St Helen's Church of England Primary School, Cliffe

Overview

This ungraded inspection confirms that St Helen’s Church of England Primary School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school continues to provide a high-quality education where pupils “thrive personally, socially and emotionally” and demonstrate “impeccable” manners. While the curriculum is “carefully crafted” and staff are “unanimously proud,” the report highlights specific inconsistencies in supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with reading difficulties.

Strengths

• Pupils are described as “passionate ambassadors” who “love school” and actively participate in roles such as the pupil parliament.
• The curriculum enables pupils to “dig deep into their memories” and master technical vocabulary across subjects like science and history.
• Staff “methodically explain and demonstrate new learning points clearly,” fostering a positive attitude towards mathematics and resilience in learners.
• The school “champions” reading, establishing “crucial learning routines” from Reception and providing diverse opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons.
• Safeguarding arrangements are deemed “effective,” with an open culture that puts pupils’ interests first.

Areas to improve

• Support for pupils falling behind in reading lacks urgency; interventions are not “as rigorous or timely as it could be,” and reading books do not consistently match pupils’ capabilities.
• Teachers do not consistently check that “all pupils’ understanding is secure,” leaving some disadvantaged pupils with “misconceptions or gaps in their learning.”
• Disadvantaged pupils “miss too much school,” and the school must further tighten its strategy to improve attendance and address underlying issues.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”