Sarum St Paul's CofE (VA) Primary School

Inspection of Sarum St Paul’s CofE (VA) Primary School Westminster Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP2 7DG

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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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 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They keenly welcome visitors. The school strives for all pupils to achieve well. Pupils work to meet those expectations. The school builds a culture of inclusivity. For example, in lessons, pupils make sure their discussions and questions are inclusive of all. They listen to one another and ensure all pupils can share their ideas. Pupils demonstrate the school’s values of ‘loving to learn’ through their enthusiasm to discuss their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look after one another with consideration. For example, older pupils greet children when they arrive in the early years. They help the children get ready to begin their day. Pupils are respectful towards one another. Friendship resolution training helps pupils to manage any rare issues that arise. They are confident that adults will help them when they need it. As a result, pupils feel safe and nurtured.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school meaningfully plans for pupils’ personal development throughout every aspect of school life. Pupils reflect on equality and respect with maturity. They have a thoughtful understanding of others. Staff model the school’s values. Pupils enact these through their attitudes. They carry out their many pupil leadership roles with responsibility, confidence and enthusiasm. Pupils value how their contributions shape the school.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Careful thought has been given to the knowledge that pupils will need to acquire at each point of their journey through the curriculum. In the Reception Year, children learn the important knowledge to prepare them for their next steps. For example, staff use materials and shapes as prompts to enable children to develop the quality of their descriptions. This helps children to become adept at composing and writing their sentences.

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

In most subjects, teachers check how well pupils have remembered and can apply their learning. Teachers often use strategies such as revisiting and questioning to check and develop pupils’ understanding. On these occasions, pupils develop secure knowledge and know what they need to do next to improve. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that the checks on how well pupils have learned the curriculum over time are closely matched to what they have learned. Furthermore, some pupils spend time learning what they already know well. When this happens, those pupils do not move to more complex learning when they are ready to do so.

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

The school is meticulous in identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff skilfully adapt learning for pupils with SEND, and these pupils achieve well. The school hosts a resource base for pupils with a hearing impairment. Staff ensure all pupils fully engage and learn with their peers.

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

The school teaches a reading programme deliberately chosen to support the pupils of this school. Staff check what sounds pupils know carefully. They make sure pupils who are not secure in their letter sounds have additional support to help them build this knowledge. 3 and 4 December 2024

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When pupils become more confident with their reading, the school helps them to develop their fluency and interest in a wide range of texts. The school is ambitious for pupils to have a love of reading. This inspires pupils to talk enthusiastically about the books they read.

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In lessons, pupils follow the routines for learning. The curriculum helps pupils to have a strong appreciation of fundamental British values and equalities. For example, in history, older pupils eagerly discuss their learning about the Windrush generation and their views of discrimination. Pupils respond respectfully and with empathy to the experiences of others. They apply their learning well to their wider understanding of modern Britain.

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Pupils relish the ways in which they actively contribute to the school and the wider community, for example through their involvement in a river rejuvenation project. Pupils are reflective and responsive about global affairs and how they can act as active citizens to help others. For example, they organised events that resulted in stationery and equipment being shared with a school in Kenya. Pupils embrace the specialist curriculum weeks, such as creative arts week. The school invites musicians and artists to work with the pupils. These events provide rich, high-quality experiences for the pupils. They use these experiences to develop their own interests and talents through many arts and sports opportunities.

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The school works with external experts to help it to evaluate and review its provision. It acts quickly on feedback to inform school improvement. The governing body is clear about the priorities of the school. It provides support and challenge to help the school. Staff are well supported with training and development. The school values the strong ties it has with the wider school community. Parents and carers praise the vision, values and work 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)

 In a minority of subjects in the wider curriculum, the assessment of what pupils know and can remember is not carefully matched to the intended curriculum. This means assessment does not accurately check what pupils can recall of their learning. The school should ensure that staff use assessment to check what pupils have learned with greater accuracy.  Sometimes, the learning activity for a few pupils does not build on what they already know and can do. When this happens, those pupils who are secure in their understanding do not move to new and more complex learning and knowledge in a timely way. The school needs to make sure the learning is well matched to what pupils already know and can do. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 July 2014

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Information about this school

 The school has a specialist resource base for pupils with a hearing impairment. There are currently four pupils accessing the resource base.  The school is a voluntary aided Church of England school in the Diocese of Salisbury.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in March 2019.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local governing body.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, the manager of the resource base and staff.  Inspectors met with pupils to hear about their experiences of school. They observed the school during breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed school documentation, such as the school development plan,

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minutes from meetings of the governing body, external reviews and plans for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors visited the provision for pupils at the start of the day, such as ‘Rise and Shine’ and ‘Wake and Shake’.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers at the beginning of the school day.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  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 considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also viewed the responses to the pupil survey and the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah O’Donnell Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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