St John's CofE Primary School

St John the Baptist CofE Primary School Vale Road, Colwick, Nottingham, NG4 2ED

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including subject leaders and governors, have an aspirational vision for the school.  Governors have a clear understanding of how well the school is performing. They hold leaders to account for improving all aspects of the school’s work.  Extensive information is collected on pupils’ progress. Action taken in response to this has secured good improvements in teaching and achievement.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in mathematics is ahead of writing and in reading it is often rapid.  Gaps between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils are reducing and for some pupils have been eradicated.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well as a result of the effective support they receive.  Good teaching motivates and challenges pupils of all abilities, including the most able, to work hard and to do their best.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teaching in the early years is good. Children make good progress and achieve well.  The school works effectively with other schools to check the quality of its work and to share best practice.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe; they behave well and are proud of their school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils have a good understanding of British values and establish strong and supportive relationships with each other and adults.  Attendance has improved and is now average. Pupils enjoy being at school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in writing sometimes lags behind their progress in reading and mathematics.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work does not always support pupils to spell words correctly.  The expectation for the quality of pupils writing in subjects other than English are not high enough.  Teachers do not check that pupils act on the guidance they are given or challenges they are set when their work has been marked.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is not consistently good. Pupils do not always learn the correct pronunciation of letters or use them accurately to spell words for themselves.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 15 lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with school leaders, staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors talked to pupils about their views of school and their work.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during an assembly and lessons, break and lunchtime, and as they moved around the school.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work and listened to some of them reading.  A range of school documents were scrutinised including the school’s safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance logs, information on pupils’ current progress and attainment, plans for improvement and the school’s self-evaluation.  Inspectors took account of the 26 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the results of the school’s most recent parent survey. The 23 questionnaires completed by staff were also considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited the breakfast club to evaluate how it helps pupils at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Alison Cogher, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The early years consists of one full-time Reception class.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is below average. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The remaining pupils come from a number of minority ethnic backgrounds with a very few pupils representing each group.  The pupil premium provides support for an average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. This additional funding is used to help pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care. The number of these pupils in each year group is variable. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 A breakfast club operates each morning during term time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the teaching of writing so more pupils make rapid progress by ensuring that:  teachers’ marking of pupils’ work achieves the school’s expectation to support pupils to improve the accuracy of their spelling  pupils act on the guidance they are given and the challenges they are set  the quality of phonics teaching is of a consistently good quality so pupils always hear and learn the correct sounds letters make and apply this knowledge accurately when spelling words for themselves  teachers have high expectations of the quality of pupils’ writing in all subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong leadership for the school. He is supported well by other senior leaders, subject leaders and governors. They have successfully communicated a vision for the school and have secured improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement. Raised aspirations have been embraced by staff and by pupils who are keen to behave well and to learn.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels have a secure grasp of what is going well and what needs to be improved further. Their regular monitoring of teaching and pupils’ learning has helped them to identify any areas of underperformance and to take speedy action to bring about improvement. Training for teachers focuses closely on teachers’ individual needs and as a result, teaching has improved quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. Expectations of what these pupils can achieve are high and their progress is monitored closely. Resources and staff are deployed effectively to support pupils’ needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Disadvantaged pupils achieve well because the pupil premium funding is used effectively. Pupils’ individual needs are considered carefully and any barriers to learning are tackled quickly. Pupils’ personal development and their academic achievement are supported equally well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils say that they are all treated fairly and have equal access to all activities. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain and, through topics such as ‘Cool Britannia’, they explore British successes and values such as the importance of democracy and the rule of law.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary sports funding has been well managed by the sports leader and has secured better quality teaching and an increase in the range of sporting opportunities available to pupils. More pupils of all ages are now involved in sport during and after school, including competitive sport.

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The leadership and management are good

 On its journey of improvement the school has worked closely with other local schools. This work has been effective in a number of aspects including, for example, the sharing of best practice in teaching, and developing approaches to assessing pupils’ work accurately following the removal of National Curriculum levels.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is implementing the new curriculum requirements well. Pupils are more involved in planning their learning and links are being developed between subjects and as a result, pupils are enjoying the new topics and are motivated to learn well. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils’writing is of equally good quality in subjects other than English.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding arrangements meet all requirements and are effective. Leaders, including governors, ensure that all staff are fully trained and they carry out the necessary checks before staff begin working at the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided good support for the school. Advice, guidance and practical help with checking the quality of teaching and learning have been effective in helping the school to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has engaged positively in a review process since the previous inspection. Governors bring a wide range of experience and expertise to their roles which they use effectively to support and strengthen school leadership. They are strongly committed to ongoing school improvement and engage in a range of activities to monitor the leadership and performance of the school. These include talking with subject leaders, scrutinising achievement information, reviewing policies and visiting classrooms. They understand how pupils’ performance compares with the national average and how those who need additional help are being supported. They have a good understanding of how the pupil premium funding is being used to support disadvantaged pupils and ask challenging questions about pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of the school’s actions to bring about

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The leadership and management are good

improvement. They know how the sports funding has improved the quality and range of sporting opportunities provided for pupils. Governors check closely on the management of teachers’ performance and ensure there is a link between performance and pay progression. They are clear about how underperformance is tackled and teachers are helped to improve.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and well-mannered and are proud to talk about their school and their work. They have a very well developed understanding of right and wrong. Pupils’ understanding of the importance of rules and the democratic processes in British society are supported well through, for example, the work of the school council.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are clear about the importance of understanding and respecting other people’s backgrounds and beliefs. Tolerance and understanding permeate pupils’ interactions with each other and adults. Expectations of good behaviour are high. Pupils are confident that the school’s procedures for managing behaviour are fair and help them to enjoy their time at school.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to learn and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning in lessons. Most sustain good levels of concentration in lessons and listen closely to adults. A few find it difficult to maintain concentration all of the time. Generally these pupils are managed well so their disturbance to lessons is very limited.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to answer questions and offer ideas. They are not concerned about making a mistake and see this as part of the learning process. This confident approach to learning supports the good progress they make and reflects the trust pupils have in the adults who support them.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is steadily improving and is now at the national average. Access to the breakfast club helps pupils to arrive on time and ensures the pupils who attend have a positive start to their school day. The school is vigilant in following up all absences and works closely with families to encourage good attendance.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Staff and parents are very confident that pupils are kept safe and are well cared for at school.

