St Michael's Church of England Academy

Inspection of St Michael’s Church of England Academy Saddlebow Road, South Lynn, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE30 5BN

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 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 Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Emma Scarisbrick. This school is part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Oliver Burwood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by William Crawshay. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

At St Michael’s, the vision is that ‘everyone counts at our school’. This is certainly true. Pupils and staff share a mutual respect. Relationships are warm and positive. The school provides a strong sense of community. Staff know pupils and their families well. Many pupils enjoy being at school. They say they feel safe and are well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils rise to this challenge. In all classes, they behave well and learn happily together. Pupils know that when there are issues, such as bullying, adults will promptly deal with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all. Staff expect pupils to try hard and keep working even when it is a challenge. This starts in the Reception class. Here, children concentrate hard and stay on task when working on a range of appropriate activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a variety of opportunities to support learning and develop pupils’ interests. This includes a range of sports, music and art clubs. A well-planned programme of visitors to the school, such as the recent meetings with the local MP and the mayor, further develops pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

The school has created a carefully considered curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. It has identified the key knowledge that it wants pupils to learn and how this will build year on year. However, the systems in place to check what pupils have learned are new. Not all staff are using these systems effectively. Therefore, not all gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified. Some pupils are, therefore, not progressing as well as they could.

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better?

Published outcomes do not reflect the good quality of education provided at St Michael’s. This is because low attendance and high persistent absence over the last two years have led to some pupils having gaps in their knowledge and understanding. However, attendance is now much improved. Leaders have effective strategies in place to support those who struggle to attend frequently.

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better?

Reading is a school priority. Children in the early years get off to a strong start in learning to read. This is continued in Year 1. The quality of phonics teaching is strong. Adults make careful checks to ensure pupils learn and remember the sounds they are taught. Staff receive training to ensure they teach phonics well. Despite this, some staff do not have sufficient knowledge to precisely support pupils who need more help learning to read. This is preventing them from becoming confident and fluent readers.

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better?

In the early years, high-quality interactions take place between adults and children. These help children to improve their vocabulary and develop their use of language. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Children enjoy listening to stories. They look at, and read, age-appropriate books in a calm, well-planned environment.

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Staff in the specialist resource base have high levels of skills and knowledge. They ensure that the curriculum mirrors that in the main school. Staff carefully consider what knowledge they want pupils to learn. They adapt lessons well so that this is achieved. Support is tailored to each pupil. Consequently, many pupils learn and achieve well.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly. Leaders ensure that staff appropriately adapt their lessons to support pupils’ learning. Leaders check that these adaptions are helping pupils to achieve and to do well.

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The school provides a wide range of experiences that extend beyond the classroom. Each half term, activities include class trips and visitors to the school. These are linked to what pupils are learning in class. For example, Year 1 recently went on a trip to the zoo and Year 2 on a trip to study forests and habitats. Pupils contribute well to the community through their involvement with local churches. They collect food for the community and support a wide range of charities. Opportunities for responsibilities are varied, including being school council and eco-team members. They work hard to improve the environment. Pupils develop confidence and character through the leadership opportunities they are given in class and during acts of collective worship. They often take a role in planning and delivering these sessions.

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Staff are proud to work in school. They value the support given and the kind, respectful environment that has been created. The trust and local governing body are committed to supporting the school’s improvement journey. The trust provides a wide range of effective support for leaders and staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in the way staff support pupils in the early stages of learning to read. This means that not all pupils catch up as quickly as they might. The school should ensure that all staff have the necessary knowledge and skills required to teach early reading effectively.  Assessment information has not always been used well enough to help teachers identify the next steps in pupils’ learning. This means that gaps in pupils’ knowledge have developed, particularly for those with low attendance. The school 31 October and 1 November 2023

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should ensure that all staff follow the school’s assessment systems fully so that they identify and address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge quickly and effectively.

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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’ 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). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Website www.stmichaelskingslynn.norfolk.sch.uk

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust.  This school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

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. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 The section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in June 2017. The next such inspection has not yet been scheduled.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders, teaching staff and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  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.

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 Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and at other times, such as playtime or in the dining room. The inspectors discussed behaviour with leaders, staff, pupils and parents. Records of behaviour, attendance and exclusions were scrutinised.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils through formal and informal discussions and five responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Parents’ views were considered through the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and comments made in the free-text responses.  The lead inspector met with four members of the trust board and the local governing body, the chief executive officer of the trust and the support partner provided to the school by the trust.  The inspectors viewed a range of documents, including minutes of governing body meetings and meetings with the trust and information on the school website.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Harrison Ofsted Inspector 31 October and 1 November 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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