St Saviour's CofE Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Saviour’s CofE Academy Congleton Road, Talke, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST7 1LW

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2022

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Outcome

St Saviour’s CofE Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Saviour’s CofE Academy is a happy and welcoming school where pupils thrive. This is reflected in staff’s and pupils’ dispositions. Their energy and optimism are clear to see. The school’s strong Christian values shine through in all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They look forward to being with their friends, and they value their education. Staff have high expectations. Pupils live up to these expectations and work hard. They are rightly proud of the work that they produce.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well together. They look after each other and include others in their games and conversations. They have the confidence to greet visitors and welcome them to the school. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils trust adults to sort such matters out quickly if they happen. This ensures that pupils feel safe at all times throughout the day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders entrust pupils with responsibilities to promote independence. Some pupils work as ‘office juniors’, others are school councillors, play leaders or prayer leaders. Pupils see these responsibilities as a great privilege. They work diligently in their duties and grow in confidence as a result.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have worked hard to successfully enhance the quality of the school’s curriculum. Curriculum leaders work well with other professionals in the trust. This work has helped leaders design a well-planned curriculum. The information that pupils are expected to know and remember, in each subject, is set out clearly. Leaders have ensured that the early years curriculum prepares children for Year 1.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers follow the logical order of learning set out in curriculum planning. Lessons help pupils build their knowledge step by step. Adults make regular checks in lessons to find out what pupils know and remember. These checks provide staff with useful information about pupils’ abilities. Staff use this information well and provide extra support for pupils 11 and 12 January 2022

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who need it. Staff adapt plans to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the full curriculum. For example, some pupils with SEND use modified materials and visual aids. As a result, all pupils know and remember more in each subject.

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Teachers choose activities that match closely to the aims of the curriculum in most subjects. These activities focus pupils’ attention on the subject-specific content they need to learn. The pandemic has disrupted leaders’ usual approach to monitoring the effectiveness of lessons. This means that leaders have not identified and addressed variations in how well teachers deliver the curriculum. Sometimes, the work given to pupils does not match closely with what pupils are expected to learn. In these lessons, time is not always used well. This limits pupils’ learning.

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Reading is a school priority. The school’s approach to the teaching of reading is organised well. Younger pupils benefit from daily phonics lessons. These lessons are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Phonics sessions include ample opportunities for pupils to practise reading and to apply their knowledge. Pupils read regularly in school and at home. Consequently, most pupils read fluently by the end of Year 2.

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Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are clearly set out in the school’s rules. Pupils have been included in deciding these rules. The rules are underpinned by the school’s values of aspiration, perseverance, respect, forgiveness, honesty and friendship. Adults and children share these values and demonstrate them in their speech and conduct. As a result, the school is a calm and caring place. Pupils pay attention in lessons and are keen to learn. When there are incidents of poor behaviour, staff deal with them effectively. They recognise positive behaviour and champion it in assemblies.

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Leaders have carefully considered ways to promote pupils’ spiritual development. The school has close links with the church, and pupils learn about a broad variety of faiths. This, along with the school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum, teaches pupils about the importance of respect and tolerance for others. The school offered a broad range of after-school clubs before the pandemic. Pupils value these opportunities. These activities were paused in 2020. Instead, leaders arranged additional experiences for pupils during the school day. Leaders have not yet reintroduced the usual range of extra-curricular provision. Parents and pupils are eager to see after-school clubs reintroduced.

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Leaders and representatives of the trust are aware of their duty to care for staff. They do this well. All staff enjoy working at the school and feel supported in their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders with responsibility for safeguarding have clear roles and responsibilities. They fulfil these well. Procedures for staff’s recruitment and checking the suitability of adults are rigorous and effective. 11 and 12 January 2022

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All staff understand the part they play in keeping children safe. They are alert to signs of potential harm and take the right action when necessary.

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Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe and how to maintain healthy relationships in PSHE lessons. In addition, pupils learn about appropriate use of the internet and how to protect themselves when working or playing online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The pandemic has disrupted leaders’ usual programme of subject monitoring. This has resulted in an inconsistency in the way that some lessons are taught. Leaders should ensure that systems are in place to monitor the effectiveness of lessons in all subjects.  The school’s usual offer of extra-curricular activities has not yet been reintroduced. This limits pupils’ experiences beyond the academic curriculum. Leaders should take action to broaden further pupils’ experiences beyond the academic curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Saviour’s CofE (VC) Primary School, to be good in March 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 11 and 12 January 2022

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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. 11 and 12 January 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is within the Diocese of Lichfield. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place on 5 May 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a breakfast club each day.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teachers.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the trustees and multi-academy trust.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing committee. 11 and 12 January 2022

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 Inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read. The lead inspector also looked at curriculum plans in a sample of other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. They spoke to pupils about their opinions of behaviour at the school.  Inspectors reviewed records relating to the school’s safeguarding procedures. This included checking the school’s single central record. The lead inspector also held a meeting with the leaders responsible for safeguarding.  The inspectors considered responses on Ofsted Parents View, including the free-text

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responses. The inspectors also took account of responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Moran Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 January 2022

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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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