St John's Church of England Academy

Inspection of a good school: St John’s Church of England Academy Winsford Avenue, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 9HZ

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Outcome

St John’s Church of England Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St John’s Church of England Academy. They are safe in school and know that there is always a trusted adult to talk to if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is. If it happens, adults step in and ensure that it stops. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times of the day. For example, well-being ambassadors support younger pupils on the playground, by playing games to practise taking turns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities in school, including the clubs on offer and the trips that support learning. For example, Year 6 pupils were looking forward to a trip to learn more about World War II.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of leadership opportunities. From being asked about safeguarding, to contributing to a review of the behaviour policy, all pupils are included in school life. Some pupils also take part in initiatives to help them to develop life skills such as sewing on buttons or using the recovery position in a first-aid situation.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want the very best for every pupil. Pupils enjoy living up to these high expectations for achievement and behaviour. They enjoy achieving leaders’ vision that they ‘can shine!’

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

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils’ learning and personal development. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are highly committed to identifying pupils who might have SEND. They quickly put support in place, where needed, to ensure that all pupils can learn together.

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

Leaders have prioritised teaching pupils to read. As soon as children start in Reception, they begin learning phonics. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to deliver 13 and 14 March 2023

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the phonics programme. Pupils practise their reading using books with words that are matched to the sounds they know. Pupils’ reading is regularly assessed. Any pupils at risk of falling behind are identified and extra support is put in place. This continues for older pupils who find learning to read challenging. Older pupils describe how they enjoy listening to class stories and reading shared books together.

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Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is designed for pupils to learn about their local area as well as the wider world, from early years through to Year 6. For example, in geography, younger pupils explore their immediate environment. Pupils in Year 5 visit the Peak District to develop their fieldwork skills. Leaders have also ensured that the curriculum is sequenced so that pupils build on what they have learned before. This includes learning carefully identified vocabulary. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 1 learn the correct terms of ‘greater’ and ‘less’. Pupils in key stage 2 accurately use the terms ‘unit fractions’, ‘numerators’ and ‘denominators’. However, in a small number of lessons, teachers do not identify from the curriculum plans precisely what knowledge to teach. This means that some activities are not well chosen to develop pupils’ learning. Sometimes, teachers do not notice pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough. As a result,

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some pupils continue to make the same mistakes.

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Leaders ensure that teachers regularly check on what pupils know and can do. However, not all of this information is used effectively to shape subsequent learning. This includes when pupils have gaps in their knowledge or already know what they are about to learn. As a result, learning is not always designed to close gaps in knowledge or challenge pupils who can already do the work.

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Pupils behave well around school and learning is not disrupted. There are strong relationships between staff and pupils, and the values of the school shine through. Pupils learn about difference, and explain that everyone is treated equally. Pupils from different faiths share their celebrations and beliefs with their peers in school.

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The personal development of pupils is a real strength of the school. Leaders carefully plan opportunities for all pupils to ensure that they are being well prepared for life in the world of work and modern Britain. There is a broad range of clubs on offer, which many pupils thoroughly enjoy. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles in school. Leaders also identify initiatives such as working towards awards linked to developing important life skills. Some opportunities extend to families, such as family picnics during school holiday periods.

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The new leadership team has a strong vision to continue to drive improvement. It is well supported by local governors and the trust, through shared ethos and values. Staff value the fact that leaders prioritise their well-being. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding. They ensure that all staff are well trained to identify, record and report any signs that a child might be at risk of harm. Leaders follow up all concerns and make use of external agencies, when required.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that, through the curriculum, pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe, including online. Leaders also seek pupils’ views about safeguarding to ensure that pupils always feel safe in school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders at governance and trust level support the school in ensuring that all the relevant checks are made on adults in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some lessons, teachers do not identify precisely what is to be learned. As a result, activities do not always support pupils in learning the intended curriculum. Teachers do not always identify and address pupils’ mistakes. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported to identify precise steps in learning so that they can plan activities to help pupils learn the right things at the right time, and quickly identify and address mistakes.  Some of the checks that teachers make on what pupils know and can do do not inform subsequent learning. As a result, the curriculum is not always adapted to close gaps or fully challenge some pupils. Leaders should continue to develop assessment strategies so that the information gained from teachers’ checks is used to help pupils know more and remember more over time.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St John’s Church of England Primary School, to be good in January 2013. 13 and 14 March 2023

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  St John’s Church of England Academy is part of the Diocese of Coventry Multi- Academy Trust. A section 48 inspection was carried out by the Church of England Education Office on 18 November 2019.  The headteacher joined the school in June 2022.

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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.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders, and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector held meetings with the chair of the local governing body and spoke to representatives from the multi-academy trust.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke to pupils about behaviour.  To evaluate safeguarding, the inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, looked at the single central record of recruitment checks, looked at safeguarding records and talked to pupils and staff.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses. The inspector also took account of responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil survey.  The inspector talked to parents at the school gate and looked at written communication from parents.

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Inspection team

Rachel Henrick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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