St Michael's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Michael's Church of England Primary School The Causeway, Larkhill, Salisbury SP4 8FB

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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Outcome

St Michael'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?

Pupils enjoy their time at this diverse and inclusive school. One pupil commented that they ‘feel sad at weekend because they can’t come to school’. This encapsulates the view of many pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have confidence that adults will help them if they are struggling, particular with their feelings. Pupils feel safe at school. New pupils feel welcome and included because their peers help them to settle in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. They provide the same high-quality education and pastoral support to all pupils, regardless of their starting points or the challenges they face.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning. They love reading and enjoy the range of subjects that they learn. Pupils work is of a good standard, and they remember what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are enthusiastic and friendly. The school supports pupils who need extra help to meet the high expectations that staff have of them, particularly new arrivals. Consequently, the school is a calm and harmonious place. Learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates the different faiths, cultures and backgrounds that pupils come from. Pupils learn to appreciate the common ground that people share. They demonstrate respect and tolerance in their relationships with others. 14–15 January 2025

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

Few pupils receive their entire primary education at the school. Many pupils leave or move on from the school during each year. These high levels of movement are reflected in the school’s published outcomes, which are below national averages. The school has carefully designed its broad and ambitious curriculum in light of this. It has prioritised the most important knowledge that pupils need to succeed in their next stage of education, wherever that may be.

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

Staff have strong subject knowledge across all aspects of the curriculum. They explain new knowledge clearly and check what pupils already know. The work they give to pupils is well matched to the ambitious curriculum. Pupils remember what they have learned and complete work to a good standard. However, sometimes pupils’ misconceptions are not identified swiftly enough. This means they continue to make the same error or do not understand new learning accurately.

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

High quality advice enables staff to identify and provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those for whom English is an additional language. Consequently, these pupils learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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

Pupils of all ages love reading. Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. Pupils who do not read well enough get the help they need to catch up. As a result, pupils read with fluency, confidence and enthusiasm.

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

Pupils, including the very youngest, listen attentively to staff and to each other. They follow instructions quickly and eagerly. Consequently, learning is rarely delayed. Warm relationships between pupils contribute strongly to the positive environment. The school helps pupils understand how to manage difficulties they may have with their peers, or fallings out between friends. Pupils concentrate well and are eager to share their views in lessons. Children in the early years love practising what they have learned through a range of activities that they find enjoyable.

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

The whole curriculum focuses on pupils’ broader development, as well as building subject knowledge. For instance, in English, the books that underpin the curriculum help pupils to learn about different cultures and backgrounds.

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

Pupils learn about relationships in an age-appropriate way. They know what respect is and how to demonstrate it in their relationships with others. Pupils get extensive help to learn how to express their feelings and how to manage their emotions. They know how to stay safe, including online.

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

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have many opportunities to discuss and debate. This helps them to explore complex topics and to understand how to show respect to views that differ from their own. Pupils have a strong understanding of how democracy works and of why it is important that they take part in society. Pupils 14–15 January 2025

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eagerly take on leadership roles in the school because they want to make a positive contribution to the school.

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Staff build strong relationships with families and with the diverse communities they serve. This has helped them to have a thorough understanding of the barriers to attendance that pupils face. The school takes effective action to remove these. However, attendance remains low for too many pupils.

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Leaders check the impact of the school’s actions and identify emerging priorities promptly. The school uses its knowledge of the local community to act in the best interests of children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes staff do not promptly identify pupils’ misconceptions. When this is the case, pupils continue to make errors in their work or have an incomplete understanding of what they have learned. The school should ensure that staff routinely identify and address pupils’ knowledge gaps in a timely manner.  Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. Consequently, these pupils do not learn as much as they could and they miss out on the wider personal development that the school provides. The school should continue to prioritise and improve attendance so that more pupils achieve well.

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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, 14–15 January 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Figheldean St Michael's Church of England Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2012.

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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). 14–15 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England school, within the diocese of Salisbury. The most recent inspection under section 48 of the education act took place in 2020; the next should take place by 2028. Section 48 inspections focus on the impact of a Church school’s Christian vision.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider and one registered alternative provider.

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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. 14–15 January 2025

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 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 met with a trustee and a member of the local academy board, a representative of the diocese and staff from the multi academy trust.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the views of staff and pupils in Ofsted’s online surveys. The inspector also spoke to pupils and staff in meetings and around the school site.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Sarah Favager-Dalton, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 14–15 January 2025

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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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