Sneinton St Stephen's CofE Primary School

Inspection of Sneinton St Stephen’s C of E Primary School Windmill Lane, Sneinton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 4QB

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Mark Lowe. This school is part of Transform Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Rebecca Meredith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Munro.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2011.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected Sneinton St Stephen’s C of E Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged the school to be outstanding before it opened as an academy. 30 and 31 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides an outstanding all-round quality of education and care. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures and faiths are welcomed into the school’s thriving community. Parents and carers are full of praise for the school. For example, they value the strong home-school relationships, the approachability of staff and the ‘person-centred’ ethos. All are confident that their children are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are justifiably proud of their school. One pupil summed up the views of many when they said, ‘The school has lots of nice people and it is full of joy.’ Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. They show respect for adults and for each other. In lessons, pupils display highly positive attitudes to learning. They develop secure knowledge and skills across the curriculum. The school’s high expectations for pupils are realised through the consistently high standards achieved in national tests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have an exceptionally strong voice at this school. They take on numerous leadership roles, such as for well-being, curriculum, attendance, digital skills, reading and many other areas. These opportunities enhance pupils’ personal skills and enable them to make a significant contribution to the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has received numerous national awards in recognition of its pursuit of excellence, in which disadvantage is ‘not seen as a barrier’.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is fully developed and embedded across all subjects. This includes the early years curriculum, which is recognised as the essential foundation for future learning. Across the school, pupils benefit from well-planned and connected lessons and activities. They speak confidently about their learning and can apply what they already know when approaching new concepts.

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better?

In all subjects, including mathematics, geography and French, the curriculum has been carefully sequenced. For example, children in the early years are gently introduced to French, before the formal learning begins from Year 3. By Year 6, pupils can speak and write in French with confidence and skill.

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better?

Staff have strong subject knowledge and awareness of pupils’ individual needs. Teachers skilfully adapt their methods to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum alongside their peers. Due to the school’s high expectations for all, disadvantaged pupils achieve highly.

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better?

The ambitious curriculum is underpinned by the school’s strong values and four ‘areas of exceptionality’. These areas comprise: reading culture; pupil leadership; serving the community; and digital transformation. Pupils display impressive skills in using technology to enhance their learning across all areas of the curriculum. For many, this transforms their learning experience. For example, pupils with SEND can 30 and 31 January 2024

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access digital resources that are personal to their needs, in each lesson. Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school.

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There is a strong commitment to reading as the ‘heartbeat of the school’. This begins in the early years and continues throughout the school. In the early stages, pupils read from books that match the sounds they know. Those who need extra help receive intensive support. All pupils are encouraged to develop a love of reading. Class reading corners and the impressive library area provide rich opportunities for pupils to enjoy books.

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The early years provision provides an outstanding quality of education and care. The curriculum is highly personalised to the children’s needs. Staff work as a united team to ensure that children settle quickly and make the most of the rich learning environment. Parents are encouraged to be as involved as possible through the range of activities offered.

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The school’s curriculum is enriched and enhanced to promote pupils’ broader personal development. This provision goes beyond the expected. For example, pupils’ talents and interests are nurtured through the wide range of highly popular extra-curricular activities. A celebration of diversity is at the heart of the school. There are opportunities for pupils to experience this first hand by visits to places of worship and by welcoming visitors to the school. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally. They express thoughtful views, such as ‘Everyone has an equal right to an opinion.’ Pupils have a sophisticated understanding of the term ‘protected characteristics’ and the fundamental British values. They are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern British society.

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Staff morale is high. Staff value the training programmes available to develop their knowledge and expertise. They also praise leaders’ concern for their well-being and workload. All those responsible for governance fulfil their roles and statutory duties extremely well. There is a shared, ambitious vision for the school, which is fully realised and evident across all areas of the school’s provision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 30 and 31 January 2024

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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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Website www.sneintoncofeprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The headteacher, formerly head of school from September 2021, took up the substantive post in September 2023.  The school’s most recent section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place on 24 January 2024.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior and curriculum leaders. The lead inspector met with the CEO and a trustee from the trust and with several members of the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, modern foreign languages and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a member of staff they know.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and reviewed curriculum planning in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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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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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Atkins Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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