St Andrew's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Andrew’s C of E Primary School Ferrers Road, Weston, Stafford, Staffordshire ST18 0JN

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Outcome

St Andrew’s C of E Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Paul Hayward. This school is part of Mid-Trent Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Hayward, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Clive O’Donnell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this very friendly and caring school. The school welcomes all pupils, regardless of background. Relationships in the school are a strength. Pupils in the school are kind to each other. They feel safe. They behave well in lessons and at playtimes. Staff are quick to support any pupils who experience difficulties.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects all pupils to do well. Ambitious and hardworking staff help pupils flourish in and out of lessons. Pupils make good progress during their time in school. They grow in confidence and achieve high standards by the time they leave Year 6. This includes disadvantaged pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew’s gives its pupils a broad education. Pupils learn with eagerness about the world around them. They appreciate the diversity of people and beliefs that make up modern Britain. Pupils love the various sporting and creative opportunities on offer. Pupils leave this school well prepared for the next stage in their education. Parents and carers who responded to the survey recommend the school to others. They describe the school as ‘a brilliant little family school with values at its heart’. 15 October 2024

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

Pupils at the school learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. It covers the subjects of the national curriculum. It also includes opportunities for pupils to learn about the wider world.

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

Pupils learn to read well. Expert teaching helps them make rapid progress with phonics. Any pupils who fall behind catch up very quickly. Pupils learn early mathematics well. Knowledgeable staff help pupils to learn to use mathematical knowledge and to reason successfully. All this gives pupils firm foundations for future learning. High expectations and familiar routines help Reception children settle quickly. Skilled staff foster children’s early language and mathematical skills with care.

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

Staff check pupils’ learning in reading, writing and mathematics thoroughly. This helps staff know what all pupils can do and what needs to happen next. By the time they leave school, pupils are fluent readers and confident mathematicians. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). More broadly, the school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with SEND well.

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

The school’s wider curriculum has improved for the other subjects. Subject leaders have set out what pupils should learn and remember. They have trained staff so that they teach and support pupils confidently. Pupils enjoy and usually learn well in these subjects. The school’s checks on how well pupils are learning in these subjects is in the early stages of development. This means that staff cannot always spot where learning is less secure and then put things right.

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

Pupils’ wider development is an important part of life at St Andrew’s. It revolves around the school’s values, which include service, respect, fellowship and compassion. Pupils are encouraged to be resilient and thankful. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain and the diversity that enriches it. They are keen to learn about how different people live across the world. Pupils also learn about major events, famous people and current affairs. This prepares them well for life in the wider world.

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

Pupils conduct themselves well in school. They are considerate and polite. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and manage any problems with care and consistency. Pupils’ attendance is good. Very few pupils are absent from school without good reason.

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

During lunchtime, and after school, pupils enjoy different sporting activities and other clubs. These include a ‘daily mile’, girls’ football and handball. Pupils sing regularly and raise money for local and wider causes. These activities build confidence and a sense of community. Other fun activities for pupils have included squash, skateboarding, wheelchair basketball, and quidditch. A few older pupils enjoy positions of responsibility in the school. More pupils would like these opportunities so that they can develop their leadership skills while they are at school. For example, they want to be more active in helping others to improve the school’s physical and natural environment. 15 October 2024

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The school has improved since the last inspection. Pupils, parents and staff are very positive about the school. Staff say that leaders value and support them. They say that the school is ‘small but with big ambitions’. They share leaders’ deep ambition for all pupils. The school is vigilant in keeping its pupils safe.

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Governance is effective. Trustees, and the local academy committee, support and hold leaders to account well. All those involved in the school act in the best interests of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment of pupils’ learning across the foundation subjects is in the early stages of development. This means that staff may not always know how well pupils are learning or what curriculum improvements might be needed to ensure that all pupils achieve well. The school should improve further its systems for assessment in the wider curriculum to help pupils learn and remember all key learning.  Not all pupils take part in opportunities to develop leadership skills or contribute to the wider success of the school. This means that they can miss out on opportunities to develop important qualities such as confidence and responsibility. The school should further strengthen and extend the range of opportunities it offers pupils so that they are as well prepared as possible for their future lives.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 15 October 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2014.

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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 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). 15 October 2024

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School details

Website www.st-andrews-weston.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Mid-Trent Multi Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school. Its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMs) visit was on 15 March 2018. The next visit is due by the end of March 2026.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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. 15 October 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff. An inspector met the chair of the trust, other trustees and members of the local academy committee.  Inspectors focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early reading and mathematics; and science and physical education. For each group of subjects, inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interest first.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors met with a group of staff and also considered views shared through the

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staff survey.  Inspectors met with parents and took account of their views through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Mike Cladingbowl, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nina Sangha Ofsted Inspector 15 October 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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