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Safety

 Pupils say they feel safe and well looked after at school. They know who to go to if they feel unhappy or are worried about something, and are confident they would be listened to. Pupils say racism and bullying of any form are extremely rare and dealt with quickly if they do happen.

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Safety

 Pupils recognise that a few pupils find it difficult to behave well all of the time. However, they consider these pupils are helped to improve, that the vast majority do behave well and that this helps them all to feel safe at school.

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Safety

 Pupils are clear about how to keep themselves safe in a range of everyday situations, including when using the internet. They know the steps they should take if they are concerned about something and are confident an adult would be there to help them. Safeguarding procedures are understood by adults and followed diligently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is effective across the school. By promoting reading for pleasure, providing pupils with a good range of texts and supporting those who find reading difficult, the school has been successful in engaging pupils in reading. These actions have resulted in a marked improvement in pupils’ enjoyment of reading and the progress they make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Practical resources are used well by teachers to support the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in mathematics. Pupils understand the relevance of their learning and tackle the challenges they are set in lessons with confidence. They make good use of their knowledge, including their mental calculation skills, when solving mathematical problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of early writing skills is generally effective. Pupils are confident writers and try hard to spell words for themselves. However, the teaching of phonics is not of consistently good quality so pupils do not always hear the correct sound that letters make. This makes it difficult for them to spell words for themselves accurately.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are skilled and well briefed. They work closely with teachers to ensure pupils receive the help they need to make good progress and achieve well. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported to help them achieve their individual targets for improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning including the effective use of questioning during lessons and they use this information to guide the planning of lessons. Activities are based securely on what pupils already know and this ensures that all pupils, including the most-able, make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. Reflecting the school’s expectations, teachers generally make it clear to pupils what they have done well. However, they do not always draw pupils’ attention to spelling errors in their written work or follow up pupils’ responses to guidance they are given or challenges they have been set. The marking of pupils’ written work in subjects other than English is rare so pupils are not reminded that they need to make best use of their writing skills at all times.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has improved over the last three years in all year groups. By Year 6, pupils’ attainment is broadly average in all subjects, with an increasing number of pupils attaining above average standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Significant numbers of pupils make rapid progress in reading and an increasing number are making rapid progress in mathematics as teachers help pupils to address gaps in their learning. Progress in writing is generally good, but fewer pupils make the same rapid progress as they do in other subjects. Nonetheless, their improved overall progress has resulted in a marked increase in the numbers of pupils reaching at least the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. Current Year 6 pupils are performing at least as well as the 2014 Year 6 cohort.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ positive attitudes contribute well to the good progress they make. Most pay close attention to the adults supporting them and they work well together to help each other understand the work they are set. They are keen to share ideas and show respect for each other’s ideas and efforts.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s work to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils is increasingly effective. The number of pupils in each year group is sometimes small. Their individual progress is monitored closely and they receive targeted help to ensure any gaps between their achievement and that of their classmates is reduced. For some pupils the gap has closed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to other pupils because they receive carefully targeted support. Individualised plans for some pupils are effective in improving their behaviour so they are able to engage positively in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of the most-able pupils is good. They are identified quickly and challenged to make good progress so increasingly are reaching the levels they are capable of. For example, a group of Year 4 pupils confidently tackled problems linked to weight that involved converting fractions and decimals before they were in a position to complete the calculation necessary.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Some improvement in pupils’ grasp of phonics at Year 1 has been secured. The proportion achieving the expected standard in 2014 was in line with the national average. However, pupils’ spelling is not as accurate as it could be, and pupils do not always apply these skills in their everyday writing.

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The early years provision is good

 Children make good progress and are well prepared for their move to Year 1. The early years leader has a good understanding of what is working well and what needs to be improved further.

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The early years provision is good

 Staff know children well and make accurate assessments of their skills and knowledge. They use this information well to guide the planning of activities that motivate and engage children in their learning. As a result children, including the most able, achieve well. Information about children’s achievements are meticulously recorded in children’s ‘Learning Journeys’. These provide a good record of the activities children have engaged in but do not always make clear the progress they have made over time.

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The early years provision is good

 Good liaison with parents and other early years settings ensure children settle quickly when they start school. Children develop good attitudes to school and learning. They involve themselves in activities for extended periods of time. They are happy to share and cooperate well with each other. Children confidently make choices when playing and sustain high levels of concentration.

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The early years provision is good

 Effective teaching makes imaginative use of resources inside and in the outdoor spaces to support children’s learning. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities, all of which have a clear focus for learning. Children have many opportunities to practise their skills, for example writing or counting money, through their play in the ‘Seaside Café’.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults ensure that children are kept safe and take every opportunity to talk with them, encouraging them and building their confidence to extend their learning. They use questions and discussions effectively to move children’s learning forward. Well-established routines and high expectations ensure that children are very clear about what is expected of them. They want to learn and behave well.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 122787 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 461984

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 196 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Marriott Headteacher Chris Belton Date of previous school inspection 22 May 2013 Telephone number 0115 9115599 Fax number N/A Email address office@st-johns-pri.notts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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 and 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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