if decisions have had the desired impact. The school should ensure that that it is clear about the intention of actions taken and how the impact of that work will be evaluated to inform future leadership decisions.

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