St John's CofE Aided Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 November 2022

The mantra 'be ready, be respectful, be safe' is fully embedded in daily school life. Pupils, staff and parents know the expression well and how it links to the Christian values of the school. As one parent said, 'this school is a real gem - inclusive, respectful, embedded in the community and interested in the whole child and their development as a citizen'. Leaders' recent changes to the way they manage behaviour have resulted in a positive culture. Pupils behave well because staff consistently model their high expectations. Staff give regular and specific praise to pupils, who then respond with visible pride. Lessons are rarely disrupted and, as a result, pupils engage fully with their learning and achieve well. Pupils are confident to report any concerns they have about bullying. They know that while incidents are rare, leaders will address them quickly and successfully. Pupils enjoy attending school and feel safe and well cared for. In particular, pupils love their forest school activities. They know how these sessions link with their science and geography learning and how they also develop skills like teamwork. Pupils talk with excitement about their growing knowledge of nature and their local environment.

What the school should improve

• Many of the leaders of foundation subjects lack experience in their roles. They are at the early stages of their work to further improve the curriculum, and therefore pupils' learning. Senior leaders should continue to develop subject leaders' knowledge of how pupils learn in their subject and their skills to lead and support staff to improve the curriculum.

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