St John the Baptist CofE Primary School

Inspection of St John the Baptist CofE Primary School East Avenue, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 1TE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 12–13 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school that pupils say is improving.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every member of staff wants the best for each pupil. At the moment, pupils do not learn and remember as much as they need to. Not enough work challenges them. The work adults give them does not build enough on what they already know or can do. As a result, pupils do not achieve as highly as they should do in some subjects. However, teachers and teaching assistants are now having training so that all pupils are taught well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Attendance is good. Pupils like their lessons, and enjoy coming to school each day. They learn to read well, and to enjoy books. They get to do interesting things, such as visits to the Curve theatre and to different places of worship. They learn how they can all help save the planet by reducing plastic in the school. Staff teach them to respect everyone. We met pupils who quote the speeches of Martin Luther King. Staff teach them how to behave with integrity and humility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

It is a safe, welcoming school where pupils behave well. Bullying is rare, and staff deal with it effectively if it happens.

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better?

The new headteacher is giving this school the tonic it needs. She has wasted not a moment in beginning her urgent mission to transform it. She has the very highest ambitions for every pupil.

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better?

She has appointed enthusiastic subject leaders. These are receiving support and are being given time to do their important job in driving up standards. They have now agreed clear and ambitious planning to teach each subject. This shows what pupils of different ages will learn. Staff are beginning to teach these plans. Staff say that, although the changes in the school are rapid, they strongly support them. Morale is high. Everyone is keen to work in the most effective ways. They welcome the training that they are now receiving. They feel that leaders remain mindful of their workload.

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better?

Leaders know that the delivery of the curriculum is not good enough in some subjects. Some staff lack confidence in their roles. Some set tasks in mathematics and physical education, for example, that do not build up pupils’ knowledge or skills. Not enough pupils can recall their multiplication tables with speed and accuracy. The work pupils receive is not consistently demanding. This means that not all pupils achieve highly enough. The headteacher has scheduled wise actions to address these weaknesses with speed. Governors are checking that actions happen on time.

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better?

There are clear strengths in the curriculum. Staff in the Reception Year make sure that children get off to a good start. Teachers are clear about what they want 12–13 November 2019

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children to know and do in all areas of learning. They ensure that they teach these in an effective way. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1. Staff in the early years, like their colleagues in Years 1 and 2, teach phonics and early reading well. Staff use phrases and words that pupils understand. Pupils ‘sound out’ the letters correctly rather than guessing. They are keen to show the sounds and letters they know. All teachers teach pupils to love books. Pupils enjoy Beatrix Potter, T.S. Eliot and modern classics from Michael Morpurgo. Teachers show pupils how to write well, with ambitious words such as ‘pungent’ and ‘putrid’.

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The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has improved greatly. Leaders are ensuring that these pupils’ needs are identified quickly. Teachers adjust lessons with greater precision. Teaching assistants are helping these pupils to know and remember more. Staff also help pupils who do not speak English as their first language so they can catch up with their learning. The school is fully inclusive.

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Behaviour is good. Pupils say that staff are applying the new policy with fairness. Teachers expect pupils to pay attention in class, and to do their best. Pupils work hard and cooperate well together. They complete their written work with neatness. They do not disrupt learning, which means lessons flow well. Staff are skilled at helping any who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour.

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The school puts impressive emphasis on pupils’ personal development. They learn about many other faiths and cultures. A wide range of opportunities exists for them to be play leaders, house-point monitors, or a member of the Eco Team. Pupils raise money for charities and take part in many sporting competitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Parents and carers say that their children feel safe in school. We agree. Staff are well trained in safeguarding. They can spot the many warning signs of potential abuse. They know their responsibility is to report immediately any concern they have. Leaders keep good and clear records of any information from staff. They do not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to reduce the risk of harm to a pupil. This includes working with parents and, if needed, external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils told us that if they are worried or upset about something, they can talk to a member of staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leaders need to make sure that the newly planned curriculum and its intentions are now consistently well delivered across all year groups and subjects. Where teachers lack confidence or expertise in an aspect, they should receive 12–13 November 2019

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effective training to improve their subject knowledge. This is so that they can set work for pupils that builds well on what pupils already know or can do. This will help pupils to know and remember more.  Teachers should ensure that the work or activities they set for pupils are consistently challenging for all pupils, so that they match the ambitious aims of the curriculum. This will help all pupils to achieve as highly as possible.

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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. 12–13 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110082 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 28 June 2018

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the last inspection.

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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

 To judge the quality of education, we focused the inspection on specific aspects of the curriculum. These were reading, writing, mathematics and physical education. We met with senior and subject leaders, and visited lessons where pupils were learning these aspects. We met pupils from the lessons and looked at their work. We met with the teachers whose lessons we visited.  In addition, we met with representatives of the governing body, the head of the early years, and the coordinator for pupils with SEND. We read a wide variety of school documents, along with curriculum planning and staff’s records of the things that pupils were learning. We also spoke with other members of staff, such as midday supervisors.  We took note of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, met with parents at the start of the school day, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire and pupil questionnaire. We met with pupils to hear about their

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experiences of the school.  In order to judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, we read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and interviewed the designated lead for safeguarding. We also spoke with staff to check details of their safeguarding knowledge and training, that they understood the importance of their responsibility to report any safeguarding concerns without delay, and that they knew the procedure to do this. We checked samples of safeguarding records, spoke with parents about their child’s safety at the school, and read responses from Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Cruickshank Ofsted Inspector 12–13 November 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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