St Michael's Church of England Controlled Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 February 2023

Pupils are happy to attend this caring and welcoming school. They appreciate the staff, who are always kind and help them if they are worried or sad. Pupils learn to treat each other with kindness, for example, through being play leaders organising games at lunchtimes. Some pupils act as young interpreters for those joining their class at the early stages of learning English. Pupils are also taught to show kindness and contribute to the wider community through donating items to the local food bank. Pupils develop the core virtues of respect, courage and resilience which run through the school's curriculum and daily assemblies. Through consistent modelling from leaders and teachers, pupils learn there are different faiths and opinions, and that differences should be celebrated. They are encouraged to be brave and determined when learning is difficult. Pupils visit museums, the science centre, and places of historic interest to widen their range of experiences. Behaviour is consistently calm and purposeful. Pupils are polite and courteous, opening doors for visitors and greeting them with 'Hello, how is your day going?' Bullying happens rarely, but if it does, teachers deal with instances quickly through restorative conversations. Pupils live up to the strong expectation that everyone is valued here.

What the school should improve

• A small number of staff do not deliver the school's phonics programme precisely enough. As a result, weaker readers do not always hear sounds enunciated correctly. Leaders should ensure all staff are experts in teaching phonics.
• Some staff do not consistently check pupils' understanding of the concepts taught. This means that misconceptions are not always identified. Leaders should continue to monitor how teachers are using assessment as new systems become embedded.

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