St Stephen's CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 June 2023

Pupils, including children in the early years, are happy to attend this caring school. Everyone is made to feel welcome. Pupils and children said that they feel safe and that they value having adults in school who they can talk to. Leaders have high expectations of behaviour and achievement for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). To this end, leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that engages pupils and captures their interest. Staff expect the best of pupils. As a result, most pupils achieve well. Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and staff. Pupils and children behave well in lessons and there is a happy and calm feeling throughout the school. Pupils understand what bullying looks like. They are confident that staff will sort out any problems that arise. Leaders deal with incidents of bullying quickly and effectively. Pupils are very positive about their school. For instance, they talked with enthusiasm about the trips that they have been on, especially residential visits. Pupils enjoy the range of additional responsibilities open to them. For example, they are proud to be part of the Eco Team that has developed their beautiful Eco Garden. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for their good behaviour and hard work in the Mountaineers Club.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders have not finalised identifying the most important subject-specific concepts that they want pupils to revisit over time. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils struggle to remember essential prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the key concepts to be learned for pupils' subsequent learning.
• Currently, in a small number of subjects, leaders' approaches to assessment do not enable teachers to check how well pupils have learned the knowledge that they need in order to progress through the curriculum. This means that on occasion, some pupils' learning is not as secure as it should be. As leaders finalise their curriculum thinking, they should ensure that approaches to assessment match the knowledge in the curriculum.
• In a small number of subjects, leaders are still in the process of establishing what further support staff require to deliver some aspects of these curriculums with confidence. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in how well these curriculums are delivered by teachers. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support and training that they need to deliver these curriculums as leaders intend.

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