St John's Mead Church of England Primary School

St John's Mead Church of England Primary School Hounds Road, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, BS37 6EE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress across the school and standards reached in Year 6 are rising in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Lessons are well planned and many include a rich variety of activities.  Provision in the Nursery and Reception classes is good so that children benefit from a strong start in the school.  School leaders have been successful in raising achievement, particularly in writing, and in improving the quality of teaching. They have taken strong action to improve standards.  Pupils are proud of their school. They show great respect to one another and to adults. Pupils feel safe and their behaviour is outstanding both in lessons and around the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. This is because of the strong support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants.  The school’s emphasis on its values greatly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Governors show a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to secure exceptional achievement. The strengths present in the school need to be shared between all teachers.  The rates of progress that pupils make vary between classes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons, four of them jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Two of these observations were made in the Nursery classes.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their lessons and carried out a detailed scrutiny of their written work.  Inspectors held meetings with two groups of pupils, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, staff with particular responsibilities, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  A variety of school documentation was examined, including the school’s own information about the progress of current pupils, the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, behaviour and attendance logs, and records relating to safeguarding and to the management of staff performance.  Inspectors heard pupils read to them in lessons across the school.  Inspectors took account of a questionnaire completed by 23 staff, together with 51 responses

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Information about this inspection

submitted by parents and carers to the online questionnaire Parent View. They also spoke with several parents and carers who were present on the school site during the inspection to gather their views on the school.

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Inspection team

Sean Thornton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Heather Barraclough Additional Inspector Aileen Thomas Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few speak English as an additional language.  A lower than average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils from service families and those known to be entitled to free school meals. Almost all of these children in this school are those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is below average.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching by: – ensuring that the features of outstanding teaching present in the school relating to effective questioning, a wide variety of learning activities and high levels of challenge are implemented effectively by all teaching staff throughout the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ achievement by:  increasing the consistency of progress across all parts of the school  developing fully the strategies that have been introduced to improve literacy in order to enable all groups of pupils to make outstanding progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportion of pupils reaching high standards in both English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 is increasing. Tracking shows that pupils of all abilities are now making at least good progress in these two core subjects.  In 2012 disappointing results in writing for middle ability pupils meant that overall levels of attainment were average. The school has dealt effectively with this issue and detailed tracking shows that attainment is now projected to be above average.  Pupils make good progress in reading across the school and many show outstanding progress in mathematics.  The progress made by pupils in different classes is usually at least good and in some it is outstanding; there is some variation.  Pupils’ progress is assessed frequently. Challenging targets are set and when pupils fall behind they are given extra support to help them catch up.  Many children join the Nursery and the Reception classes with skills and understanding that are

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The achievement of pupils is good

below the levels expected for their age. They make good progress, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. This prepares them well for more structured learning in Year 1 where they work with confidence.  Children in the Reception class work with enthusiasm and make good progress in recognising and blending letters and sounds to make words (phonics). This good progress continues in Year 1 where the results of the phonics reading check have improved greatly in 2013.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in both English and mathematics. This is because the school provides effective support and interventions to help them succeed.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium make similar progress to their peers. This is because the school makes good use of the additional funding to provide one-to-one teacher support, additional teaching assistant time, and a parent support adviser who works with

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The achievement of pupils is good

vulnerable children and their families. There is no difference in their attainment in mathematics; in English their attainment is about one term behind their classmates but this varies from year to year because of the small number of pupils involved.  Lesson observations, hearing pupils read and scrutiny of their work confirm that current pupils are making consistently good progress.  The small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language reach similar standards to their White British classmates. The school makes sure that equality of opportunity is promoted.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mostly plan tasks well to match pupils’ individual needs, abilities and interests. Pupils say that teachers make their lessons fun. For example, in an outstanding lesson in the Reception class the teacher used a toy rabbit to gain the pupils’ attention before they were enabled to segment and blend words to reconstruct a letter found in its hutch. This imaginative approach ensured that all pupils were totally engaged and made maximum progress in their learning.  Clear routines are well established in lessons and resources are well prepared so that time is not wasted moving between activities.  Almost all lessons show good pace and pupils are engrossed in varied types of learning. Teachers use probing questioning to check pupils’ understanding before moving on to the next part of the lesson and are prepared to adapt their plans when this is needed.  In the small minority of weaker lessons, not all activities are purposeful and questioning is less

