St John's Wood Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

Pupils describe their school as welcoming, kind and inclusive. Pupils are polite and keen to help others. They are rewarded for demonstrating the school's values of 'trust, fairness and respect'. Typically, pupils behave well. Bullying is rare and dealt with effectively if it occurs. Pupils are taught to stay safe, including when online. They are kept safe and have trusted adults that they can speak to. Pupils develop their leadership skills by serving as school councillors, librarians or playground 'worry wipers', who help their peers who might be upset, or to resolve any issues that might arise. All pupils have access to the school's swimming pool, science lab and the 'learning lounge' attached to each classroom. Leaders carefully select visits to enhance the curriculum and develop life skills. For instance, outings to local allotments help pupils understand the life cycle of a plant and also deepen their understanding of healthy eating. The school helps pupils to develop their skills and talents beyond the classroom with the selection of music lessons and sporting clubs on offer. The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. The school has designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. Pupils achieve well in national tests, helping them to be ready for the next phase of their education.

What the school should improve

• At times, checks on pupils' understanding are not systematic and the information gathered is sometimes not used well to inform further teaching. This also means that teaching does not consistently identify misconceptions or gaps in pupils' knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build knowledge as securely as they could this, in turn, hinders them from moving to more complex tasks. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check and inform what pupils learn.
• On occasion, pupils' behaviour is not managed consistently, and staff are not fully supported to address concerns. As a result, some pupils do not behave appropriately during lessons and informal times. The school should ensure that pupils and staff understand how behaviour should be managed. The school should also review how effectively agreed policies and systems are implemented so that they are having the desired impact.

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