Stanground St Johns CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of governance by ensuring that governors:
  • routinely ask challenging questions about the information that leaders provide them with
  • focus their attention on the quality of teaching and learning in the school and how well pupils achieve.
• Develop the role of subject leaders by:
  • ensuring that they have a demonstrable impact on improving standards in the subjects that they are responsible for
  • developing assessment practices so that leaders are able to track the progress pupils make in subjects other than English and mathematics.
• Improve provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities by ensuring that the everyday teaching in their classrooms meets their needs as effectively as the additional programmes that they are provided with outside them. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Although the school’s overall effectiveness judgement has not changed, a more rigorous inspection framework has been put in place since the previous inspection. The school has improved in many ways over the three years since it was inspected previously. It is a good and continually improving school.
• The headteacher is a strong and decisive leader. She has a very clear vision for her school and is determined that all pupils will succeed. The headteacher refuses to accept excuses for underachievement and has the same high expectations for all her pupils, regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds.
• The headteacher has gained the confidence and trust of the entire school community since she joined the school in January 2015, immediately before the previous inspection. Staff and governors share her vision for the school and her determination that all pupils will succeed. One pupil summed up how well this vision is put into practice by saying: ‘In this school they want us to be the best we can be.’
• The school is notably friendly and inclusive. Everyone is welcome at Stanground St John’s, and differences are celebrated and valued. Leaders and staff model acceptance, tolerance and respect in every aspect of their work. As a result, pupils are developing excellent attitudes to equality and diversity, preparing them well for life in modern British society.
• The school’s curriculum covers the full range of national curriculum subjects. Leaders and staff review the effectiveness of the curriculum regularly and make appropriate adjustments to improve it where they find aspects that are weaker. For example, the frequency with which science is taught has been increased recently because leaders and staff found that pupils’ scientific knowledge was not increasing as rapidly as they expect it to.
• The school uses a topic-based approach to its curriculum. Leaders have found that this approach captures pupils’ interest and imagination well. The curriculum is enhanced both by regular visits to relevant places of interest and visitors to the school. For example, Year 5 pupils visited the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge recently to enhance their learning about the Ancient Egyptians.
• Leaders have ensured that the pupil premium is spent effectively. Leaders know their pupils very well as individuals. Alongside the teaching staff, leaders use this knowledge to identify individual pupils’ needs and any barriers that might affect their learning. Suitable provision is then put in place to help pupils to overcome those barriers. As a result, disadvantaged pupils achieve well.
• Leadership below the headteacher is developing. For example, the recently appointed acting deputy headteacher has settled into the role quickly and already complements the headteacher’s work well. They form a strong team and share a commitment to ensuring that the school continues to improve.
• The leadership of individual subjects is less well developed. Subject leaders are keen to develop their roles but, as yet, their impact on pupils’ outcomes is limited. Other than in English and mathematics, leaders are not yet able to track the progress pupils make in the subjects that they are responsible for. This makes it very difficult for leaders to be certain about the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes in their subjects.

