Peasedown St John Primary School

Inspection of Peasedown St John Primary School Bath Road, Peasedown St John, Bath, Somerset BA2 8DH

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Ruth Noall. This school is part of The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Alun Williams, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tony Wells. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Peasedown St John Primary School. They put into practice the school’s values of ‘curiosity, aspiration, resilience and empathy’. There is a respectful and positive culture where pupils are polite and courteous.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for how pupils behave. Most pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Classrooms are calm and orderly. Clear routines are in place and most pupils follow them. At breaktimes, pupils play well together. Adults support pupils to understand and follow the playground rules. Pupils say those with challenging behaviour do not distract them from their learning. Pupils say adults apply the school rules fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They say that trusted adults will help them if they have any concerns. Pupils’ attendance is high. The school works closely with families to take quick action if attendance begins to fall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of school clubs including tennis, sketching and sewing. They are proud of the responsibilities they have in school such as office angels, librarians and computer technicians. Most parents are positive about the school. The school provides opportunities for parents to understand the school curriculum, for example its approach to teaching phonics.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. It has identified the small steps of knowledge that pupils need to learn. This helps teachers to know what to teach and when. Teachers use assessment well to make sure pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding. They encourage pupils to explain their learning. Pupils are beginning to do this, using precise vocabulary.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to learn the full curriculum. Carefully selected resources support them to progress well.

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better?

The school has implemented an effective phonics programme that children learn from the start of school. There is a systematic approach to teaching phonics. All staff are well trained to deliver this. Regular assessment ensures that pupils build on what they know. Adults identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and provide them with the support they need to catch up. Pupils’ reading books match the sounds they know. This helps them to build their fluency. Teachers use story time to model reading aloud. Pupils engage well with this.

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better?

The school provides teachers with clear assessment guidance. This means teachers can check how well the curriculum is being learned. In phonics and mathematics, teachers use assessment well to check pupils’ understanding. They identify pupils who start to fall behind. Teachers ensure that pupils have time to revisit what they 26 and 27 September 2023

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have learned, so they are ready for new learning. In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is new. In these subjects, the school does not yet know how successful it is in supporting pupils to build their knowledge or identifying any gaps pupils have.

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The school has redesigned the early years curriculum. It prepares children to be ready for their next phase of learning. Teachers use assessment effectively to support children to build new knowledge. They support children to follow classroom routines. This means children are confident and independent learners. Effective interactions with adults support children to talk and explain about their learning.

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Pupils experience enrichment opportunities through a range of trips and visitors. The school works with local experts to plan historical trips so that pupils learn about themes such as slavery through different historical periods. This helps pupils to understand themselves and the world around them. It supports them to challenge bias and discrimination.

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The school has carefully planned its personal development curriculum. Pupils recognise the importance of being respectful and the importance of the law. They can explain how a recent teaching programme about violence has taught them about the dangers of knife crime. Pupils understand what democracy is and they put this into practice when they vote for their class representative.

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Trustees have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and development areas. They offer appropriate support and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, the curriculum is new. This means the school does not yet know how successful it is in supporting pupils to build their knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects. The trust needs to ensure that the wider curriculum is fully and effectively implemented so that pupils build their knowledge well.

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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. 26 and 27 September 2023

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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 ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Peasedown St John Primary School converted to become an academy in April 2019. When its predecessor school, Peasedown St John Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school is part of The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, maths, art and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with 26 and 27 September 2023

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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 also spoke to leaders about history and science and opportunities for pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, early years leader, curriculum leaders, teaching staff and administration staff.  The lead inspector met with governors, trustees and the chief executive officer.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In

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addition, they met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. She also took into consideration the responses to the survey for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Spencer Allen Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 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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