St James' Church of England Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Draw on the existing strengths across the school to improve the quality of teaching to outstanding and to further accelerate pupils’ progress by:
  • ensuring that tasks deepen understanding and provide greater challenge for the most able pupils
  • identifying any further gaps in pupils’ learning to enable them to make more rapid progress in key stage 2
  • making sure that pupils’ progress in all subjects is tracked closely to identify and target pupils’ individual needs across the wider curriculum.
• Improve the quality of questioning in the early years to further extend children’s thinking and provide greater challenge to move their learning on quickly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher ensures that the whole school community shares her uncompromising commitment to pupils achieving well academically, while developing the skills and attitudes that equip them to be successful learners. As a result, pupils’ outcomes are good and they have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils, parents and carers and staff appreciate the strong leadership of the headteacher.
• The headteacher, deputy headteacher, leaders and governors provide clear vision and direction to ensure a high standard of education. Staff work as an effective and cohesive team. They demonstrate their total commitment to the school’s values and ethos and are highly motivated to provide the very best for all pupils. All staff who completed their inspection questionnaire said that they are proud to work in the school, which they believe is well led and managed.
• Leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching because they check on it regularly. As a result, they focus on the right areas for improvement. Professional development and effective management of staff performance have had a positive effect on securing improvements, particularly in mathematics and pupils’ reading recently.
• Teachers accurately assess pupils’ attainment each half term. Leaders use this information to monitor precisely how well pupils are progressing in relation to their challenging targets and to identify pupils, or groups of pupils, who are doing less well than they should in English and mathematics. Effective, specialist support is then provided to help these pupils to catch up.
• Leaders take appropriate steps to make sure that all groups of pupils have an equal chance to succeed. Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is carefully targeted to support their needs and catch up in the way they should. For example, the funding has been used to appoint additional teacher assistants to carry out intervention programmes, further resources and pastoral support.
• Funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is equally well spent. Pupils benefit from a range of teaching strategies that support their individual learning needs and personal development. As a result, these pupils make good progress from their often very low starting points.
• The school’s strong focus on social responsibility, tolerance and respect, links to the local church and pupils’ study of the heritage and traditions of Hull as a city of culture, ensure that the provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exemplary. The school engages with professionals such as the local clergy, police and fire service to enhance these aspects of the curriculum. The school has developed connections with a school in Sierra Leone as part of its membership of the International Pupil Council. This provides pupils with an insight into the lives of others and has given their education a global dimension. Consequently, by the time that they leave school, pupils are extremely well equipped for the next stage in their education.
• The school’s rich and varied curriculum is a strength of the school. Pupils participate in an extensive range of learning experiences, including trips to the beach, visits to local businesses and residential opportunities. Pupils told inspectors how much they enjoy opportunities to explore places that are different from their local community. Pupils are excited by their lessons and the opportunities to develop a thirst for facts and information to inform their opinions. Homework tasks are purposeful and are completed regularly, particularly by older pupils. The data from assessments in subjects other than the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, while regularly collected, is not analysed as rigorously as it is in the basic skills subjects.
• Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities, which include dodgeball, art, homework and science clubs. Pupils have an opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, for example the violin and glockenspiel, and they take part in a digital music project.
• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that the school is well led and managed, that their child is well looked after and that they would recommend the school to another parent. This school goes above and beyond in the care of its pupils. One parent expressed the views of many when they wrote, ‘There is a family feel to the school and staff are welcoming, caring and approachable. I really cannot speak highly enough of this wonderful school.’