Governance of the school

• Governance has improved and governors now have a better understanding of the school and its work. The governing body has changed the way that it organises its meetings so that they are combined with a visit to the school and an opportunity for governors to have lunch with pupils. Governors have found that this approach works well for them and has helped them to develop a better understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Governors do not hold leaders to account well enough. Although notes from governing body meetings show that governors sometimes ask questions of the school’s leaders, these are neither frequent nor challenging enough. Similarly, notes of meetings show that governors focus too much on procedural matters and not enough on outcomes for pupils and the quality of teaching and learning.
• The headteacher provides governors with a wealth of useful and appropriate information. Governors do not use this information well enough to satisfy themselves that the school remains good.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher has an excellent understanding of her role as the school’s designated safeguarding lead. She is deeply committed to ensuring the safety of all the pupils in the school. For example, records show that, when necessary, prompt and appropriate action is taken when child protection concerns are raised.
• The school’s approach to the safer recruitment of staff is secure. The single central record is well maintained and reflects the school’s robust approach to ensuring that only suitable people are employed to work with pupils in the school.
• Staff have been trained well to recognise possible signs of neglect and abuse. They receive regular updates to ensure that they are aware of the most recent safeguarding guidance. Staff know how to report any concerns that might arise about pupils’ safety and welfare, and they do so in a timely fashion. This helps to ensure that pupils are safe, and feel safe, at Stanground St John’s.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have focused well on improving the quality of teaching in the school. They know where teaching is particularly strong and where it is weaker. Leaders’ expectations of staff are high and appropriate action is taken to remedy weaknesses, in order to improve practice, where necessary. Although the school has faced some challenges in staffing, the quality of teaching has remained good overall and is continuing to improve.
• High-quality relationships, both between pupils and their teachers and between pupils and their classmates, are a strength of the school. Pupils feel well supported and cared for. This helps to create happy and productive classrooms where pupils try hard, are keen to learn and make good progress.
• The quality of phonics teaching has improved and this key area of learning is now taught well. The teaching of phonics and literacy is consistent, particularly in the early years and in key stage 1. The impact of this can be seen clearly in the improved writing outcomes, particularly for pupils lower down the school.
• Leaders have identified weaknesses in other aspects of the teaching of reading and put measures in place to improve them. These measures are starting to have an impact. For example, leaders found that pupils’ ability to draw inferences from the texts that they read was limited. Staff now teach these skills explicitly and outcomes are improving as a result.
• Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects that they teach. As a result, teaching in subjects such as science and music is good and developing. This encourages pupils to think more deeply about the subjects that they learn about. For example, pupils are encouraged to play instruments and to think about the motivation of the artists that they learn about.
• Teachers ensure that a strong vein of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) flows through all their teaching. Teachers take every opportunity to extend pupils’ learning in these crucial areas of their development. Teachers plan learning about each aspect of the SMSC curriculum and also take full advantage of unplanned opportunities that happen to arise. As a result, pupils are developing into caring, thoughtful and well-grounded young people.
• Leaders have recognised that some pupils do not take as active a role in their own learning as they could. Where this is the case, pupils do not make the very strong progress that they are capable of. Leaders have introduced a programme designed to develop pupils’ thinking skills. Although it is too soon to see the full impact of this approach, leaders are able to demonstrate that ‘green shoots’ are starting to appear.
• Teaching assistants’ work with pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective. Under the direction of the SEN coordinator, teaching assistants provide a range of programmes for pupils aimed at helping them to make progress in specific, identified areas of their learning. This work is successful and pupils’ good progress in these programmes is evident.
• Provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is less well developed in their classrooms. The school has recognised that more needs to be done to ensure that pupils’ needs are met fully by their teachers in their classrooms. Currently, the school is overly reliant on the additional, non-class-based programmes that are intended to supplement class teaching.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are polite, welcoming and friendly. They were keen to speak with inspectors about their school and their learning. Pupils have excellent manners. They speak respectfully to adults and to each other.
• Pupils rightly feel safe at school. A recent survey of parents, carried out by the school, was overwhelmingly positive. All those who responded to the survey said that their children are safe at school and that the school deals effectively with bullying.
• Pupils told inspectors that there is no bullying at Stanground St John’s because ‘we don’t tolerate bullying here’. Pupils have been taught what to do if they are ever bullied or if they see someone else being bullied. They have been taught the key message, ‘Don’t be a bystander!’, and they understand that this means that they should always tell an adult if they see something that concerns them.
• Pupils have excellent attitudes to equality. They have been taught that, ‘It doesn’t matter who we are, it’s how we act that counts.’ Pupils know that they should not discriminate against people on the basis of any of the characteristics protected by law. In a meeting with the lead inspector, pupils described racism as ‘unacceptable’ and said that the headteacher ‘does not tolerate racism’.
• Pupils have been taught to keep themselves safe in a variety of ways. For example, they know about e-safety and how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils know that ‘you should only talk to people you know’, and that any concerns should be reported quickly to an adult.
