St Michael and All Angels CofE Primary & Pre School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 September 2022

St Michael and All Angels Church of England Primary & Pre School is a friendly and welcoming place to learn. The school's core values, which include respect, resilience and cooperation, are woven through all that the school does. They are seen as values for life. The majority of parents are happy with the provision that their children receive. Some comments to the inspector included, 'I am delighted that my children have had the benefit of attending this school,' and 'This school has a wonderful community feel.' Pupils are extremely polite. They show great respect for their teachers and one another. They listen well and show great curiosity in their learning. Pupils chat with enthusiasm and confidence about their work. They particularly highlight that their teachers are experts, talking animatedly about recent lessons that they have enjoyed. Adults and pupils form strong partnerships. The support for pupils' well-being and welfare is a priority. As such, pupils feel safe and well cared for. They trust adults to swiftly sort out any problems that might arise. Bullying is rare.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, such as history and science, leaders have not yet refined their curriculum intentions in each unit of work. Consequently, they have not yet identified, with sufficient precision, the important knowledge which will realise these intentions. As a result, teachers are not ensuring that all learning is purposeful. Some of the activities do not contribute to the end goal. Leaders should ensure that the curriculums in these subjects identify the important knowledge in a logical manner so that pupils can embed earlier learning and build securely on what they know.
• A number of pupils are insecure in their abilities to correctly form letters when writing. This means that pupils do not write with fluency. The speed of their writing is slowed, and this affects their confidence as writers. Leaders have identified this. Leaders should work at pace to ensure sufficient time and practice for pupils to improve. Similarly, leaders should establish clear expectations for the correct formation of letters in time for the youngest pupils to move through school.

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