St Laurence In Thanet Church of England Junior Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 March 2024

Most pupils are positive and proud of their school. They aspire to live up to its Christian values. They know what is expected of them and generally behave responsibly. When they struggle to live up to the high expectations of staff, they are supported well and given positive strategies to cope when they find things difficult. Pupils think that behaviour has improved recently. Pupils say that new systems to help them reflect on poor decision-making are working. One told the lead inspector, 'There are always consequences for your actions'. Others readily agreed. Pupils who talked to inspectors reported that they feel safe here. They also said friendships are strong. Pupils are supportive of others. They have a clear and respectful understanding of the barriers some of their peers face, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is on a journey to reverse the previously weak published outcomes and current pupils' achievements are stronger. They show increasingly positive attitudes to learning because staff expect lots. Pupils also enjoy the additional responsibilities they can take on, including as members of the school council or as worship shepherds. They value greatly the opportunities they get to come together as a community to sing, enjoying the sense of 'togetherness' and 'unity' that these bring.

What the school should improve

• Pupils' outcomes in national test and assessment results at the end of Year 6 have not been strong enough in the recent past. This has meant that pupils were not as well prepared academically as they might be when moving on to secondary education. This was especially the case with mathematics and reading. Current pupils are making stronger progress than has been the case in the past. However, the school now needs to consolidate its work to improve the quality of education further, as well as continuing to raise expectations of what pupils can achieve. This will mean that pupils will make better progress through the curriculum and will be better prepared for their next steps in education.
• Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. Levels of persistent absence, though falling, are too high. This means that some pupils are not achieving as well as they might. The school should redouble its efforts to reduce absence, so that pupils' attendance improves and they benefit more fully from the improving quality of education the school provides.

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