St Leonard's CofE First School

Overview

St Leonard’s CofE First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The report describes the setting as a “very caring and nurturing school” where staff are committed to providing a broad education and pupils behave very well. While reading is prioritised and pupils achieve well in phonics, inconsistencies in curriculum delivery and assessment in other subjects hinder pupil progress.

Strengths

• The school is “very caring and nurturing,” with pupils who are “happy and safe” and behave “very well.”
• Reading is highly effective; staff teach phonics accurately, and pupils “achieve well in reading” with increased accuracy and fluency.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “well supported” through early identification and timely interventions.
• The curriculum is “broad and balanced,” offering inclusive extra-curricular activities and visits that enrich learning.
• Governors and trustees “support and challenge the work of the school effectively,” ensuring staff workload is managed.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, curriculum content is not taught at the right time, meaning delivery is “not sequenced well” and pupils do not retain key knowledge.
• Teachers do not always assess pupils’ learning effectively in certain subjects, preventing them from building knowledge securely and addressing gaps.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.