Governance of the school

• The multi-academy trust ensures that the statutory duties of governance are fulfilled by the local governing body. Representatives of the trust’s finance and human resources team support and challenge school leaders. They hold them to account well for the effective use of funds. The trust provides effective support and specialist professional development opportunities for staff, and the school benefits from working with others in the partnership.
• Governors’ educational knowledge, skills and active involvement in the school are strong. Governors have a thorough and in-depth understanding of pupils’ achievement in comparison with the national picture and they challenge the school strongly.
• Governors have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching in the school and support leaders to improve this further through their challenging questions. Governors understand the links between teachers’ pay progression and achievement and use an effective approach to make decisions about pay.
• Governors check carefully that additional funding has a positive impact on the performance of disadvantaged children. Governors are knowledgeable about the progress of specific groups of pupils and the impact of actions to improve their outcomes. Governors challenge the school appropriately to ensure that the physical education and sport premium funding improves the specialist skills of teachers in physical education and enables pupils to adopt a healthy way of life.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The trained designated safeguarding leaders and the school’s learning mentor know all pupils and their families very well. They provide staff with regular training and ongoing updates on safeguarding issues through the year. As a result, all members of staff are vigilant and report any concerns immediately.
• The deputy headteacher rigorously pursues safeguarding concerns and works closely with parents and external agencies to make sure that pupils are safe and that their welfare is assured. She ensures that timely support and intervention are provided for all pupils and families who need help.
• The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe in different situations. Recently, a police officer visited the school to teach pupils about addressing and preventing bullying issues and about road safety. There is a strong emphasis on teaching pupils how to stay safe when using the internet.
• Leaders ensure that all relevant and necessary recruitment checks are made on staff and volunteers to confirm that they are fit to work with children. All documentation relating to safeguarding is well organised, appropriately detailed and stored securely.
• Governors’ oversight of safeguarding is systematic and thorough. They and the academy trust carry out robust checks on safeguarding arrangements to ensure that all practices and procedures are fit for purpose and keep pupils safe from harm.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The leadership team’s systematic focus on improving the quality of teaching is instrumental in increasing rates of pupils’ progress and raising standards. As a result, teaching is now consistently good and some practice is outstanding. This is reflected in the high standard of work seen in the vast majority of current pupils’ books.
• Teachers often design exciting cross-curricular activities to encourage pupils to think, discuss and generate ideas. For example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed learning about Francis Drake’s attack on Cadiz. The challenge of locating the site of the invasion and calculating the total amount of rations required by the different ranks of crew, captured pupils’ imagination, deepened their mastery of mathematics and extended their geographic knowledge.
• Teaching is characterised by strong, respectful relationships. Teachers know their pupils very well and expect good behaviour. Pupils are attentive, hard-working and eager to learn. They told inspectors that, ‘The teachers are the best thing about our school.’ Well-established routines in classrooms mean that little time is wasted. For example, pupils move seamlessly from listening to their teacher’s explanations to discussing in groups or working independently or collaboratively, and their level of concentration is high.
• Teachers’ skilful questioning and clear explanations enable pupils to make connections in learning and deepen their understanding. Teachers usually set work at different levels to address the targets identified in pupils’ learning journeys. In the most successful lessons, tasks are appropriately challenging for all pupils, including the most able pupils. Sometimes, however, the most able pupils are not moved on quickly enough in their learning. This means that these pupils do not always get the opportunity to work at a greater depth of understanding to reach their full potential.
• Recent improvements in the teaching of mathematics ensure that teachers intervene at timely intervals to check on pupils’ learning. Teachers address any misconceptions that individuals might have and give them clear guidance about what must be improved, thereby enabling pupils to make faster progress. The work in pupils’ books shows that they make effective use of reflection notes to learn from their mistakes.
• Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. They are particularly effective in supporting disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, by using specialist resources and skilful questioning to check and develop their understanding. Together, teachers, their assistants and school leaders carefully track the progress of these groups of pupils. As a result, these pupils make the same good progress as their peers.
• The teaching of reading, including phonics, is effective. Teachers provide pupils with challenging reading material and plan well-structured activities to encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Innovative ways successfully encourage pupils to read more often and more widely, for example the weekly reading challenge. Pupils demonstrate a clear love of reading and use their phonic skills confidently to work out unknown words.
• The work in pupils’ books and in displays around school reflects the strong progress that all groups of pupils make in writing. Pupils are confident in editing and redrafting their work. Most pupils apply their knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation well. However, previous ineffective teaching has led to gaps in the learning of some older pupils. Further gaps in their learning need to be identified quickly to enable these pupils to make more rapid progress.
• The work is well organised across classes to encourage pupils’ curiosity and progress their learning across a wide range of subjects. This includes a series of educational visits to interesting places, such as a local racecourse, Flamborough Head and a successful ballet company, which motivate pupils to undertake practical activities related to calculating probability, studying marine biology and learning about creative dance. Although pupils receive feedback on the quality of their work in these subjects, their next steps to improve their learning further are not always made clear, as is required by the school’s policy.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Staff think carefully about how best to meet the social and emotional needs of each individual pupil and their family. School leaders make it a priority to address each pupil by their name. Through sensitive nurture, pupils become confident, self-assured individuals who have a love of learning.
