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Key Information

School Development Plan 2021-2023

Since 2018, we have worked on transforming St Stephen's into a dynamic, exciting and supporting school for all our pupils, community and staff. It is built around our nurture, grow, flourish vision.

In 2018-2019, we nurtured a new ethos and vision, changing the curriculum, staffing structure and systems. Ofsted in February 2019, recognised that this was a firm bedrock on which to build our vision. Assessment was reconfigured and made more accurate and accessible to pupils and home.

From 2019-2021, we entered our grow phase. This was also during the challenging time of lock downs and COVID-19. We brought in new branding (logo, uniform and complete new furniture in school). Staff supported home with visits, paper copies of work as well as online activities, at least weekly phone calls and welfare checks. We introduced a recovery curriculum, targeted support and a new behaviours policy that have all led to a positive and safe learning environment.

From 2021-2023, we are aiming to flourish and achieve excellence for all pupils. A new curriculum, involving parents and pupils that will accelerate progress and standards for all pupils. Reading is at the heart of our work with the exciting leaf through a good book initiative. 

Our 2-year plan has six main themes.

Raising standards across the curriculum 

  • 5 mileposts to monitor progress towards age related expectations and greater depth for all children in all subjects
  • Assessment and all curriculum areas
  • Development of long-term memory and pupils
  • I can statements written for all foundation subjects to support assessment
  • Interventions are planned out, monitored and assessed rapidly to support pupil progress
  • Monitoring attendance, punctuality and persistent absentees
  • School leaders to complete education based as evidence assessment course
  • Update marking and feedback policy in light of research

Developing pedagogy in the classroom (improving behaviour for learning in class)

  • Guidance and rationale for classroom environment is updated
  • Kagan structures are in place to support cooperative learning
  • Peer and self assessment embedded in classroom practice
  • Pre-teaching is embedded as an intervention
  • Review of a relational approach to behaviour management
  • The role of meta cognition is further explored

Enhancing the curriculum (beyond the National Curriculum)

  • A gifted and talented register is in place. A wide variety of after School clubs support and extend pupils academic and sporting skills
  • A yearbook is given with all the information on learning for that year, support materials and information about St Stephen’s School
  • Collective worship enhances of the development of each pupil as an individual, a member of our school community
  • Continue to employ an in house artist and actor as well as subject specialist teaching in music and computing
  • Focus days, weeks and events are mapped out across the year
  • Half term newsletters written to inform, support and guide families in what is being learnt in the year group
  • Introduce a school radio station
  • Outdoor learning is in place to support classroom learning
  • Pupil mental health is supported through our work with the Woodlands team, PSHE curriculum and class worry boxes
  • School website has dedicated subject pages containing information and links to each unit of learning
  • SEND reviews are in place throughout the year
  • Termly reports are in place for parents and carers
  • Year groups to meet with families to guide families with how to support their children's learning

Introduce a new curriculum (providing a broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils)

  • Each subject as a detailed document explaining the coverage of the subject from nursery to year six
  • Knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject is identified and show progression from nursery to year six
  • Subject leaders write a termly position statement for their subjects
  • Subject leaders, supported by phase leaders are instrumental in monitoring the curriculum
  • Teaching and learning policy to be updated

Celebrating the work of St Stephen's for the community, locally and nationally

  • New school website
  • Photos of ex-pupils and their achievements displayed around school and on the website
  • Planned, daily post on School Twitter, Instagram and Facebook platforms
  • Produce a digital and print a prospectus
  • School and worship councils elected and support school development
  • School documentation published online

Reading

  • Adult workshops on listening to children reading and reading together
  • All staff to be seen as reading champions
  • Individual subject books and classrooms are mapped out across school
  • Introduce, promote and celebrate leaf through a good book
  • Power of reading text mapped out across school and link to foundation subjects
  • Reading ages and phonics progress checked five times a year
  • Working with Burley Woodhead English hub on phonics and early reading to support progression in phonics
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