Stoke St Michael Primary School

Inspection of Stoke St Michael Primary School Moonshill Road, Stoke St Michael, Radstock, Somerset BA3 5LG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 23 and 24 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop strong values at Stoke St Michael School. They are proud advocates of the school’s learning ‘powers’, which help them to make good choices. Pupils have a keen sense of fairness. They value difference. Leaders prioritise pupils’ well-being. Pupils trust adults to keep them safe. They say ‘everyone is kind’ at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are designing an ambitious curriculum. Improvements to reading and mathematics are paying off. However, the curriculum is not clear enough about what pupils need to know in some subjects. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Clear routines make the school a calm and harmonious place to learn. Pupils get on well together. They enjoy the range of games available to them at breaktimes. Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that adults will resolve any bullying or poor behaviour quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, for example by being sports captains and ‘eco- warriors’. Pupils are well prepared to be responsible citizens. They are proud of their fundraising for a new pond area in school, for example. The curriculum is enriched by visits and visitors. Pupils attend a range of clubs to develop their interests, including chess, baking and sports clubs.

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better?

Leaders have ambitious aims for the curriculum. However, staffing changes and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 have hindered the development of some subjects. Leaders’ curriculum thinking is further forward in English and mathematics. The curriculum in the early years is well designed and prepares children for Year 1.

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better?

In some subjects, it is not clear what important knowledge pupils need to learn and when. As a result, pupils do not build the depth of knowledge that they should. For example, pupils do not secure knowledge of drawing and painting techniques in art.

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better?

Pupils learn well where leaders have designed the curriculum effectively. In mathematics and reading, pupils learn new concepts in a logical order. Teachers help pupils to remember more by revisiting important learning. They use their checks to identify gaps in pupils’ learning. Pupils build on what they know and can do. However, assessment is not as well developed in other subjects. Teachers do not always check what pupils know and remember. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ knowledge widen over time.

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better?

Leaders are passionate about promoting a love of reading. Staff choose books which deepen pupils’ vocabulary. Pupils love listening to stories and talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. Children in the early years learn a wide range of stories, rhymes, and songs. Leaders have established a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Children learn to read and spell from the start of the Reception 23 and 24 May 2023

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Year. Staff make careful checks on pupils’ learning. They provide extra help to pupils who do not keep pace with the school’s programme. Older pupils deepen their understanding of challenging texts.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) take part in the full curriculum alongside their peers. Leaders identify and assess their needs carefully. Pupils with social and emotional needs receive targeted support, including from specialist staff. However, pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum consistently well. Some teachers do not use assessment precisely enough to pinpoint what pupils with SEND need to learn next.

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Pupils are keen to learn. They are eager to share what they know with their friends and adults. Pupils strive to earn rewards as a ‘marvellous mathematician’ or a ‘wonderful writer’ in weekly assemblies. Adults expect pupils to behave well, and they do. Disruption to learning is rare. Leaders provide extra help for pupils who need support to manage their behaviour. They work closely with families to improve pupils’ attendance.

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Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds. They know the importance of tolerance and mutual respect. Pupils understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They value the time they have to reflect on their mental health. Pupils talk with well-trained adults if they have a worry. Pupils enjoy the many clubs and trips on offer, including a residential visit to Kilve Court.

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Those responsible for governance understand the school’s priorities for improvement. However, they do not check on some aspects of leaders’ work with enough rigour. Some subject leaders are new to their roles. They do not have a clear understanding of what pupils have learned previously. Leaders recognise that the expertise of some subject leaders needs to be developed.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise keeping pupils safe. Staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training. They are alert to risks to pupils’ safety and welfare. Staff know how to report concerns. Leaders act promptly to help pupils and families who need it. They work well with external agencies to secure the right help. Staff carry out thorough checks on adults who work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum. They speak confidently about keeping safe online. Pupils can name trusted adults they can speak to about any concerns they may have. 23 and 24 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The design of the curriculum in some foundation subjects is not clear about what pupils need to learn and when. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and therefore do not learn as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum identifies the knowledge pupils need to learn and remember as they progress through the school.  Teachers do not check precisely enough for gaps in pupils’ knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects. This prevents pupils, including those with SEND, from building their knowledge securely on what they already know. Pupils struggle to recall their learning in some subjects. Leaders need to establish systems for assessment which help pupils to know and remember more across the whole curriculum.  Some subject leaders do not know the strengths and areas for improvement in their curriculum areas. This prevents them from improving the curriculum further. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the knowledge to carry

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

out their roles effectively in order to bring about improvements to 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 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. 23 and 24 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268204 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.croscombestokefederation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 and 5 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 There have been some leadership changes since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up post in July 2021.  Leaders provide nursery education for three- and four-year-old children.  The school shares a governing body with Croscombe Church of England Primary School.  The school does not use alternative provision.  Leaders provide breakfast and after-school club provision on site.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 of the school. 23 and 24 May 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and groups of staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair, and with a representative of Somerset local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and art. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  Inspectors considered the curriculum and spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the first day of the inspection.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to evaluate the

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effectiveness of safeguarding.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors spoke with pupils to gain their views about the school.  Inspectors considered 18 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 18 free-text responses, and three responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Claire Mirams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Matthews Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 May 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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