St Lucia’s CofE Primary School & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well cared for at St Lucia's C of E Primary School and Nursery.

They look forward to coming to school. Most pupils achieve well here.

The school is located in a small rural village in Shropshire.

Pupils appreciate the scenic landscape and surroundings. Pupils run an eco-committee. They make important environmental decisions for the school and local community.

The school has strong links with the local church. For example, pupils plant flower bulbs in the local village churchyard.

Pupils behave very well.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. If pupils display any disruptive behaviours, these are dea...lt with quickly and positively. Staff help pupils understand what is right and wrong.

This is underpinned by the school's core Christian values and their motto of 'Nurture, nourish, grow'.

Leaders are determined that pupils will have a wide range of experiences beyond their local community. All pupils attend visits regularly.

They are involved in sports tournaments with other schools. In addition, there are a wide range of after-school clubs. Pupils, parents and carers comment positively on the school's offer to broaden pupils' experiences.

They comment on how this offer is growing and how the benefits to their children are invaluable.

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

The school is ambitious for what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In most subjects, the school has clearly set out what it wants pupils to learn and in what order, starting from the early years.

Since the appointment of the new headteacher, there has been a focus on enhancing pupils' learning through wider experiences. For example, in art, pupils worked with visiting artists to set up an art exhibition in school. The curriculum is well embedded in most areas.

However, this is not the case in writing. The school has not clearly set out the specific subject knowledge it wants pupils to learn over time. As a result, not all pupils are achieving their full potential.

The school has identified this as an area for development and has started to make improvements.

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Pupils learn to read from the start in the early years.

A suitable phonics programme is in place. Pupils who fall behind catch up quickly and are very well supported. All pupils across school read often and widely.

Children in the early years are excited when older pupils read with them. Pupils access the school's well-resourced library and the visiting library bus. All this means that pupils learn to read accurately and fluently.

The needs of pupils with SEND are generally well supported in lessons. There are systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND, which are effective most of the time. However, on occasion, the strategies and adaptions identified to support pupils lack detail.

As a result, some staff are unsure how to support some pupils precisely enough. This slows these pupils' learning.

In lessons, pupils' misconceptions are picked up quickly most of the time.

Most staff use questioning well to develop pupils' thinking further. In the early years, interactions between adults and children are purposeful and help to build children's language. The indoor and outdoor areas are well set out and well resourced.

In some foundation subjects, systems for checking how well pupils have learned the intended curriculum over time are at the early stages of development. This means that leaders do not yet know how well pupils are accumulating knowledge and key concepts as they move through the school.

Pupils' behaviour is calm and orderly across school.

Children in nursery and Reception know how to take turns and demonstrate good manners. Pupils who need additional help with managing their emotions and behaviours are very well supported. Staff are caring and have the necessary knowledge to de-escalate behaviours calmly and effectively.

This means little learning time is lost.

Pupils have a secure understanding of different faiths and cultures. They say everyone is welcome and accepted.

Pupils are inspired by the experiences of different visitors to the school, such as artists, police officers and explorers who have visited the Arctic. Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular activities, such as archery, yoga and languages.

Since the last inspection, there is a new headteacher and governing board in place.

Governors have high expectations. They are passionate about pupils receiving a high-quality education. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities.

They are becoming more skilled at holding leaders to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, but minor improvements are required.

Staff report all safeguarding concerns and these are acted upon quickly by leaders.

Serious safeguarding concerns are recorded in detail and thoroughly responded to. The school works closely with external agencies to support pupils and families. However, the school does not have robust systems in place to record minor safeguarding concerns.

This may hinder leaders' ability to build a clear picture and chronology of concerns over time.

Pupils speak to adults confidently if they have any worries. The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe online.

Visitors are invited to speak to older pupils about wider risks in society, such as county lines. All this teaches pupils how to keep themselves safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In writing, the school has not set out the specific subject knowledge that it wants pupils to learn over time.

The school is too reliant on individual teachers deciding on the key knowledge for their own individual classes. This means that in writing, pupils are not consistently building on prior knowledge in a sequential and logical order. The school should ensure that the essential knowledge is identified in writing and sequenced clearly over time.

• For some pupils with SEND, the precise areas of need and support identified are too broad and not specific enough. This means that some pupils with SEND are not consistently receiving the support they need to achieve well. The school should ensure that staff develop the skills and knowledge to precisely identify the specific needs of pupils with SEND and accurately put in place the support needed for these pupils so that they can achieve their full potential.

• In some foundation subjects, assessment is in the early stages of development. This means leaders do not yet have systems in place to check how well pupils are accumulating knowledge and key concepts over time in these subjects. The school should continue to develop its systems for assessing how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum over time in the foundation subject areas.