St Philip and James' Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford

Overview

This ungraded inspection confirms that St Philip and James’ Church of England Aided Primary School Oxford “continues to be a good school.” Pupils are described as proud members of the community who embrace values of “love, compassion, and community,” resulting in a happy and safe environment. The school delivers an “ambitious curriculum” with strong outcomes, particularly in core subjects, while fostering high aspirations and respectful behaviour among its pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “warm and respectful relationships” with teachers, with bullying incidents being “rare” and behaviour described as “calm and respectful.”
• The curriculum is “ambitious” and achieves the breadth of the national curriculum, with 2022 national test outcomes “significantly above the national average.”
• Teachers possess “secure” subject knowledge and use effective strategies, such as “answer, prove, explain” tasks in mathematics, to support learning.
• There is a “strong reading curriculum” where targeted support ensures all pupils become “confident, fluent readers.”
• The wider curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, promoting “tolerant attitudes” and understanding of democracy through roles like ‘Parliament reps’.

Areas to improve

• Assessment in some foundation subjects is not linked to the important knowledge being taught, meaning teachers do not effectively identify or address gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with staff thoroughly trained to recognise warning signs and report concerns diligently, while leaders promptly engage with external agencies and challenge actions when necessary.