St Helen's Church of England School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 November 2022

Pupils are valued members of this family-oriented community. They rightly say everyone is friendly and looks out for one another. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are included fully in school life. Pupils do not believe there is bullying. They recognise that staff look after them and sort issues out quickly. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils respond very well to the high expectations of staff. They show particularly strong attitudes to their learning. Leaders ensure staff focus on developing pupils' character. This helps pupils to make a difference locally and further afield. Occasionally, some pupils need reminding about how to move calmly around the school. However, this does not stop the orderly and safe atmosphere. Most parents are positive about the impact of the school on their children. They believe their children are safe and well looked after. They also recognise that good behaviour is promoted well in several ways, through outdoor learning and the school's Christian ethos. Some parents rightly believe some subjects could be stronger elements of the overall curriculum. Others agree with pupils, that they would like more clubs and activities on offer.

What the school should improve

• There are a few subjects where curriculum thinking is more recent. In these subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about what they want pupils to remember and when. This means pupils do not build their knowledge well enough. Leaders need to think more carefully about the most important things pupils need to know and the order to learn them in these subjects. They must ensure that teachers are knowledgeable about what they need to do to check how well pupils remember the most important things to make strong progress.

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