St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Buckhurst Hill

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 June 2022

Pupils at St John's feel happy, safe and valued as individuals as there is a strong sense of caring that underpins the school's Christian values. Pupils experience 'life in all its fullness' through pillars of global citizenship, aspiration and well-being. These are brought to life for pupils through the curriculum and an extensive assembly programme. Pupils are supported to be confident and polite and to aim for excellence. Pupils like the fact that leaders know them as individuals and match support to their needs. This particularly applies to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils value the movement breaks they are given, where they visit a sensory circuit. These short breaks help pupils to concentrate in lessons. Pupils see themselves as one community. They are very accepting of difference. Pupils behave in a polite and courteous way and incidences of bullying are rare. This was very evident at the recent sports day, where the school community came together. Pupils know that teachers generally have high expectations of them and these expectations are realised through what pupils achieve.

What the school should improve

• Leaders do not always match texts closely enough to the level at which pupils read. This means that younger pupils sometimes encounter words in their books which they find difficult to decode. Some older pupils choose texts that are too easy and so do not develop their vocabulary and reading ability as well as they should. Leaders need to ensure that texts closely match the needs of the pupils who read them.

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