St Cuthbert's CofE Junior School

Inspection of St Cuthbert’s CofE Junior School Keward Avenue, Wells, Somerset BA5 1TS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 8–9 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and governors hold strongly to a mission for every pupil to succeed. Because of leaders’ work, pupils’ progress and attainment improved last year by the end of Year 6. However, there is more to do to make sure that pupils in each year group achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school and feel safe. Parents really like the school and say that the staff know their children well. There are opportunities for pupils to take part in clubs, and the choir, at lunchtime and after school. Pupils enjoy responsibility. For example, Year 5 pupils are involved in a local ‘mini police’ initiative with the county constabulary. The school is a caring community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well together. They are polite to school staff and visitors. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They are confident that adults help them to be safe and happy. Most pupils get on with their work in lessons, but a few do not listen or settle quickly. They say that sometimes teachers don’t follow up when rules are broken. For example, pupils expect those who misbehave to lose ‘Golden Time’ but this doesn’t always happen.

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better?

Leaders have reviewed plans for some subjects to show what new things pupils should learn and when. However, teachers do not use these new plans well. They do not adapt their teaching in most subjects to meet the abilities of the pupils they teach. This limits pupils’ achievement.

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better?

Teaching does not help pupils to build their understanding in mathematics and reading well enough. The reading curriculum is not enabling pupils to build their knowledge and skills well. In mathematics, learning is not challenging enough, particularly for the most able pupils. However, the teaching of writing is more effective. Pupils make good use of their vocabulary to write accurately and in a way that interests the reader.

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better?

Some pupils, who need to catch up to meet the standard for their age, struggle in lessons. They do not understand the work they are given. However, those pupils who join the school in Year 3 with a weak knowledge of phonics are supported well. Teachers give these pupils books which practise their reading skills and help them to improve. Pupils with SEND are well included in lessons. Effective support plans are in place. Skilled teaching assistants explain learning well and check pupils’ progress carefully.

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better?

Most pupils work hard and concentrate well in lessons. However, when the teaching is not quite right for these pupils, they do not finish work, or become distracted. Staff do not show consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and do not address disruption in class when it happens. 8–9 October 2019

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When pupils present challenging behaviour, it is managed well. This is because leaders ensure that staff are trained well and follow guidance set out in behaviour plans. Staff keep detailed records of incidents of poor behaviour. However, leaders do not make good enough use of these records to analyse how effective the support is in reducing incidents.

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Subject leaders are knowledgeable about their subjects. However, they are not checking to see that their subject is taught sufficiently well across the school. Teachers do not show a good enough understanding of the range of subjects that they teach.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ welfare has a high priority in the school. Leaders know the community well and the local risks to pupils’ safety. Staff spot and report concerns appropriately if they feel a pupil is at risk of harm. Leaders refer concerns promptly to other agencies. They challenge other professionals until they are confident that pupils have the support they need. The school uses the NSPCC ‘Speak out. Stay safe.’ project to teach pupils how to keep themselves safe.

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Safeguarding

The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ safe use of the internet through its digital leaders.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ work has led to improvements in the school’s work since the previous inspection. However, leaders have not considered well enough how the curriculum for each year group is intended to be planned and delivered. Teachers are not fully meeting the abilities of the pupils in their class. Leaders should ensure that all pupils make good progress across the curriculum.  The order of what pupils need to know and remember across the curriculum is underway. However, even in subjects where this has been completed, teachers do not use the plans effectively. Teaching does not build on pupils’ prior knowledge, particularly in science and the foundation subjects.  Pupils who need to catch up in their learning, are not helped sufficiently to do so. Sometimes they are given work which is too hard in reading, writing and mathematics lessons. Without support, they do not finish work, do not complete the task well, or become distracted.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers have identified pupils need more stamina for reading. However, the programmes used in reading lessons are not building pupils’ knowledge securely. Leaders should ensure that pupils secure important skills and knowledge in reading. 8–9 October 2019

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 In mathematics, teachers have not secured their understanding of the school’s programme. Learning is not challenging enough, especially for the most able pupils. Leaders need to ensure that teachers’ subject knowledge improves so that pupils receive a challenging curriculum and achieve well in mathematics.  Although most pupils behave well, there are inconsistencies in the ways that teachers apply the school’s discipline policy. Leaders need to ensure that all staff have equally high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.  Leaders and governors are committed to inclusion. A small number of pupils, some of whom have SEND, display challenging behaviour. Leaders need to ensure that they make sure that behaviour and pastoral support plans are effective and that staff are following them.  Subject leaders have the subject knowledge to support teaching in school. However, they need to develop the subject expertise and confidence of all

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teaching staff. They need to make sure that their subject is taught well so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

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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. 8–9 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111469 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Catherine McCulloch

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School details

Website www.stcuthbertsjuniorswells.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–15 June 2017

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Information about this school

 St Cuthbert’s Junior School is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Bath and Wells.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher who is the leader for English and geography. They also met with the leaders for mathematics and science. Meetings were held with teachers and some teaching assistants. An inspector met with the leader with responsibility for pupils with SEND and the pastoral support assistant.  The lead inspector also met a group of governors and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Four subjects were looked at in depth as part of this inspection. These were reading, mathematics, science and geography. Inspectors also sampled teaching and the curriculum in writing and history.  Inspectors visited classes in the selected subjects and reviewed samples of pupils’ 8–9 October 2019

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work. They spoke to groups of pupils as well as teachers and leaders for the subject. Inspectors listened to groups of pupils read, including those from Year 3 who are at the earliest stages of reading.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons, in the playground and in the lunch hall. Inspectors discussed behaviour with leaders, staff and pupils. They reviewed records kept of behaviour and exclusions.  Inspectors to account of the views of pupils through formal and informal discussions. Five members of staff responded to the staff survey. Inspectors met with staff individually to ascertain their views of the school’s work.  Inspectors considered parents’ views of the school through the 34 responses to Ofsted Parent View and the comments in the survey from parents.  Inspectors reviewed school documentation including governor minutes, the school’s self-evaluation and the school development plan.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s child protection policies and procedures. An

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inspector checked the school’s records of checks carried out on adults for their suitability to work in school. Staff were asked about their understanding of the school’s procedures and their confidence to use them.

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Inspection team

Wendy Marriott, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Marion Borland Ofsted Inspector 8–9 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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