St Anne's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Anne’s Church of England Primary School School Road, Oldland Common, Bristol BS30 6PH

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Outcome

St Anne’s Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St. Anne’s is a welcoming school. Pupils enjoy learning and attend regularly. Caring relationships exist between pupils and staff. Pupils trust staff to act on any concerns they might have, including bullying, quickly and effectively. This contributes to them feeling safe and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to achieve well, and most do. This is because the school has high ambition for all. The newly formed leadership team works diligently to revise the curriculum so that pupils learn more in each subject.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations of pupils’ behaviour start in Reception Year. Here, children listen and take turns. Pupils of all ages display the school’s values through their work and play. They show ‘respect’ by not speaking over someone and ‘friendship’ by using kind words.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly take on roles of responsibility, such as house captains and worship ambassadors. Year 6 pupils delight in being ‘buddies’ for Reception children. Pupils enthuse about the clubs they can join to explore their interests, such as sports and crafts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Purposeful experiences throughout the curriculum enrich pupils’ learning. These include planting in the sensory garden and first-aid workshops. Special events like Rosa Parks Day develop pupils’ understanding of equality and discrimination. 26 and 27 November 2024

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

Despite some staffing changes during the past year, the school has continued to move forward. Leaders have firmly put the school on a pathway to success. Governors have a good oversight of the school’s work. They check on the impact of leaders’ actions. The majority of staff value how the school manages their workload and well-being. They benefit from high-quality training that helps them to teach the curriculum effectively.

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

The ‘enquiry-led’ curriculum is ambitious and engaging. Subject content includes the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and when. It enables pupils to build on and connect what they already know. For example, pupils in Year 6 can make links across historical periods, such as farming in the Stone Age compared to the Iron Age. In Year 4, pupils understand the importance of the River Nile for crops and settlement.

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

Staff develop pupils’ oracy and language expertly. In Reception Year, they repeat words and meanings to help children understand new vocabulary. Across the school, it is common practice to hear pupils use sentences beginning with phrases such as ‘I disagree because… ’, to help them explain their thinking.

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

The school acts quickly on any weaknesses that emerge. Following a dip in the 2024 Year 1 phonics outcomes, it strengthened its work on early reading. In the Reception classes, children confidently master new sounds. Staff make sure that the books pupils read match the sounds they know. This develops pupils’ reading fluency. Those who fall behind get help to decode successfully. However, some pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to apply their phonics knowledge in their writing. This slows the pace at which they become fluent writers.

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

Reading features strongly across the curriculum. The school has mapped out the books that pupils will encounter each year. Older pupils skilfully use punctuation to read with intonation and expression. Books enrich pupils’ knowledge about the wider world. For example, pupils in key stage 2 build empathy from the stories they read about refugees.

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

By the end of Year 6, most pupils read, write and learn mathematics well. Staff check that pupils remember the most important knowledge. The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Staff use visual prompts and extra support so that pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. However, some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as highly as others. This remains a priority for the school.

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

Classrooms are typically calm. Pupils strive to uphold the school’s values in the way they behave. The school provides an enhanced provision for a small number of pupils with SEND who struggle to manage their emotions. This helps these pupils to overcome any barriers to learning.

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

The school is taking effective action to improve attendance. It works closely with parents and carers. Persistent absence has reduced markedly this academic year. 26 and 27 November 2024

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The school supports pupils’ wider development successfully. Pupils visit different places of worship, attend residentials and build teamwork skills in the forest school. To keep active at lunchtime, pupils complete skipping challenges. By voting for the school councillors, pupils develop their understanding of democracy and the right to have a say. Pupils have an age-appropriate awareness of consent and healthy relationships.

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While a minority of parents express concerns about some aspects of the school’s work, most have a favourable view of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 By the end of Year 6, some disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they could in reading, writing and mathematics. This means that these pupils leave the school without a secure foundation of important knowledge. The school should ensure that outcomes improve for disadvantaged pupils.  Pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to practise using their phonics knowledge in their writing. As a result, this slows the progress some pupils make in writing. The school should make sure that staff provide regular opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills in their writing.

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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. 26 and 27 November 2024

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Several changes to leadership and staffing have occurred since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up their post in September 2024. Both assistant headteachers started their roles in February 2024.  The school is part of the Diocese of Bristol. The school received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in May 2023. Its next inspection under section 48 is due within five years of this date.  The school has a short-term, enhanced school provision for a small number of pupils with SEND.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has 26 and 27 November 2024

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taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other school staff. He also met with members of the governing body and held a telephone call with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 in lessons and during lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  The inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day. He considered responses

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to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 November 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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