Ss Simon & Jude CofE Primary School, Bolton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well cared for at this school. They are happy and have positive relationships with each other.

Their attitude to their learning is impressive, as is their behaviour. They are sensible and courteous when they move around the school.

The school has high expectations for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should achieve.

Pupils make positive progress in their learning, often from low starting points. Many achieve well by the time that they leave key stage 2. They become capable writers and mathematicians.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to take on responsibilities around the school. F...or example, play leaders organise different activities for fellow pupils during social times. They diligently walk around the playground to check that nobody is left out.

Pupils' learning is enhanced through trips, such as those to the town's museum and the local football stadium. They have many opportunities to participate in sporting competitions. Pupils told inspectors that they were looking forward to the upcoming cross-country competition that was taking place during the week of this inspection.

Pupils also learn how to play musical instruments, such as the violin. They perform to their families using these instruments at the end of each academic year.

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

The school community suffered significant fire damage to the original school building recently.

The school has worked commendably to minimise the impact of this event on pupils' education. It has swiftly developed a temporary site, known as the 'learning village', for pupils to continue their learning almost unimpeded.

The school has ensured that pupils in the Nursery classes for two-year-olds through to pupils in Year 6 experience a broad and balanced curriculum.

In some subjects, the school has carefully considered the small steps of knowledge that pupils should learn. It has designed these subject curriculums so that content is taught in a logical, coherent way. In these subjects, pupils build a secure body of knowledge over time.

However, in a few other subjects, the school's curricular thinking is less precise. In these subjects, the school is not clear about the crucial knowledge that pupils should learn and how it should be taught. Consequently, pupils do not develop a deep understanding of the content in these subjects.

Staff carry out effective checks on pupils' learning during lessons. They provide strong guidance to pupils to quickly correct their misconceptions. That said, the school does not check how well some subject curriculums are being taught and the overall impact that these curriculums are having on what pupils know and remember.

This sometimes means that some weaknesses in curriculum design and delivery are not addressed as swiftly as they could be.

The school has secure systems in place to quickly identify pupils who may have SEND. Pupils with SEND are ably supported by staff to access their learning effectively.

These pupils achieve well.

The school prioritises reading. It promotes a love of reading through carefully chosen high-quality texts that broaden pupils' moral and cultural understanding of the world.

Children begin the school's new phonics programme as soon as they start in the early years. They read books that match well to their current knowledge of phonics. The school organises a range of extra support for those pupils who struggle to read confidently.

This support helps pupils to close any gaps in their knowledge of sounds. More pupils are becoming fluent readers by the time that they leave Year 1.

The school caters well for pupils' personal development.

Pupils have a secure knowledge of how to look after their own mental and physical health. They know how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. They engage with charitable efforts such as food bank donations and shoe box appeals.

Pupils develop a strong appreciation for the different backgrounds of others. They told inspectors how much they value the opportunities to learn from their classmates about their respective beliefs and customs. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils have not let the changes to their learning environment affect their behaviour nor their adherence to classroom routines. Children in the early years quickly learn the school's expectations and rise to them. They get off to a positive start.

Pupils in all classes demonstrated exceptional levels of conduct during lessons and throughout the school day. Pupils love to learn and are extremely attentive in their lessons. Inspectors saw no disruptions to learning.

Pupils' attendance rates are not as high as the school would like them to be. Nonetheless, the school takes sufficient action to make sure that attendance remains a high priority for everyone.

The school is considerate of staff's workload.

Staff are particularly appreciative of the school's recent actions to help them to manage the additional challenges presented by the move to temporary buildings.

Trustees and others who are responsible for governance generally fulfil their duties effectively. However, their oversight of some safeguarding procedures is not as sharp as it could be.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know how to recognise the signs that suggest a pupil might be at risk. The school takes sufficient action to manage these concerns.

However, the school, and those responsible for governance, do not have robust oversight of the school's work to keep children safe. This means that some minor weaknesses in record keeping, including compliance checking, are not consistently identified and addressed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, curriculums are not as well designed as well as they could be.

Some curriculum content is therefore not taught in a coherent, logical way. In these subjects, pupils do not build a rich body of knowledge. The school should review the design of these subject curriculums and how it expects them to be implemented by staff.

• In some subjects, the school does not have strong oversight of how well curriculums are being delivered. This occasionally means that the school does not act swiftly to address some deficiencies in the design and implementation of these subject curriculums. The school should develop its approach to evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum in these subjects.

• Trustees, including those responsible for governance, do not sufficiently assure themselves that records and procedures related to safeguarding are as robust as they should be. This means that they have not identified some minor weaknesses in some procedures and are not alert to some patterns and trends in these areas. Trustees and governors should review how they oversee these aspects of the school's work to maintain an effective safeguarding culture.