St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

Inspection of a good school: St Benedict’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School Benedict Street, Glastonbury, Somerset BA6 9EX

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Outcome

St Benedict’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about attending St Benedict’s Church of England School. They say that teachers make their lessons interesting and involve them. Staff provide a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. Pupils say that these build their confidence, teach them new skills and help them to work well with others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe. Staff receive helpful training to help them understand and strengthen pupils’ emotional well-being. Specialist staff work skilfully to support pupils when needed. Pupils care for one another and their school. They take on responsibilities such as being peer mentors, sports leaders or green influencers. Bullying is not tolerated. On the rare occasions that it happens, staff respond quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have clear expectations of pupils. Pupils respond positively to these expectations, for example in their behaviour, the presentation of work and in regularly practising their reading. Pupils are taught to reflect on their learning and to do their best. They learn from their mistakes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a clear understanding of the school’s values of community, kindness and resilience. They say that they see these values in action in school every single day.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils in most subjects. Learning is broken down into smaller steps, which helps pupils to build their knowledge well. Leaders have identified the vocabulary pupils need to learn. Pupils use this vocabulary when they talk about their current learning. However, in some subjects, leaders have not yet identified the important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to learn. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could over time. 11 and 12 January 2023

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Leaders provide effective guidance to help teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers provide learning that matches the curriculum aims. Teachers give clear explanations. They ask questions that challenge pupils’ understanding. Teachers are developing ways to help pupils remember their learning in the long term. This is already effective in mathematics. Pupils have a clear recall of times tables. This helps them to solve problems and to learn new procedures well.

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Teachers check pupils’ understanding well in mathematics and English. They use these checks to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and adapt their teaching. However, in some foundation subjects, assessment does not give teachers the most useful information about what pupils know and remember. This makes it more difficult for teachers to identify and close gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers adapt learning well for these pupils. Leaders use specialist staff to meet some pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the curriculum well.

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Leaders prioritise reading. They invest in books and staff training. Leaders organise events to promote pupils’ love of reading. The reading curriculum is based on high-quality texts. Pupils read and discuss these texts with insight and sensitivity. Leaders encourage pupils to build a reading habit of their own. Where pupils have gaps in their phonic knowledge, staff support them to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils learn to read with increasing accuracy, fluency and confidence.

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Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and around the school is calm and purposeful. In lessons, pupils work hard and listen attentively. Pupils discuss their learning with each other. This helps to deepen their understanding.

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Pupils learn how to maintain positive physical and mental health. They understand that people have different beliefs. Leaders provide a wide range of purposeful opportunities for pupils to learn about their community and beyond. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff are positive about the way that leaders work with them. Governors have a clear understanding of their role. They provide effective challenge and support to the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. They know how to ask for help and learn how to stay safe, including online. Leaders have put in place rigorous systems to identify pupils who cause concern. Leaders provide suitable safeguarding training for staff. Staff know pupils’ needs well. They know how to raise concerns. Leaders understand the risks that pupils face in the local area. They work effectively with external agencies to support vulnerable families. Governors are clear about their safeguarding role. They check that safeguarding systems 11 and 12 January 2023

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are effective. Leaders ensure through recruitment processes that staff are suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified, in some subjects, the most important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to know and remember. This means that learning does not build pupils’ knowledge well over time. Leaders must identify the most important knowledge and concepts in each subject to help pupils know and remember more.  In some foundation subjects, leaders have not developed a precise approach to checking what pupils have learned over time. As a result, leaders and teachers do not have a clear picture of gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is effective in identifying gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.

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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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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 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stbenedictscofevajuniorschoolglastonb ury.co.uk Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 May 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is voluntary aided and is part of the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2016.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector visited some lessons. The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with pupils about school life, including behaviour. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 The inspector held meetings with a range of staff, including the headteacher. In addition, the inspector met with members of the governing body.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and its pupil survey.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents about safeguarding and spoke with staff to understand how they keep pupils safe. The inspector reviewed the school’s record of checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  The inspector spoke with a range of staff to discuss leaders’ support for them.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Gower, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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