St Bartholomews CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 June 2024

With its motto of 'let your light shine', the ambition of raising aspirations and broadening horizons sits at the heart of St Bartholomew's. The school aims to prepare pupils to live life to the full. Staff link what pupils are learning in the classroom to the real world and to pupils' potential future careers. Pupils describe St Bartholomew's as being like a big family. This inclusive ethos makes them feel safe and valued. Pupils say, 'The staff here always give you a big smile in the morning which makes us feel happy, welcome and ready for the day.' Pupils have a voice and know that they are listened to. For example, pupils helped to design the enrichment activities that make up '30 things to do before you leave St Bart's'. Pupils behave well. They are polite and friendly. They like being rewarded with 'shine stamps' and spending them in the 'shine shop'. The school has made many improvements to its curriculum. However, it has not addressed some key issues effectively enough. Too many pupils do not achieve what they should in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they reach the end of key stage 2.

What the school should improve

• The reading curriculum beyond phonics is not well sequenced. The school has not given enough thought to the texts that pupils will read or how they will deepen their understanding of what they read over time. Pupils do not learn to read as well as they could. The school must ensure that its reading curriculum develops pupils' ability to understand increasingly complex texts, so they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• There have been many improvements to the curriculum recently. However, some of these developments are not yet implemented consistently or having the impact that the school intends. In some subjects, pupils do not remember the important knowledge they need to retain securely. The school must embed the changes that have been made to its curriculum so that pupils attain as highly as possible in all subjects.
• Some aspects of the school's plan to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are not precise. Additional support for disadvantaged pupils does not always focus well enough on their gaps in learning or their next steps. Consequently, some dis- advantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive the support they need to attain as highly as possible in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The school's improvement planning does not sufficiently address some of the most important areas for improvement. Consequently, the quality of education in some areas of the curriculum has not been improved as well as it could. The school must refine its improvement planning processes so there is a clear strategy in place for all key issues. It must check closely on the implementation of this plan so that improvements are made swiftly and have a lasting impact.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)