• The school’s ‘well-being team’ is having a positive impact, particularly on pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs. Leaders are able to provide many examples of how the well-being team’s work has improved outcomes for pupils, for example by helping pupils to develop better attitudes to learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The school has done a great deal to improve pupils’ attendance. Previously, attendance was below the national average and too many pupils were persistently absent from school. This is no longer the case. Attendance is now similar to other primary schools and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is now low. No groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.
• Pupils generally behave very well in their classrooms. They follow the instructions that they are given and low-level disruption is rare. Pupils are considerate and thoughtful towards each other. For example, pupils are particularly supportive of their classmates who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Some pupils do not yet show consistently good attitudes to learning. Although they are not disruptive in lessons, their passivity and lack of engagement limits their learning. Leaders have put measures in place to address this and there are early signs that these measures are effective.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The school’s assessment information shows that, in almost every year group, the vast majority of pupils are doing as well as the school expects in reading, writing and mathematics. This assessment information matches pupils’ work in their exercise books and their competence when reading to inspectors.
• Overall, disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. The progress made by disadvantaged pupils is similar to that of other pupils in the school. Leaders are fully aware of the few disadvantaged pupils who are making slower progress. They ensure that spending of the pupil premium is adjusted to meet individual pupils’ needs.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress overall. Pupils make particularly strong progress in the areas of learning addressed during special sessions outside the classroom. The progress that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make in their classrooms is less convincing.
• Outcomes in reading are improving as a result of continuing improvements in the quality of teaching. For example, pupils are now better able to sound out unfamiliar words because phonics is taught more effectively. The measures that leaders have put in place to improve comprehension skills are starting to make a positive difference to the progress that pupils make.
• There have been inconsistencies in pupils’ outcomes in writing. These are as a result of the challenges in staffing that the school has experienced. These have now been resolved. Many pupils’ writing is now improving rapidly.
• Pupils make good progress across a range of other subjects, in addition to their increasingly good progress in English and mathematics. This is because they are interested in the subjects that they are taught about and teachers’ subject knowledge is strong.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is led well. The Reception teacher and the acting deputy headteacher work well together and this is ensuring that the quality of teaching in the early years continues to improve. Between them, they have a thorough understanding of the provision’s strengths and weaknesses. They know what needs to happen next to ensure that the early years provision continues to improve.
• Staff plan a good range of activities for children across the areas of learning in the early years curriculum. Activities are planned well to give children opportunities to practise what they learn about in adult-led sessions. Staff know the children well and support them in their learning effectively.
• Children in the early years know the school’s rules and follow them closely. They understand, at a level appropriate to their age, that the rules are there to help them to stay safe. For example, during the inspection, one child reminded another that ‘you’re going the wrong way’ as they both rode bikes outside, helping him to avoid a collision.
• The children in the early years are developing good attitudes to learning. They are keen to take part in activities and they follow the instructions that they are given. Children persevere with activities for extended periods of time, enabling them to achieve more and to learn more.
• Children now make good progress during their time in the early years. Some children enter the provision with skills and knowledge below those that are typical of their age. An increasing proportion of children achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.
• Transition arrangements, both into and out of the early years class, are strong. Since the last inspection, leaders have ensured that the school works closely with the separately run pre-school provision that operates on the same site. This has greatly improved the quality of the arrangements made to help children move smoothly from pre-school into school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140031 Peterborough 10046341 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 209 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Claire Smith Sally Williams 01733 703 257 www.stangroundstjohnsschool.co.uk office@stanground-st-johns.peterborough.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 April 2015

Information about this school

• The school became a sponsor-led academy in November 2013. It is sponsored by the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT).
• The school has a local governing body that acts as its appropriate authority. The local governing body is responsible to DEMAT’s trust board.
• The school meets current floor standards. These are the minimum standards, set by the government, for pupils’ progress and attainment.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching and learning over time. Inspectors observed parts of 14 lessons, some jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors looked closely at the work in pupils’ exercise books. They listened to pupils read and talked to them about their work. Inspectors looked at a range of the school’s documents, including assessment information.
• Inspectors checked the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks and other documentation concerned with the safer recruitment of staff and volunteers.
• Meetings were held with leaders, two governors and a group of pupils. A representative of the sponsoring multi-academy trust was present throughout the inspection and met with the lead inspector on the second day.
• Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the inspection and with parents as they brought their children to school. There were too few responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, for results to be available. Inspectors took note of the school’s own recent survey of parents’ views and the four free-text comments that were received.
• Inspectors also took note of the 14 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 26 responses to the pupil survey.

Inspection team

Wendy Varney, lead inspector Al Mistrano

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector