St Dubricius Church of England VA School

Overview

St Dubricius Church of England Voluntary Aided School continues to be a good school, described as “happy and inclusive” where pupils are “well cared for.” The report highlights strong relationships between staff and pupils, with an ethos that celebrates success and fosters confidence in learning.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and behave well, with staff taking a “positive approach” to supporting behaviour management.
• The curriculum is carefully planned, allowing pupils to “successfully build their knowledge and skills over time” in subjects such as art and mathematics.
• Leaders effectively support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and complex medical conditions through targeted training and resources.
• Reading is prioritised, with younger pupils following a “structured phonics programme” that builds confidence and fluency.
• Governors provide “effective support and challenge,” creating an environment where staff feel valued and workload is managed well.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should develop “stronger channels of communication with parents” to address concerns that some families do not receive frequent or detailed updates.
• The early years curriculum needs to be “effectively integrated with that of the wider school” so that learning in Key Stage 1 builds more effectively on prior knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders and staff remaining “vigilant in ensuring pupils’ safety” and maintaining rigorous recruitment processes.