Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Saint Barnabas is a friendly and welcoming school. Leaders are developing the school in line with the core values of 'creativity, courage and compassion'.

Most pupils feel safe in school. Behaviour is improving. However, disruption in lessons, especially in younger year groups, is too frequent.

Staff sometimes struggle to maintain high expectations. Leaders provide training and support to improve behaviour. This is starting to have an impact.

Bullying is very rare and is addressed effectively by staff. Staff manage pupils' behaviour well at playtimes. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive.

In most subjects, planning is not sufficiently ...detailed about what pupils should learn. Some curriculum planning is not ambitious enough for older pupils. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well.

There is ongoing training for staff to help them adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

Children in the early years are supported to develop positive relationships with their peers. Children play well together.

Topics are planned across the year. Again, the planning lacks sufficient detail. Leaders provide a range of activities to build on what children learn in teacher-led sessions.

These sessions are not managed well consistently. Children do not learn as much as they could during these activities.

The range of extra-curricular opportunities, including educational visits are deliberately planned to build on pupils' learning of the planned curriculum.

For example, pupils studying the Vikings in history benefit from a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre, York.

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

Curriculum planning is in place but is not consistently broken down so that small steps in learning are clear. Opportunities for teachers to assess pupils' knowledge and understanding in some subjects are unclear.

Currently, leaders are identifying the most important knowledge teachers need to assess.

Most pupils who are learning to read keep up well in reading sessions. Leaders plan to give the small number of pupils who are not keeping up well separate input which better meets their needs.

Teachers usually address pupils' misconceptions, but this is inconsistent. There is also inconsistency in how well books match the sounds that pupils know. Leaders are aware of this and have purchased resources that will better match pupils' reading knowledge.

These resources are not yet in use.

Support for pupils with SEND is strong across the curriculum. Pupils with high needs are cared for well.

Leaders are knowledgeable about the provision required for pupils with SEND. Staff provide the right help. Pupils who struggle to self-regulate their behaviour are beginning to make positive choices.

Leaders are developing the curriculum in early years. Currently, it lacks detail. Leaders have considered what children need to know to be ready for Year 1.

However, this is not sufficiently broken down into the small steps children need to take. Activities in the early years are planned. Some activities are not managed purposefully.

Children do not get the most out of these activities. Adults work to develop children's vocabulary. Pupils are securing the core knowledge.

The curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education (PSHE) is planned and sequenced carefully to revisit the most important knowledge pupils need to learn. Leaders ensure that mixed-age classes are taught in separate year groups for sensitive parts of the curriculum, including relationships and sex education. Pupils appreciate the scenarios and dilemmas they discuss in their PSHE lessons.

These activities help pupils navigate topics such as managing emotions and resolving conflict. They learn how to stay safe, including online. Pupils learn how to stay fit and healthy, both mentally and physically.

They have a strong sense of fairness and treat everyone respectfully. A range of educational visits and opportunities extend the curriculum. Staff organise extra-curricular clubs, including choir, book club and sporting activities.

Pupils take on responsibilities within class, for example as line leader or book monitor. The active school council were very involved in a successful campaign to rewild an area in the local community.

Leaders have the capacity and desire to improve the school further.

Governors and senior leaders have an accurate view of the school's effectiveness. To improve the school's effectiveness further, they are implementing training for staff in curriculum design. Staffing is now more stable.

Initiating and implementing change is now easier for leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils have a trusted adult they can talk to in school.

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. Staff report concerns quickly. Leaders are highly vigilant in following up concerns.

They keep detailed logs of the actions they take. Leaders work closely with other agencies, such as the local authority's children's services, where needed. They make timely referrals for external support, for example to children and adolescent mental health services.

Pupils know how to stay safe in the local area. They are aware of local risks, such as those posed by the river and railway that run beside the school.

Recruitment checks are carried out to ensure that staff and visitors are appropriately vetted and safe to work with children.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not identified and broken down the specific knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. Some opportunities to develop pupils' knowledge are missed. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum so that small steps in learning and specific, ambitious endpoints for what pupils should know are identified and assessed, particularly for older pupils in mixed-age classes.

• In the early years, activities are not consistently managed so that children get the most out of them. Children do not learn well as a matter of course. Leaders should ensure that activities in the early years are consistently purposeful and that children are carrying them out as leaders intend.

• In some classes, lessons are disrupted too frequently by poor behaviour. When this occurs, lessons are disjointed, and pupils do not learn well. Leaders should continue to improve pupils' behaviour, using the strategies already in place, and ensure all staff have consistently high expectations.

Also at this postcode