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The quality of teaching is good

developed.  As pupils progress through the school they almost always receive the correct balance of challenge and support. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson more-able pupils learnt how to divide one fraction by another while all other groups of pupils focused on easier work involving operations involving fractions. Less-able pupils benefited from skilled support from a teaching assistant.  Lessons provide a variety of reading activities, building on the phonics work carried out in the Reception and Year 1 classes, so that pupils’ skills increase with age. During the inspection it was seen that there is a coherent whole-school drive to improve writing skills by providing well- planned and varied writing tasks.  The structure and planning of lessons develops pupils as independent learners so that they are well prepared for their move to secondary schools.  Teachers mark pupils’ work frequently and provide both praise and detailed advice for further

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The quality of teaching is good

improvement. This ensures that pupils have a clear understanding of how to improve. Their books showed that pupils respond well to the advice given.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are exceptionally polite and welcoming. They respond well to the school’s core message of ‘Valuing effort, valuing others, valuing self’ and apply this well in school.  Pupils’ outstanding behaviour makes a significant contribution to their learning and personal development. Pupils pay close attention in lessons, follow instructions carefully, share their own ideas and listen respectfully to the views of others. Pupils appreciate that learning is important as it helps them to broaden their interests and gives them greater opportunities in life.  Teachers are skilled in managing pupils’ behaviour and they follow consistent policies so that pupils always know there are high expectations.  Pupils move calmly around the school and they play well together in the large outside areas. Older pupils show care for those younger than themselves.  Pupils say they feel safe at school at all times and their lessons support them well in learning

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

how to stay safe. They have a good understanding of e-safety, including how to avoid inappropriate websites.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. They say that there is very little and that when it occurs it is dealt with swiftly by staff. The school promotes good relationships and will not tolerate any form of discrimination.  Attendance rates are average and increasing. The rate of persistent absence is decreasing because of strong actions that the school has taken with the families involved.  Pupils contribute to the decision-making in the school through the school council. Their views are acted on; for example, changes in the design of the outside areas followed their suggestions.  In their questionnaires, parents, carers and staff agree that pupils are well behaved as well as happy and safe at school.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders set high expectations for staff and pupils. They have taken effective actions to raise pupils’ attainment and standards of teaching. The headteacher’s commitment to further improve all aspects of the school is shared by all staff and governors.  When results in writing dipped, the school’s leaders took quick actions and worked as a team to remedy this weakness, introducing new teaching strategies across the school.  The management of teaching and its impact on learning is good. Joint observations during the inspection showed that the school’s judgements on the quality of teaching are accurate. The school’s leaders are focused on supporting staff to become outstanding practitioners.  There is regular monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ achievement and the results are used to produce detailed improvement plans. Improvement strategies in writing have not yet had time to display sustained impact.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders work well together, so that pupils’ transitions between different classes are smooth. For example, this ensures pupils make a good start in Year 1.  The results of the school’s evaluations of teaching are used to provide a wide range of professional development which responds to the needs of the staff, including developing leaders.  The system of performance management is well organised and reflects recent national changes. There is evidence that salary progression is taken seriously and that it occurs only when merited by sustained good performance.  The wide range of subjects and topics taught is helpful to pupils’ learning and is responsive to their needs. Pupils develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills across subjects, with opportunities to solve problems and investigate questions. They benefit from broadening their learning in areas such as science, French, humanities and music.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s Christian values lead to good practice in the development of pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Pupils display a wide range of social skills and reflect on both their learning and on moral issues. The partnership with a school in Uganda and the developing links with schools in France and Sweden enrich their knowledge about international cultures while other cultures within their own country are celebrated in the school.  All aspects of safeguarding are fully met. The governing body and the school’s staff consider that keeping pupils safe is one of their prime responsibilities.  Parents and carers agree that the school is well led and managed and this view is supported by the school’s staff. Of the parents and carers who offered their views, almost all would recommend the school to other parents and carers.  The local authority provides a range of support and challenge through its purchased services.

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The leadership and management are good

This includes support on school improvement, and advice on curriculum development and external play provision  The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective and is strengthened by regular training. Governors have a good knowledge of how well the school is doing and the quality of teaching. They check the school’s performance through analysis of assessment results, reports from senior and middle leaders, and discussions with relevant staff. They make sure the pupil premium is targeted correctly and can describe its impact. Governors are involved in the performance management system for all teaching staff; all promotions, with their financial consequences, are discussed in governor committees. Governors know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 109229 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 412963

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 286 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Craddock Headteacher Nicola Berry Date of previous school inspection June 2010 Telephone number 01454 866501 Fax number 01454 866503 Email address stjohnsmeadprimaryschool@southglos.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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