• Pupils are friendly and welcoming. They learn to appreciate others’ views and beliefs. This leads to a harmonious school, where everyone is valued for who they are. Pupils speak positively about school life and of their admiration for the headteacher. Pupils became very excited when they talked to inspectors about learning, enthusing over a wide range of subjects. In lessons, pupils demonstrated resilience, motivation and cooperation.
• The school goes above and beyond the call of duty in ensuring that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are thoroughly and accurately assessed and that the packages of support are tailored to meet the individual needs of pupils.
• There is an exceptionally strong commitment to supporting pupils’ emotional well-being. Staff are well trained to identify and report concerns, which are acted on in a timely manner. The most vulnerable pupils and their families receive carefully targeted care, support and guidance.
• Pupils have a true sense of looking out for and caring for others, and older pupils are motivated by the buddy system, which enables them to assist younger pupils at lunchtime, playtime and during guided reading sessions.
• Pupils said that they feel safe and know how to avoid dangers both in and out of school, and parents agree with this. There is a strong focus on personal safety and pupils are very clear about how to stay safe when using the internet. Pupils told inspectors that, if they have any concerns, there are trusted adults on whom they can rely. This leads to a calm and purposeful learning environment in which pupils thrive.
• Pupils understand the importance of exercise and know how to stay healthy. For example, pupils know it is important to eat a balanced diet, and one said, ‘If you have a jacket potato then you must have salad.’ Pupils enjoy physical education and participate in the wider clubs on offer to them, such as football, gym and dance. This is a happy school where pupils learn much about themselves and others. This contributes to the very strong spiritual and community ethos across the academy.
• Staff who manage the breakfast club provide pupils with a good start to the school day and help to ensure that pupils are ready for learning.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils are intrinsically motivated to behave impeccably both in lessons and in the wider school environment and they have a strong sense of right and wrong. This is because of the very high expectations from staff that pupils will respect each other and celebrate the achievements of others. Pupils are respectful of adults and their peers.
• The school environment showcases pupils’ work, and displays are well kept and reflective of pupils’ social and academic skills. Staff expertly support the few children who find managing their emotions more difficult. Pupils play safely together and show real consideration for those whose views may differ from their own. As a result, incidents, of any nature, are very rare.
• The appointment of a learning mentor and stringent monitoring by leaders have greatly improved pupils’ attendance, which is consistently above the national average. Leaders ensure that pupils from all groups attend equally well. Good attendance is rewarded, and pupils in Year 6 are rightly proud to have received seven consecutive certificates for 100% termly attendance.
• The school council is proactive in contributing to school improvement. It has successfully introduced a no-mobile-phone rule for parents, to encourage greater verbal communication between adults and children at the beginning and end of school. In addition, it organises litter-picking sessions in the school and local community and arranges fundraising events for a range of charities. School councillors represent the views of their classmates, a valuable experience of democracy.
• Pupils who spoke to the inspectors and those who completed the Ofsted pupil survey were overwhelmingly positive about behaviour and all other aspects of school life. Pupils who met with the inspectors demonstrated their understanding of challenges facing people from other countries and cultures. This demonstrates how well the school fosters pupils’ moral and cultural development.
• Spiritual development is a high priority across the school. The daily act of worship is thoroughly enjoyed by staff and pupils alike. Everyone contributes wholeheartedly to the beautiful singing, and they recite their school prayer with pride and sincerity.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders’ monitoring and tracking of pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are robust, rigorous and informative. Increasingly, this data is used well by teachers to plan learning according to individual needs in most classes.
• By the end of key stage 1, outcomes for pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are above those expected. In 2017, a high proportion of pupils attained the highest standards in reading and writing. This represents good progress from the end of Reception for this cohort of children.
• Outcomes in phonics continue to be above the national average. This is because phonics teaching is well planned and effective. Pupils are able to use their good phonics knowledge to help them to read well.
• In 2016, leaders and governors were disappointed by outcomes at the end of key stage 2, which were below the standards expected in reading and mathematics. A thorough evaluation by leaders led to improvements in the assessment of pupils, which enabled them to make better progress by the end of Year 6. A greater proportion of pupils than nationally achieved at the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics in 2017. The most considerable improvement was in pupils’ reading outcomes, particularly for boys and for disadvantaged pupils who made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2.
• This improvement demonstrates that staff now have a more accurate understanding of the targets required for individual and groups of pupils and that effective teaching, intervention activities and the use of assessment are securing further improvement for pupils.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress as a result of the high standard of specialist teaching they receive. In particular, the support for pupils’ emotional needs is highly effective in helping pupils’ readiness for learning.
• The school’s current assessment information, supported by inspection evidence, shows that currently all groups of pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, are on target to make at least the progress expected from their starting points. This is because of the recent improvements in teaching, which are having a positive effect on pupils’ achievement.

