St Thomas CofE Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

Pupils make rapid progress in all key stages because of the outstanding teaching they receive and the rich variety of other experiences the school provides. Teachers pay great attention to ensuring all pupils quickly become secure in the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. All pupils, from Year 1 onwards, are taught by specialists in English and mathematics.

Pupils very much enjoy their lessons because : teachers let them choose the topics that they study. Pupils behave very well in lessons and around the school. They feel completely safe and know that staff will deal quickly with any concerns they may have.

Atte...ndance is improving rapidly, but too many pupils still arrive late to school in the mornings. The headteacher and other senior leaders are exceptionally well focused on identifying and tackling any weaknesses in provision. As a result, the school is improving rapidly in all areas.

Governors have a very good understanding of what the headteacher and his deputy headteacher are doing to improve teaching. They have high expectations of how quickly the school can improve, and these are being fulfilled. Leaders act very quickly to improve any areas of weakness in teaching, including in even the very best lessons, in order to raise achievement.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than most other primary schools. A high proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported through school action. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is below average.

The great majority of pupils are from Black British or Black Caribbean backgrounds, with other pupils coming from a very wide range of other minority ethnic groups. A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, but only a very few are at an early stage in learning to speak English. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for certain groups of pupils, in this case those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and who are in the care of the local authority) is high.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The school had a full-time Nursery until September 2011, when it reduced to part time. There was a dramatic fall in the number of parents applying for a place for their children in the Nursery in September 2012.