St John the Evangelist Church School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St John the Evangelist Church School Fosseway, Clevedon, Somerset BS21 5EL

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

St John the Evangelist Church School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Clare Greene. This school is part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nikki Edwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Pamela Cosh.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school where pupils understand and embody the school’s values of ‘love, learn, together we soar’. Pupils show this through their kindness towards each other. They help each other in their classrooms and at playtimes. Pupils are polite and friendly. This makes the school a warm and welcoming place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have strong relationships. Pupils know staff will support them if they have any concerns. This helps pupils to feel safe. Staff praise pupils for their effort. Most pupils settle in well to their tasks and they work hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They reinforce these expectations in and outside of classrooms. From the Reception Year, children begin to follow instructions well and this means the environment is calm. When staff need to remind pupils to follow routines, they respond to this and listen well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Most pupils achieve well across the curriculum and in national tests in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. They are well prepared for their next stage of learning. 11 and 12 February 2025

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

Since the last inspection, the school has changed the structure of its curriculum. With guidance from the trust, it has strengthened ambition for all pupils. The school has a well organised curriculum. From the start of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), the curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills pupils should learn in each subject as they move through the school. Pupils acquire new knowledge in a logical order. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They use resources well to support pupils to build their understanding.

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

The school has an accurate understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND get the support they need to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Staff adapt learning through resources and scaffolds. This helps pupils to achieve well.

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

Reading is a priority. From the Reception Year, children build their knowledge of letters and sounds and start to blend them into words. In Year 1, pupils build on this knowledge to read and spell more complex words. Staff check pupils can remember sounds and words before introducing new knowledge. They correct any errors that pupils make. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Expert staff support them to build their fluency and expression. Pupils who need extra practise get help to become more confident readers and build their reading fluency.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning and respond with enthusiasm to their class work. They are confident to talk about their learning. In some subjects, they can recall past work, and they build on this well. For example, as pupils move through the mathematics curriculum, they use known calculation methods to solve more complex problems. However, in some subjects, teachers do not check often enough that pupils can recall their previous work. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their understanding that go unaddressed.

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

Playtimes are calm, and pupils play well together. ‘Play leaders’ are role models to younger pupils. They teach them to play games, take turns and follow rules. This helps pupils to enjoy their breaktimes.

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

The school’s personal development programme starts in the EYFS. Children start to build their knowledge of being safe and healthy. As pupils grow older, they return to these themes and build their understanding. In addition to the curriculum, the school plans wider opportunities for pupils. Pupils visit historical sites and literacy festivals. They shop at the local supermarket to buy ingredients to make healthy meals.

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

Pupils, including Reception-age children, are proud to make a difference to their school and the wider community. ‘Reading champions’ lead lunchtime clubs where they recommend books to other pupils. ‘Ethos leaders’ develop opportunities for pupils to reflect on world news and the impact events have on people. For instance, pupils learn about homelessness and then carry out chores to raise money for homeless charities. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Governors and trustees have an accurate view of the school. They check the effectiveness of actions against the school improvement plan. Staff feel valued and supported. They appreciate the training they receive to teach the curriculum well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, staff do not use assessment strategies consistently well to check that pupils have remembered the knowledge they have been taught. This hampers their efforts to reinforce any missed learning. Some pupils cannot recall what that they have previously learned and do not make connections between their prior and current learning. The trust should make sure the school refines how assessment is used in these subjects to ensure pupils secure and deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St John the Evangelist Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2013. 11 and 12 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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Headteacher Clare Greene (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher joined the school in September 2024.  The school is part of The Bath and Wells Diocesan Academies Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own before- and after-school provision.  The school is a Church of England School in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. The most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in January 2020. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 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 taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with the deputy CEO, assistant director of education, trustees, members of the governing body, including the chair and a representative from the diocese.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, heard some pupils reading to a familiar adult 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments, and Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted 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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