St Thomas' CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Thomas' CofE Primary School Parkgate Road, Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 2AP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a happy and welcoming learning community. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), support each other and feel comfortable being themselves. They value their respectful and caring relationships with staff. The school brings out the best in pupils and enables them to thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Across the school, staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning and their broader development. Pupils typically relish the opportunity to live up to these expectations. They work consistently hard and are proud to immerse themselves in the wider life of the school, including as play or song leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play a key role in maintaining the school’s harmonious and purposeful culture. They embrace the school’s rules to be kind, safe and ready for learning. They contribute to school-wide improvements through their role as members of the school council.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school nurtures pupils’ talents through a diverse enrichment programme involving a vast array of sporting, creative and enterprise activities. Pupils benefit from a rich and varied set of experiences that broaden their horizons, such as residential trips and fundraising events. During their time at the school, pupils develop into responsible, mature and well-rounded citizens.

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

The school has worked effectively to address the issues raised at the last inspection, particularly to secure important improvements to the quality of its curriculum. This has had a positive impact on improving pupils’ attainment. The school’s ambitious curriculum carefully sets out the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn from the Nursery class to Year 6.

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

Teachers typically deliver the curriculum effectively. They explain new concepts clearly and model new skills well. Pupils are proud to talk about and explain the work that they are doing. Within lessons, teachers check how well pupils are learning effectively. This helps them to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions as they happen. However, in a few subjects, the school’s approaches to help pupils retain key knowledge over time are at an early stage of implementation. This means that pupils’ ability to accurately recall and remember their knowledge in these subjects is not as secure as it is in others.

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

Learning to read is a priority. Children develop their love of reading from the beginning of their time in the Nursery class through rhymes and songs. Staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively. They make sure that pupils read from books that include the sounds that they have already learned. Teachers swiftly spot any pupils who are not keeping up with the programme and help them to catch up quickly. Older pupils talk confidently and enthusiastically about the books that they enjoy reading.

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

Pupils behave exceptionally well. From the start of the early years, they follow clear 4 and 5 February 2025

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routines impeccably. This ensures that no time is wasted. Pupils concentrate well. They are keen to participate in lessons. Pupils cooperate, take turns and look out for each other.

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Pupils rarely miss school. The school has developed clear procedures to manage pupils’ attendance and punctuality. It works effectively to support a few families where pupils’ at- tendance needs to improve.

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The school works effectively to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity. Staff work with a range of external services, such as speech and language therapists, to understand pupils’ needs and provide the right support.

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The programme to support pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils value the wide range of leadership opportunities available to them. These enable them to make positive improvements to the pupils’ experience of school, such as through the school council. Pupils develop a sophisticated understanding of healthy lifestyles and online safety. They know about the harm that prejudice and discrimination can cause. The school’s ‘Special Person of Character’ initiative skilfully promotes pupils’ aspirations and supports their development. The school has thought carefully about the qualities and values that it wants to instil into pupils. It ensures that pupils develop into respectful, caring and considerate individuals ready for life beyond school.

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The governing body has effective systems to support and challenge the school to continually improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the strong relationships and teamwork with their colleagues. Staff appreciate the many training opportunities that the school provides for them. The school considers staff’s workload to help them to fulfil their responsibilities. Staff work effectively with parents, carers and the wider community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the strategies to secure previous learning are at an early stage of implementation. This means that pupils are less confident in recalling what they have been taught. The school should ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to develop secure foundations on which to build new learning. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 September 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  This school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Chester. The last section 48 inspection of schools with a religious character took place in November 2019. The next section 48 inspection is expected during the 2026/27 academic year.

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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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and with other leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector spoke with the members of the governing body.  The lead inspector also spoke with representatives of the local authority and of 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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. They talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and spoke with

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pupils. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school. They also observed pupils while they played outside.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also met with parents before school.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Phil Dickson Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 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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