St Helen's CE Primary School

Overview

St Helen’s CE Primary School is rated ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, marking an improvement from its previous ‘Requires Improvement’ judgement. The report describes a school where staff hold “high ambition” for pupils, fostering a welcoming environment where children are “enthusiastic and want to learn.” Leaders have successfully cultivated a strong culture of reading and personal development, ensuring pupils feel safe and supported.

Strengths

• Reading is central to the school’s identity, described as part of its “DNA,” with a “well-informed and considered approach” that engages pupils from early years through to Year 6.
• The early years provision offers a “vibrant, well-planned start” with meaningful staff engagement that helps children develop language skills and readiness for key stage 1.
• Staff demonstrate “strong subject knowledge” and deliver a curriculum that is “broad, balanced and relevant,” with clear essential knowledge and vocabulary.
• Support for pupils with additional needs is “well planned,” with leaders being “nimble and quick to adapt” to ensure no learning is lost.
• Pupils display positive behaviour and attitudes, with a “mature understanding of people’s differences” and effective peer support systems.

Areas to improve

• Assessment arrangements require refinement, as some teachers are “unclear whether pupils have understood and can apply new learning well enough.”
• Leaders must reduce the rate of persistent absence, as “too many pupils are persistently absent” and miss important aspects of learning.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” with staff receiving regular training and understanding their responsibilities to protect pupils from risk.