Pupils at St James’ Church of England school ‘wear smiles’ after praise from Government inspectors

Staff and pupils at St James’ Church of England Aided Junior School, are celebrating a Good report from Government inspectors who found it celebrates diversity, motivates children and offers them ‘rich personal development’.

Leadership and management at the city junior school in Reginald Street, was described as exemplary and given a rating of ‘outstanding’ by the team from the Office for Standards in Education.

The rest of the school, which belongs to the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, was rated Good and inspectors noted that pupils do their best to live up to the school aims to ‘give thanks, remember manners, only do their best and to wear a smile’.

Although 80 per cent of pupils do not have English as their first language they are supported well and time in the ‘learning zone’ ensures they quickly learn the important words and phrases that they need.

The report also praised the school’s broad curriculum which was described as ‘well thought through’ across all subjects and noted that teachers ‘plan and deliver engaging lessons’.

The school, which has 300 pupils aged between seven and 11, has prioritised reading and those who still need to master phonics receive ‘expert help’. The school, which caters for a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs, ensure these pupils do well by providing the right sort of help.

In order to become an outstanding school, inspectors have now urged staff to continue to implement its attendance procedures to ensure absenteeism falls lower.

Head of school Dan Walls thanked the hard work and dedication of the entire school community saying: “This Ofsted report is a testament to the collective efforts of our staff, pupils, parents and governors.

“It reflects our unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience for every student, empowering them to thrive academically, socially and personally.

It was the second recent inspection for the school, which was also visited by an inspector from the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) last term, which looked at the effectiveness of a school’s Christian vision, values and leadership.

The SIAMS inspector noted that pupils and the staff flourish because “they are given opportunities to ‘grow’, developing their unique skills and talents, to ‘bear fruit’.”

Dr Sarah Clark, the chief executive officer of the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust, said: “Children from many different faiths and backgrounds attend St James’ and we are very proud that inspectors recognised that this is an inclusive school where diversity is celebrated.

“As a church school St James’ was set up to support vulnerable children and families and to make education free and inclusive for everyone. These founding values are still as important today and I am delighted that inspectors noted the work staff do to ensure this is successful.

“Congratulations to everyone at St James’.”