St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of St John’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Kingsmill Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 3JU

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a great education here. The school is determined that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will have every opportunity to thrive personally, socially and academically. Pupil experiences while at the school ensure they develop as well-rounded individuals who achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are highly motivated to learn. Strong routines, learned right from the start of Reception, enable pupils to settle quickly in lessons and learn very well. Breaktimes are joyous occasions. Pupils from all year groups socialise well together, enjoying a wide range of outdoor equipment and organised games.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish taking advantage of the school’s wide-ranging extra-curricular activities. Extensive sporting opportunities offer multiple chances for pupils to represent the school in a wide range of sports. These include table tennis, boccia/curling, athletics, hockey and several football teams. Pupils also benefit from many opportunities to learn musical instruments and to perform on stage.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Deliberately planned additional experiences enrich pupils’ learning greatly. For example, visits to see steam trains, historic sites and places of worship deepen pupils’ curriculum learning. Furthermore, thoughtful use of virtual reality headsets, facilities at a local college and theatre visits broadens pupils’ learning exceptionally well.

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

Understated and highly ambitious leaders continually strive to do their very best for all pupils. The school aims to empower pupils to learn, to know themselves and be aware of others, to develop as global citizens and to possess a strong body of knowledge. All staff work tirelessly to ensure that these aims are embodied throughout the school’s work. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed to achieve these aims. It clearly sets out what pupils should learn in every subject. The curriculum is ordered so that all pupils, including those with SEND, learn the important knowledge they need, when they need to learn it. This enables pupils to make connections within and between subjects that deepen their understanding. For example, pupils use geographical knowledge about climate change and use of natural resources, to inform their history learning about the development of trade over time.

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

The school’s impressive curriculum and teachers’ strong subject knowledge enable pupils to achieve highly. Teachers present new information confidently. Pupils complete work that helps them to learn detailed knowledge and skills. For example, in design and technology, pupils in Year 1 practise running stich in sewing by making fabric pouches. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and can do, to identify and address gaps in pupils’ understanding before introducing new content. Careful and precise identification of any additional needs means that pupils who need extra help with learning the curriculum receive the support they need swiftly. In addition, teachers make certain that pupils remember their learning securely. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Pupils love to read. Right from the start of Reception, children learn the phonics knowledge they need. The school’s phonics programme is delivered with exceptional consistency. This helps pupils to be confident, fluent readers by the time they leave key stage 1. Pupils learn important knowledge about the English language by listening to and studying well-chosen high-quality literature. Pupils then expertly apply this knowledge when communicating their own ideas in writing.

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Strong relationships and high levels of respect permeate the school. Pupils learn the importance of integrity. Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They are articulate and discuss their ideas with each other confidently and considerately. Pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning. They engage well in lessons and work hard.

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Pupils are prepared exceptionally well for life in modern Britain. Learning how to live out the school’s values, including love, truth and respect, enables pupils to develop a strong, positive character. The pupil ‘Equalities and Rights Advocates’ group work with other pupils, staff and governors to promote tolerance, inclusion and respect for all. Pupils learn how to debate ideas in a reasoned way. They understand the importance of basing their ideas and opinions on carefully considered information. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They learn important road safety skills, such as how to cross the road and how to travel safely to their secondary school. Pupils develop a strong understanding of online safety too. They know about the positive uses of technology, how to manage online risks and how to question the reliability of online information.

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Governors have strong processes in place to maintain clear oversight of the school and to carry out their duties appropriately. Staff benefit from highly effective training and support. They are very well-equipped to support all pupils to achieve highly.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The school is a voluntary aided Church of England school within the Diocese of Winchester. Its most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, was in July 2024.  The school currently uses no 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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of governors, a representative from the local authority and had a telephone conversation with an officer from the Diocese of Winchester.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, English, science and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 The inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 views of parents and carers through their responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils and staff through the online staff and pupil surveys, as well as discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.

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Inspection team

Sue Keeling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Grundy His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 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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