St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School

Overview

This ungraded inspection confirms that St Thomas CofE Junior and Infant School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school provides a “welcoming” environment where “strong, caring relationships” between staff and pupils are “palpable.” Pupils are described as “happy and safe” in this “nurturing environment,” with high aspirations supporting their academic, social, and emotional preparation for secondary school.

Strengths

• An “ambitious curriculum” organises knowledge logically, enabling pupils to “make connections in their learning” across subjects.
• A “systematic approach to teaching early English and mathematics” provides a “secure foundation” in key skills.
• Reading is a clear priority, with staff delivering the phonics programme “expertly” and a “novel curriculum” introducing “high-quality texts.”
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “supported expertly to succeed,” with needs identified quickly.
• Behaviour is “positive,” with pupils being “friendly, polite and caring,” contributing to a “busy working atmosphere.”

Areas to improve

• The school should ensure “basic writing skills are reinforced effectively across the curriculum,” as spelling and punctuation errors in subjects other than English are not always corrected swiftly.
• Staff in the early years should develop the expertise to “extend children’s vocabulary and learning through purposeful interactions,” as current interactions sometimes fail to deepen learning.

Safeguarding

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