Early years provision Good

• The leader of the early years demonstrates the same determination, expertise and skills as her colleagues elsewhere in the school, to sustain the highly effective provision. She has an accurate view of the strengths and areas to improve on because assessment procedures are robust.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in 2017 was around the national average. This represents good progress from children’s starting points, which are at or below those typically expected and particularly low in speech and language. Careful analysis of assessment information ensures that children receive early, targeted support, and they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Children entering the Nursery class at the start of the morning and afternoon sessions settle very quickly. Although at the time of this inspection a number of children had only been attending for a short time, it was clear how well they had adapted to school routines and expectations.
• The early years leader ensures that teachers and teaching assistants maintain a sharp focus on the starting points of children in reading, writing and mathematics. She checks that they plan interesting, accessible activities. Effective teaching, including in phonics, enables children to quickly develop their ability to read and write words and sentences. They also learn very well by choosing their own activities from those that staff set up for them in the classrooms and outdoors. There is a particularly strong emphasis on developing children’s use of speech and helping them to persevere.
• Both in the classrooms and outdoors, children benefit from a wide range of opportunities to explore and investigate. Innovative activities such as role play in the doctors’ surgery are constantly evaluated to ensure that they are purposeful. The outdoor area provides many motivating activities to enable children to develop physically and improve their fine motor skills. This area is being developed further to ensure that it is as stimulating as that indoors.
• Adults interact well with children, providing good models of speaking and listening, and this enables children, particularly those who have speech and language difficulties, to progress quickly. However, questioning by the adults is inconsistent and does not always enable children to progress their learning quickly enough.
• Children are happy and they behave extremely well. Boys and girls work productively alongside one another and they are respectful of and kind to each another. Staff develop strong relationships with parents and provide many opportunities for them to get involved in their children’s learning. Parents particularly value the online communication system, which keeps them fully informed about their children’s progress and enables them to extend learning beyond the school environment.

School details

Unique reference number 141387 Local authority Kingston upon Hull Inspection number 10042142 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 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 230 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Ann Davies Jane Daniels 01482 825091 www.stjameshullacademy.co.uk office@stjameshull.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• St James’ C of E Primary School became an academy in February 2015. The school is sponsored by the Sentamu Academy Learning Trust (SALT), which is comprised of four schools.
• SALT is a company limited by guarantee and a charitable trust. Responsibility for the academies that make up the trust is entrusted to the board of trustees. There is a separate committee for each academy, which is known as a local governing committee.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The large majority of pupils are of White British or Any Other White background.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above that seen nationally. A small number of these pupils have an education, health and care plan.
• The school provides full-time places for children in the Reception classes and part-time places for children in the Nursery.
• The school provides out-of-school care in the form of a breakfast club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors undertook a series of short, focused visits to classrooms and longer lesson observations in each class. A number of these were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• Formal and informal discussions took place with pupils, parents, senior and middle leaders, the school’s improvement adviser, the chair of the local governing committee, governors, and representatives from the local diocese, the board of directors and the multi-academy trust.
• Documentation relating to the school’s website and safeguarding, including the single central record of recruitment checks, was scrutinised.
• The schools’ self-evaluation, plans for improvement and analysis of current pupils’ attainment and progress were evaluated.
• Pupils’ work in different subjects was scrutinised with senior leaders.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read individually.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during break and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors considered 11 parents’ responses to Ofsted’s free-text service and 14 parental responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day and considered the school’s own surveys of parents’ views. They also took account of the responses to questionnaires from 17 members of staff and 26 pupils. Inspectors also took into account the responses to the school’s own surveys of parents and pupils.

Inspection team

Cathy Morgan, lead inspector Larissa Thorpe

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector