St Augustine's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 March 2023

St Augustine's Church of England Junior School is warm and welcoming. Pupils talk positively about the range of learning opportunities they receive. They know that staff have high aspirations for them. Pupils are motivated by the rewards they can achieve for working and trying hard. They enjoy celebrating these successes in a weekly assembly and earning house points and star badges. Pupils are well supported in making the transition from infant school, and parents and carers also appreciate this. Pupils quickly understand the school rules and what is expected of them. Older pupils act as excellent role models in school and as play leaders at breaktimes. As a result, pupils learn and play well together. Pupils know that their teachers deal with any incidents swiftly and fairly. Pupils say that bullying is rare and have no doubt that adults would deal with this straightaway if it did happen. There is plenty for pupils to do and take part in beyond the classroom to broaden their life experiences. Pupils are enthusiastic about their regular access to forest school and outdoor learning, including reading in the 'book bus'. Every year group learns swimming and has a residential visit. There are also trips to theatres, museums and the beach.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, some pupils are not able to recall the detailed knowledge leaders intend. This is because in these subjects, leaders and teachers are not explicit enough about the specific knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. Subject leaders need to ensure that teachers are clear about the precise knowledge needed to be learned in a unit of work in order to meet the curriculum ambition.
• Assessment in foundation subjects needs refining in order for it to be more effective. It does not focus sharply on the most important knowledge that leaders intend pupils to learn. This means that misconceptions and gaps are not picked up quickly enough. Leaders need to link foundation assessments precisely to the most important content and concepts in the curriculum.

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