St John and St James CofE Primary School

Inspection of St John and St James CofE Primary School Isabella Road, Hackney, London E9 6DX

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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 Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as 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 July 2013. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this inclusive and nurturing school. Behaviour in the school is exemplary. Pupils demonstrate kindness and respect towards their peers. There are warm relationships between staff and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know they are safe and can name a trusted adult they would talk to if they were worried about anything. Bullying is rare, but if it happens, pupils know it will be dealt with appropriately by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the school and are determined all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will achieve their full potential. The school has established a curriculum that helps pupils to secure a deep knowledge of each subject. Pupils achieve highly in all areas of the curriculum, and parents and carers praise the education their children receive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities for pupils. This includes after-school clubs for tag rugby and cookery, for example. It ensures all pupils have access to these clubs, offering free places to support attendance. Additionally, the school invites visitors to enrich the curriculum, including authors and theatre groups. There are also trips throughout the school year, for example to museums and art galleries and places of worship.

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better?

Pupils receive a high-quality curriculum across all subjects. Subject content is set out in a way that enables them to recall and build on previous knowledge, ensuring they are ready for the next stage of their education. For example, in Nursery, children learn about seeds and how to care for them to promote growth. In Reception, they learn that different seeds grow into different plants at varying speeds. This knowledge prepares them for learning about the different parts of a plant in Year 1.

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better?

In the early years, children are introduced to key vocabulary, and a love of reading. The teaching of early reading begins in Nursery as children learn rhymes and songs, with phonics teaching starting in Reception. Staff know how to help pupils learn to read fluently and with confidence. The phonics programme has been carefully selected to match the needs of pupils, and their progress is carefully tracked. If any pupils fall behind, they are offered additional support to catch up quickly.

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better?

Teachers present information clearly, ensuring pupils are taught both knowledge and skills in all areas of the curriculum. For example, in geography in Year 2, pupils learn about temperatures in the North Pole and also record changing temperatures in the local area during fieldwork. In physical education (PE), enrichment of the subject is provided through opportunities for competition, allowing as many pupils as possible to represent their class or school. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Pupils know about equality and diversity and talk about how the school’s ‘Diverse Britain’ curriculum helps them to understand the importance of these concepts. For example, this curriculum enables pupils to explore and celebrate the contributions of immigrants to both the local and wider community.

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The school has the same ambitious goals for pupils with SEND as all other pupils. The aim is that all pupils should be able to progress well through a clear and responsive curriculum, with appropriate adaptations, and lessons delivered skilfully by well-trained staff. Pupils are supported highly effectively to achieve these aims through interventions, support from outside agencies and personalised learning.

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Pupils are keen to learn and behave exceptionally well. In lessons, they are enthusiastic participants. The school’s focus on speaking skills means that pupils are constantly encouraged to practise their debating skills across different subjects and can express concepts and ideas clearly.

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The school enjoys high levels of attendance, which it is working hard to maintain. Pupils are given rewards for good attendance, including certificates during a celebration assembly at the end of every half term. Pupils are very positive about the school. For example, one pupil said: ‘Everyone enjoys being in school; that’s why they come.’

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Pupils are proud of the different ways they contribute to the life of the school and to the local community. For example, they can become members of the green team, who litter pick in the local area and maintain a section of the school garden, or they can be sports leader and organise games in the playground. They enjoy various school trips and workshops; older pupils were particularly excited about the Year 6 residential visit to Kent.

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Governors understand the systems for safeguarding at the school, know the school well and hold leaders to account. Staff are hugely positive about the school. They know their well-being and workload are considered. They appreciate all the training opportunities offered to them.

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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. 8 and 9 May 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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Grace Gladstone (Head of School) Jo Smith (Executive Headteacher) Sian Davies (Executive principal) Website www.johnjames.hackney.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 July 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is in the Church of England Diocese of London. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in March 2019.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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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. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 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.  Inspectors spoke with the head of school, the executive headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with the members of the central governing body, a representative from the diocese and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also spoke with groups of staff and pupils and looked at samples of

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pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys completed by parents, pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeff Cole Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 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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