Seaton St. Paul's CofE Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Seaton St Paul’s Church of England Junior School Seaton Park, Seaton, Workington, Cumbria CA14 1HA

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

Seaton St Paul’s Church of England Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Seaton St Paul’s Church of England Junior School. They are friendly, confident and warmly welcome visitors into the school. They enjoy spending time with their friends and teachers. They appreciate the help that adults give them and know that staff will support them should they have any worries. Pupils are courteous, polite and considerate. They behave well and know that it is important to be respectful towards each other and to adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. It has a broad and rich curriculum that meets the needs and interests of pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talked with enthusiasm and excitement about the different opportunities that they take part in. For example, they participate regularly in a wide range of activities including sports, construction, craft and Spanish clubs. Pupils appreciate the opportunities that they have to visit local secondary schools for tournaments, competitions and workshops. They also enjoy the many different trips and visits that they go on, including to other cities and museums.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. It has identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn and when to teach it. It has also ensured that its curriculum builds on what pupils have learned in infant school.

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

Teachers are clear about what pupils need to know to be successful in learning. They check what pupils know and can do and use this information to shape future teaching. Staff usually identify any misconceptions that pupils may have and address these quickly. Teachers usually have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They often choose activities that help pupils to learn the curriculum well. However, from time to time, in a few subjects, the work set and the support provided to pupils does not allow them to 20 and 21 February 2024

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develop a deep enough understanding of the subject matter. Therefore, some pupils are not as prepared as well as they should be for new learning in these subjects.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND promptly. Staff adapt their teaching effectively to help pupils with SEND to learn well. For example, teachers choose a wide range of suitable resources to meet the individual needs of pupils.

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The school successfully promotes a love of reading. Pupils read a wide and diverse range of texts often. Pupils enjoy the books that are recommended to them by staff and each other. The school has a sharp focus on making sure that pupils who are still in the early stages of learning to read are supported well to catch up. The school has established an effective phonics programme. It has ensured that staff have the expertise to deliver this well by working collaboratively with other schools. Pupils acquire the phonics’ knowledge that they need to help them to become confident and fluent readers.

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Most pupils conduct themselves in a positive and mature way. Staff support pupils well and help them to manage their emotions and behaviour. This means that pupils can learn without interruption. Attendance is a high priority for the school and it is successful in promoting good attendance.

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The school has designed a strong programme to support pupils’ broader development. Pupils value the many opportunities to work alongside the local church, businesses, enterprises and community groups. For example, pupils enjoy leading church services, singing carols on the village green and raising money for charity. Pupils also gain a deep understanding of how people can be different. They learn about other cultures and beliefs and visit places of worship, such as a Buddhist temple. These broad experiences help pupils to develop confidence and to become respectful and responsible citizens in society.

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Governors know the school well and provide effective challenge and support to leaders. They work closely and effectively with school leaders to ensure that the school provides a high quality of education. The school has prioritised the management staff’s workload during a period of curriculum development. Staff appreciate the steps that the school has taken to reduce their workload so that they can focus on their teaching.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the work and support that pupils receive does not enable them to develop secure and detailed knowledge of the subject matter that is being taught. This hinders some pupils from acquiring the depth of knowledge that they need to be fully prepared for new learning. The school should ensure that teachers design learning that 20 and 21 February 2024

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helps pupils to learn the subject content securely so that they are ready for the next steps in their learning.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2019.

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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’ 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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Church of England school is in the Diocese of Carlisle. The most recent section 48 inspection was in March 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place in the 2024/25 academic year.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders of the school. She also spoke with a range of staff.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also considered the responses from the Ofsted survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. However, the inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and experiences in school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, during lessons and around school. She also spoke with pupils about their experiences at school.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. She met with subject leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons.

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The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. She also looked at examples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector observed some pupils from Years 3 to 6 reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Sally Timmons, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 February 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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