St Michael's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Michael’s CofE Primary School Bounds Green Road, Wood Green, London N22 8HE

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Inspection dates: 3 and 4 June and 16 July 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

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The head of school is Meera Shah. This school is part of the LDBS academies 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), Christalla Jamil, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Garwood-Watkins. There is also an interim executive headteacher, Adeola Oladejo, who is responsible for this school and two others. 3 and 4 June and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Michael’s CofE Primary School serves its pupils and community exceptionally well. Many pupils arrive facing significant challenges in their life outside of school. The school equips these pupils with the knowledge and attributes to navigate these challenges and thrive in the future. The school unites around the vision to ‘let your light shine’. The school fosters a safe, respectful culture, where pupils feel secure. Pupils speak confidently about trusted adults and their behaviour is exemplary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their talents through the wide range of clubs available. These include sewing, journalism and dance. They take on leadership roles as ‘junior leaders’, ‘STEM’ leaders and as reading ambassadors, advancing their citizenship skills. Pupils contribute to the wider community through many collections and fundraisers for local charities and causes. Opportunities such as careers days and workshops help pupils to develop their understanding of the wider world of work. Pupils value visits to places, such as Norfolk and Wales, that take them beyond their everyday experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils and they, in turn, rise to these. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils achieve exceptionally well in national tests, particularly those who have been at the school throughout the majority of their primary education.

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

Pupils study an ambitious curriculum, which homes in on the most vital knowledge they need to succeed. The curriculum is precisely planned to build pupils’ knowledge gradually and securely over time. This all starts in the early years. Here, children learn to speak confidently, listen attentively, cooperate well and regulate their emotions. The early years is seen as the ‘powerhouse’ of the school. It provides the firmest platform for children’s future success. The curriculum regularly revisits key themes, helping pupils to recall and add to their learning. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils possess an impressive body of knowledge. This allows them to think about, and discuss, challenging topics with a remarkable level of confidence and skill.

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

Staff are well trained. They know exactly how to teach the curriculum to get the best out of pupils. Pupils can concentrate on their new learning because the approaches to teaching are familiar to them. All pupils have opportunities to hear new vocabulary and have it modelled by adults. They then rehearse it until they feel confident to use it in their discussions. This is particularly beneficial to those who speak English as an additional language.

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

Reading is prioritised. The school has made use of training and support to ensure that teachers use shared routines for reading. Leaders make use of effective, external training and share this with staff. As with other areas of the curriculum, staff notice quickly if a pupil struggles to read. Support is then put in place to make sure they do not fall behind. A higher-than-average proportion of pupils achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check. 3 and 4 June and 16 July 2025

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Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is carefully planned and considered. Leaders work closely with external professionals and agencies to put in just the right level of support. This allows pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum alongside their peers and achieve highly. The Rainbow Room provides a haven for pupils with autistic spectrum condition to learn language and communication in a predictable and calm environment. The teaching here is highly specialised. It exemplifies the school’s mission to serve all pupils in the community with equally high ambition.

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Pupils behave excellently and lessons are disruption free. Pupils take responsibility for their conduct. They enjoy the opportunities to reflect and improve. As a result, pupils are motivated and engage well with learning. They demonstrate respectful relationships with adults and each other.

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Attendance is a high priority. There is a clear and consistent strategy in place to improve attendance and punctuality for all pupils. Attendance at the school is improving steadily over time.

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The personal development of pupils is a real strength. It supports the school’s vision to nurture confident, resilient and socially aware pupils. Pupils are taught about and revisit important topics, such as conflict resolution, through a range of lessons, workshops and assemblies. This supports pupils to then explore democracy, debate and broaden their understanding of others’ views. The wider personal development programme supports an inclusive, respectful environment that prepares pupils exceptionally well for future education and life beyond primary school.

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Staff feel supported by leaders. The trust support sharing of expertise across the schools so that subject and leadership capacity is increased. This means that staff feel that their workload and training are well considered. Trustees and local governors fulfil their statutory duties and are well informed. They take effective action to continue to raise standards.

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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. 3 and 4 June and 16 July 2025

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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 June and 16 July 2025

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School details

Headteacher Meera Shah (head of school) Adeola Oladejo (interim executive headteacher) Website www.stmichaelsn22.ldbsact.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Michael’s CofE Primary School has a religious character and is part of the Diocese of London. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2018.  The school is part of the LDBS academies trust.  The school currently does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.

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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 provision). Schools 3 and 4 June and 16 July 2025

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receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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.  The inspection started on 3 June 2025. Inspectors returned on 16 July 2025 to gather additional evidence in line with ‘Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy’. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferring-ofsted- inspections This was not due to concerns with the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the head of school, interim executive headteacher, CEO, senior leaders, teachers and support staff. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair. The lead inspector also spoke with the LDBS advisor and a local authority advisor.

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, art and design, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  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 scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Dan Lambert, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Worrall Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June and 16 July 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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