St Giles CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Giles C of E Primary School Portland Crescent, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY2 5NJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 1–2 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a distinctly Christian school. The walls in the main hall are adorned with bright posters declaring that the school promotes respect, kindness and forgiveness. Staff promote this too. Leaders have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils understand the school’s values and demonstrate them in abundance. They greet each other with smiles and talk kindly to one another. All the pupils who spoke to inspectors said they are happy in school. This was echoed by their parents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and during lunchtime and playtime. Occasionally, there is some bullying, but staff deal with it quickly to make sure that it stops. If pupils are worried, they know who to go to for help. In the centre of the school is the lantern room. Pupils and staff describe this as a special place. This is where pupils can get help and support if they are worried or upset.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like learning and they respond positively to their teachers. However, they are not always excited about their lessons. This is because teachers do not always consider what pupils need to know, or what help they need when planning work.

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better?

Children are taught phonics as soon as they begin Reception Year. However, they do not learn to read as quickly, or as well, as they should. Reading is not prioritised in the early years foundation stage. Children are given books to take home, but they are too difficult for them to read. This stops children from enjoying reading as much as they could, and they lack confidence. Teachers work hard to help pupils to read, but they have not had the training they need to do this well.

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better?

In key stages 1 and 2, pupils study the full range of national curriculum subjects. Leaders have focused on writing and mathematics. Pupils are now doing better in these subjects than they were before. Very little time is given to other subjects, including modern foreign languages, history and geography. In these subjects, pupils are taught only a small amount of what they should be taught. This leads to significant gaps in their knowledge by the time they reach the end of key stage 2.

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better?

There is not a logical order to the way that topics are taught in many subjects. Leaders and teachers do not consider how the knowledge and skills pupils learn in one lesson will help them in future lessons. This is most noticeable in modern foreign languages, history and geography, where topics are muddled and disconnected. Topics are better connected in writing and mathematics.

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better?

Leaders and teachers are not ambitious enough in what they expect from pupils. Typically, two year groups are taught together. In most subjects, all pupils do the same work, with the same expectations, regardless of their ability or age. Sometimes pupils repeat activities they have done before. For example, pupils in 1–2 October 2019

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Year 6 are doing the same work in geography this year as they did when they were in Year 5. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) sometimes get different tasks to do. However, they are not carefully thought through and are not always appropriate.

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Pupils are well behaved in school. They turn up to their lessons smartly dressed and they are keen to learn. They are respectful, and they allow their teachers to teach. There is very rarely any chatter when pupils are working or silly behaviour. However, pupils are not as excited or as enthusiastic about their learning as they could be. This is partly because they are not given the chance to learn about the full range of interesting and exciting topics included in the national curriculum.

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Leaders have prioritised developing pupils socially and emotionally. There is a lot of support in place for pupils who need it. They make the most of the wide range of activities and clubs that are on offer. Pupils enjoy visiting local castles and museums as well as residential trips to the coast. They also enjoy singing together in assemblies. Pupils who want to learn a musical instrument have the option of extra music lessons. Leaders want all pupils to have this choice. They help disadvantaged pupils by paying for their lessons.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Before appointing staff to work at the school, leaders check that they are suitable to work with children. When new staff start, they are taught what to do if they are concerned about a pupil. When staff are concerned, they pass information on quickly. Leaders make sure that pupils receive the care they need. This is from the school’s own support team and other agencies when necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. Staff teach them how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. The pupils who spoke to inspectors were clear about the dangers of sharing personal information online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading is not prioritised in the early years. Teachers have not received the training they need to teach phonics well enough. The books that pupils take home with them are too difficult and they do not match the sounds that they have already learned. Leaders should ensure that reading is prioritised across the whole school so that all pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills to become confident and fluent readers.  Insufficient time is given to subjects, including modern foreign languages, history and geography in key stages 1 and 2. Pupils are not taught the full range of topics included in the national curriculum. This is leading to significant gaps in 1–2 October 2019

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knowledge and skills by the time pupils reach the end of key stage 2. Pupils are not as prepared for key stage 3 as they should be. Leaders should ensure that enough time is allocated to all subjects to allow the national curriculum to be taught in full.  The curriculum is disjointed and poorly planned in key stages 1 and 2. Topics are not sequenced in a way that enables pupils to build on their knowledge and develop their skills. Pupils repeat work that they have mastered before. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is planned in a coherent way to allow for progression, and to enable pupils to build on their knowledge and develop their skills in a systematic way.  Assessment is not used well enough to check what pupils know and what they can already do. Teachers do not use assessment information consistently to help them plan. Pupils are typically given the same work to do, regardless of their

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ability or need. Therefore, leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information to help them plan lessons that are ambitious for all pupils, including the most able pupils and those with SEND.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1–2 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10088614 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 October 2008

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Information about this school

 St Giles is a voluntary controlled Church of England school. The school has a Christian ethos.  The school was last inspected in October 2008.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also met with a range of staff, including curriculum leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. Inspectors met with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors also discussed the work of the school with a representative from the diocese.  During the inspection, inspectors focused on reading, writing, mathematics and history. Inspectors considered the school’s curriculum plans, visited lessons and scrutinised pupils work. Inspectors also met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects. 1–2 October 2019

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ plans to improve the school, records of governors’ meetings and the school’s attendance and behaviour records.  When inspecting safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the school’s procedures for recruiting staff, the quality of staff training and the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe.

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Inspection team

Niall Gallagher, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Wood Ofsted Inspector 1–2 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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