SIAMS is the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodists Schools

SIAMS Mid-term Monitoring and Review Summary

for Hever CE School   June 2016

 

Recommendations from previous SIAS/SIAMS report:

• Enable pupils and all teachers to take leadership roles in collective worship.

• Establish regular and formalised monitoring of all church aspects of the school, particularly through questionnaires for parents, pupils and staff.

 

Issues identified from pre-visit paperwork by Adviser:

This was discussed during the visit and will also be addressed through email correspondence in due course.  Evidence should be transferred onto the SIAMS self-evaluation document (SSED) and the descriptors should be highlighted on the separate document.  Complete the SIAMS self-evaluation summary (SEES) nearer to the time of your next inspection.

 

Summary of revised criteria:

• A distinctively Christian understanding of shared human values

• Achievement (progress)/attendance (how effectively the school promotes good attendance and addresses issues relating to poor attendance and exclusion and how strategies reflect its Christian character)

• RE in a VC school (as part of Core Question 1)

• Focus on the teaching of Christianity

• An explicitly Christian vision expressed by senior leaders and understood by all stakeholders

• The explicitly Christian nature of worship (which enables participants to develop an understanding of Jesus Christ and a Christian understanding of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

• The role of governors in strategic planning and monitoring of the school’s Christian character

 

School’s progress since last SIAS/SIAMS Inspection:

Distinctive Christian character – the headteacher and the RE subject leaders and foundation governors are able to articulate the ways in which the Christian faith is ‘lived out’ in the everyday life of the school.  The school’s Christian values have been in place for some time and they are explicit on the website and very much so in the rich school environment.

 

The current values are love, wisdom and respect .  Relationships are very good.   Pupils know how to offer their own prayers in class as well as experiencing prayer in worship and at lunchtime.  Pupils can talk about how they understand and apply the school’s Christian values in their everyday social and moral behaviour.

 

Collective worship –worship is Biblically based as well as focusing upon the school’s Christian values.  Pupils are becoming increasingly confident leaders of worship, taking particular roles and responsibilities.    The pupils in the Soul Purpose leadership group are enthusiastic about what they have done so far and proud of their responsibilities.   Pupils can talk about important messages which they have remembered from particular acts of worship.

 

RE curriculum – Leadership of the subject has been strong under the current enthusiastic and committed subject leader who has been well supported by school leaders.  She has set high expectations and has encouraged more creativity in RE especially through the Diocesan pilot units of work.    She monitors RE closely in ways which develop teachers’ competence and confidence and offers support where needed.  She knows what is happening in the subject across the school and what needs to be developed.   Pupils respond well within their RE lessons.  The teaching observed was at least good, with most being outstanding. Assessment has been developed and standards are at least in line with national expectations.

 

Leadership and management –the headteacher and school leaders take a strong lead in setting the vision and values of the school.  Foundation governors work closely with the headteacher and RE subject leader to make sure that the Christian distinctiveness of the school is regularly monitored and that their findings are acted upon.    Partnerships with the Church were very strong and developed in creative ways under the previous incumbent.  There are also good links with families and with the local community. 

 

Advice offered for school improvement and effectiveness (SIAMS):

Distinctive Christian character

• Ensure that all pupils can talk about their Christian values in relation to their learning as confidently as they talk about the values in relation to their behaviour and attitudes.

• Make sure that all staff understand the importance of sharing and articulating the school’s values explicitly in reference to being used in learning/lessons

 

​Collective worship

• Continue to monitor and evaluate collective worship through all stakeholders and including the Soul Purpose group so that pupil voice drives improvements.

• Make sure that the message of worship is always clear to pupils – especially how they can apply the teaching in their everyday lives (through monitoring and evaluation – see above).

 

RE curriculum

• Maintain the current good standards in RE by building on current good practice in teaching and learning in RE (open ended questions, big questions, sound subject knowledge, high expectations in terms of assessment)

• Make sure that there is sufficient challenge for all pupils especially the more able so that they can articulate the ways in which RE makes them ‘think big’

 

Leadership and management

• Ensure that the Christian character of the school continues to be explicit when the current headteacher and RE subject are no longer in the school in September by supporting the acting headteacher in his role as the leader of a church school.

• Provide adequate support for worship and RE as the new acting headteacher takes on these additional roles in September.

• Make sure that all stakeholders continue to be consulted and that they make a contribution to the monitoring, evaluation and improvement of the school as a church school

 

At Hever Primary School we aim to live by the principles of the Christian faith at all times; in our thoughts, words and actions. To help us all to do this with increasing success, we try to remember and act in accordance with the following values which are fundamental to Christianity. Living according to them is encouraged in the Bible and we have chosen a number of Bible verses to demonstrate this:

 

Forgiveness and Peace:  Colossians 3:13 and 15:  "Forgive as the Lord forgave you.. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts."

 

Thankfulness and Trust:  Psalm 28:7: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in songs."

 

Justice and Humility: Micah 6:8:  "Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God."

 

Wisdom: Proverbs 23:15: "My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice."

 

Reverence: Psalms 29:2:  "Ascribe to the Lord the glory due him name; worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness."

 

Hope and Endurance: Hebrew 10:23: "Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith."

 

 

 

Hever Primary School has very close links with its local church: St. Peter's.

 

To find out more about this historic church, that plays a very important role in the life of the school, please visit:

 

https://threespires.wordpress.com/our-churches/st-peters-church-hever/