St John the Evangelist CofE Infant and Nursery School

Overview

The report describes the school as a "welcoming and inclusive environment" where relationships are based on "mutual respect and trust," ensuring pupils feel "safe and happy." Inspectors found the curriculum to be "ambitious and well-crafted," with staff providing "precise information" that has made a "pivotal difference" to academic success. The school fosters a "highly harmonious ethos" where pupils are proud to take on leadership roles and develop into "positive citizens."

Strengths

• The curriculum is "ambitious and well-crafted in all subjects and in early years," with clear focus on key knowledge and vocabulary.
• Staff identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) "quickly," ensuring they "achieve well from their individual starting points."
• There is a strong emphasis on reading, with "exciting spaces" for pupils to enjoy a "diverse and inclusive range of texts."
• Pupils demonstrate high standards of behaviour, being "courteous and well mannered" in "calm, orderly and stimulating" classrooms.
• Governors are "knowledgeable" and work effectively with leaders, while staff feel "valued" and parents "almost unanimously support the school."

Areas to improve

• Teachers must better identify and address weaknesses in pupils’ understanding to prevent "gaps in their knowledge."
• The school should refine its approach to early reading, ensuring books are "more accurately matched to pupils’ reading knowledge" to address phonics gaps.
• The school needs to ensure ongoing work leads to "high attendance levels for all pupils," as a significant minority remain "persistently absent."

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."