Horton St Michael's CofE First School

Inspection of Horton St Michael’s CofE First School Horton, Leek, Staffordshire ST13 8RU

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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 Rebecca Walker. This school is part of Staffordshire University 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, James Capper, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mary Walker.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Horton St Michael’s CofE First School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged St Michael’s CofE (C) First School to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 9 and 10 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Horton St Michael’s CofE First School is a small school with a big heart. There is a strong sense of community and team spirit. Staff know pupils and their families very well. One parent summed up the views of many when they described the school as ‘warm, friendly and nurturing’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), generally achieve well in most subjects. Pupils with SEND are well supported throughout the school. Staff are committed to ensuring that all pupils can learn the full curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy in school. They enjoy lessons and pay attention in class. Younger children are enthusiastic and excited by the new things that they learn. Pupils are usually kind to each other at playtimes. Any disagreements are dealt with quickly by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about different religions and cultures through the curriculum. This helps prepare them for life in modern Britain. Pupils benefit from a range of clubs and trips, which broaden their experiences, such as visits to the theatre and places of worship. Staff also enable pupils to become active citizens, for example by raising money for charity.

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better?

Over the past year and a half, the school has undergone a period of change, with the arrival of new senior leaders. These leaders evaluate the school’s strengths and areas for development accurately. As a result of this evaluation, the school has made several changes to the curriculum during this academic year. This is having a positive impact. Leaders and staff are united in working together to ensure that the curriculum is continually improving, and this will continue to be a focus moving forward.

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better?

The school has ensured that reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children learn to read as soon as they are ready. Phonics teaching starts in Nursery, where children are exposed to songs and rhymes and learn to listen carefully for sounds. Leaders have ensured that all staff know how to teach phonics well. Pupils regularly practise reading the letters and sounds that they have learned in books that are well matched to their ability. This helps them remember their phonics knowledge and apply it when they encounter unfamiliar words. Pupils who struggle benefit from high-quality interventions and become increasingly confident and fluent readers over time. Books are used across subjects to enhance learning. Pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts, including those that promote their understanding of diversity.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge and present information clearly to pupils. The school’s curriculum sets out the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember. However, teachers do not always use assessment well 9 and 10 July 2024

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enough to move pupils’ learning on. At times, teachers do not adapt their delivery of the curriculum in response to what pupils know and can do. This sometimes means that pupils do not make the progress that they could.

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Pupils enjoy coming to school, and this is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning. Staff have consistent expectations of behaviour, both in the classroom and beyond. However, at times, staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work. As a result, pupils’ work is sometimes hard to read and lacks pride.

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The school provides effectively for pupils’ wider development. A programme of assemblies and lessons helps to keep pupils healthy and safe. There are many exciting opportunities to learn about careers pupils might like to have in the future. This helps to raise their aspirations. Pupils develop their social skills by taking on responsibilities, such as being school and worship councillors. They have recently focused on the new playground toys the pupils would like to have.

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The school is led and managed well. There is a team of dedicated and committed staff members. They are proud to work together in the best interests of all pupils. Staff are particularly positive about the school’s strong support for their well-being and workload, saying, ‘Leaders consistently take workload into account when developing and updating procedures.’ Those responsible for governance know the strengths of the school well and understand where further improvements are needed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject curriculums have recently been revised. In these subjects, the curriculum is not as advanced as it is in other subjects and pupils have not learned as much as they could. The school should continue to support staff to embed the revised curriculum so that pupils’ progress is secured and pupils can remember and apply their learning over time.  Sometimes, teachers do not use assessment well enough. As a result, teachers do not adapt their delivery of the curriculum in response to what pupils know and can do. This slows pupils’ progress. The school should support teachers to check pupils’ learning systematically and use this to inform next steps in learning.  Staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work. As a result, work is sometimes hard to read and lacks pride. The school should ensure that teachers consistently have high expectations for handwriting

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and presentation in all subjects and classes. 9 and 10 July 2024

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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). 9 and 10 July 2024

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Lichfield. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2018. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  Horton St Michael’s CofE First School converted to become an academy school and joined Staffordshire University Academies Trust in September 2018.  The headteacher is the executive headteacher of four schools in the trust.  The school provides a before- and after-school club on site.  The school uses one alternative provider. 9 and 10 July 2024

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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 met with the executive headteacher, the deputy executive headteacher and other staff.  The lead inspector held discussions with the chair of the trustees, the chief executive officer and the director of learning and school improvement from the multi-academy trust, and representatives from the local academy council, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their

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Information about this inspection

learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects, including science, art and design and design and technology.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 to pupils during lesson visits. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspectors spoke to staff about behaviour and about their workload in the school.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Luke Bridges Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 July 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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