Paulerspury Primary School SIAMS inspection
Paulerspury Primary School has recently achieved a successful SIAMS inspection. SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspects Church schools to ensure they are living up to their foundation as a church school.
The wording of the report is as follows:
This loving, nurturing community places pupils and their families at the very heart of school life.
Driven by the vision to provide an inclusive and stimulating environment, staff work hard to promote the Christian values. This means that the character and moral development of pupils is well supported, thus equipping them for their lives ahead.
Leaders, including governors, are invested in Paulerspury as a Church school and understand its context well. They are deeply committed to its success.
This ensures that, ‘whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,' is a living reality.
Becoming members of the Innovate MAT has resulted in rapid school improvement and a positive culture. Opportunities for collaborative working across other schools, allows staff to share good practice and resources.
For instance, by networking with other subject leaders, teachers gain valuable expertise and knowledge. Trust leaders provide constant help and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.
Dedicated governors are frequent, encouraging visitors and support the school diligently. However, monitoring of the vision is not systematic.
Therefore, leaders are not fully aware of the impact of the vision. Parents speak highly of the school and of the nurturing care given to their children. They cherish the teaching of Christian values, whether they have faith or not.
Bold strategic decisions and inventive approaches enhance learning, empowering members of the school community to flourish. These include a vibrant curriculum, an effective framework for teaching writing and the provision of a sensory room.
As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thrive and develop confidence.
A wide range of extra-curricular activities, including clubs, trips and residentials, deepen pupils’ learning experiences considerably. The school’s stimulating rural location is used well. This provides quality opportunities for curriculum enrichment such as forest school and gardening, promoting spiritual development and wellbeing.
A local outdoor and adventurous activity centre provides opportunities for pupils to be challenged and grow resilience. The school’s shared understanding of spirituality is that it is a connection to something ‘bigger than ourselves.' Pupils are inspired to look within andbeyond themselves and their immediate surroundings.
The school's well-known acronym, SONG (self, others, nature, God or greater), is a visual reminder of this concept. Identifying opportunities for spiritual growth within the curriculum is at an early stage of development.
Collective worship is engaging and provides effective support for spiritual flourishing. It is a special time when the community comes together. Worship is invitational and inclusive, giving pupilsopportunities to participate and undertake leadership roles. Securely shaped by the vision, itsthemes reflect on the eleven values, biblical teaching and other worldviews. These contributesignificantly to spiritual development. Acts of worship follow a familiar pattern of welcome,learning, reflecting and responding. An impressive range of people from the local Christiancommunity lead worship. This means that adults and pupils experience different styles andinteresting approaches. Clergy from St James the Great Church and the Open the Book team alsomake a positive impact on worship. Pupils find these sessions particularly enjoyable andmemorable. Frequent visits to the church during the year, offer meaningful experiences for deepreflection and spiritual growth. Therefore, through words and song, there is a richness of Christianpraise. Parents and pupils value the weekly celebration assemblies, where awards are given forachievement and demonstrating the values. The end of term governors’ awards for those who bestrepresent the school’s Christian values, are particularly prized.
Paulerspury is a place where visitors and members of the school are welcomed unreservedly. Theextensive pastoral provision means families trust the school. This is because emotional literacysupport assistants (ELSA) and family support workers provide personalised help for individualneeds. Leaders are committed to supporting and developing staff by exploring ways to improvewellbeing and limit workload. They have access to online medical and mental health support. As aresult, they are happy at the school and feel valued. Engaging with a local mental health supportteam provides access to a range of provision, enabling pupils with specific needs to be supportedeffectively. The trust's special educational needs coordinator gives additional advice, helpingindividuals further. The sense of togetherness at the school means that at times of difficulty there isstrong support for one another. This positive culture, underpinned by the Christian vision, ensuresthat pupils and adults are treated well.
Pupils have a clear sense of justice and engage well with the community for charitable fundraising.This includes supporting the Towcester foodbank, Hope Centre for the homeless and Christian Aid.Because responsibility is one of the school’s focused Christian values, pupils are encouraged toconsider what this means in practice. They undertake roles such as mental health champions and eco ambassadors effectively. Older pupils take pride in helping the younger ones, for instance byleading them by hand as they walk to the church. Staff consistently model the school’s Christianvalues in their dialogue with pupils. This means that there are positive, respectful relationshipsthroughout the school. Paulerspury is a small school with a big heart. Therefore, a strong sense ofcompassion and commitment enables pupils and adults to flourish together. Pupils develop theirknowledge of world issues and aspects of injustice through topics in the curriculum. However, this isnot translated into practical response. Therefore, opportunities to lead social action are not fullyrealised.
RE has a high status across all year groups. The curriculum is regularly adapted to support thechanging needs of pupils in mixed age classes. It is built around the locally agreed syllabus, ensuringgood coverage of Christianity and a range of major world religions. Positive partnerships with thelocal diocese and clergy enable staff to have confidence in teaching RE through the provision ofprofessional development opportunities. Good quality teaching resources strengthen the depth ofpupils’ knowledge and understanding. Pupils enjoy RE and speak with enthusiasm about theirlearning. They confidently discuss challenging, big questions and reflect on their learning. Thoughtsand views on key concepts such as Humanism are shared readily, enriching their understanding ofworldviews. Visits to places of worship such as the synagogue and cathedral enhance the REcurriculum.
The inspection findings indicate that Paulerspury Church of England Primary School is living up to itsfoundation as a Church School.