St Johns Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St John's is a diverse school where pupils feel valued and respected.

This is evident through the strong, caring relationships between staff and pupils. The school has created a culture of mutual respect through its Christian ethos and values.

Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy engaging in discussions about learning and visits to the local community.

These include visits to the university and a local independent school, as well as nature walks. Pupils feel safe at school and have adults they trust to talk to about any worries. Pupils understand what bullying is and how to report any concerns should they arise.

Pupils reflect on their behaviou...r and the behaviour of others. They talk with confidence about how to identify and manage their emotions. For pupils who find this difficult, skilled staff help and support them.

Pupils happily work in an engaging, well-resourced learning environment. The introduction of new books and reading awards has been positively received by pupils.

The school is on a journey to ensure that its increased ambition is fully reflected in pupils' achievements.

Pupils are learning increasingly well, but some variability remains. The school is determinedly focused on continuing to support all pupils so they achieve strongly across the curriculum.

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

The school's curriculum is aspirational for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils study and enjoy a broad range of subjects. The school provides well for the increasing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) and some who start school with very little or no understanding of English. The school has rightly focused on improving pupils' outcomes.

The most recent published results do not reflect the improvements in pupils' achievements across the curriculum.

The school is determined for all pupils to succeed in this fully inclusive school. The needs of pupils with SEND or those who speak EAL are identified swiftly.

Within the provision for pupils with SEND, staff follow a carefully adapted curriculum to support pupils to learn well. Some pupils have been out of education prior to joining school. New starters are helped to integrate quickly.

They receive sensitive support from adults and a helping hand from prospective friends.

The school identifies pupils' needs by analysing the challenges that they experience. Staff recognise pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, who need help with language development.

Impressive support for speech and vocabulary begins in Nursery. Staff across the school teach and model the technical words needed for pupils to access their learning successfully.

Staff carefully check pupils' understanding.

There is variation in the effectiveness of how well gaps in learning are identified. In some subjects, teachers sharply monitor pupils' understanding and their recall of important concepts. Teachers use this information to inform their teaching and recap the key content.

However, in other subjects, this is less well developed. This hinders how well pupils know and remember more over time.The school prioritises phonics and early reading.

Phonics teaching begins early in Reception. In phonics lessons, staff precisely check pupils' understanding and provide support to those who have fallen behind. This is helping more pupils to learn to read accurately, and the school is resolute in its focus to continue this improvement.

Reading books that pupils take home match closely to the sounds that they have learned. In early years, staff focus on developing communication and language effectively. They use stories and rhymes to help children develop their speaking and listening skills.

Pupils' personal development is prioritised. The school has focused on developing pupils' mental health and well-being. Everyone feels valued and cared for.

The school promotes pupils to learn about how to keep safe online and in the community. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and know what action to take if they are concerned. Pupils benefit from a broad range of opportunities to develop their understanding of the world around them.

This includes theatre visits and travelling by train.

Attendance is a priority for the school. Efforts by leaders have ensured that pupils attend more regularly.

Disadvantaged pupils benefit from extra support, such as a popular breakfast initiative. Pupils' behaviour is mostly positive, and they behave well in lessons. Staff manage minor distractions swiftly and calmly, so learning is not disrupted.

The school emphasizes the values of honesty and kindness to help pupils to develop mature and respectful attitudes.

External advice has been sought by the school to develop the curriculum further. Governors offer support and challenge to leaders, to ensure that the provision is accessible and improving for all pupils.

The school is considerate of staff's workload and well-being. Consequently, staff feel valued and supported to improve their teaching for the benefit of pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not identify pupils' gaps in understanding or routinely revisit earlier learning. This means that some pupils do not remember important knowledge over time. The school needs to support staff to use the information from checks on pupils' learning to inform future teaching and support pupils to achieve highly across the curriculum.

• Not all pupils have previously learned to read quickly enough. This means that some pupils have not developed into fluent and accurate readers as reflected in the most recent published outcomes. The school should continue its work to prioritise the teaching of reading so that all pupils swiftly learn to read accurately and with confidence.

• School attendance is low for some pupils. Low attendance means that pupils are missing out on important learning for their future. The school should continue to work with families so that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, attend school regularly.