St Stephen’s CE Primary School is a community rooted in the belief that every child can nurture, grow and flourish when the right conditions are in place. This development plan sets out a clear, coherent and ambitious approach to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of starting point, achieve well and experience a high-quality education.
The plan is driven by a small number of precisely defined priorities, designed to address the most significant barriers to pupil success and to ensure sustained improvement across the school.
What We Are Addressing
Through careful evaluation of outcomes, teaching, and pupil experience, three key areas have been identified:
- Inconsistency in how effectively pupils access and retain the curriculum
While the curriculum is increasingly well sequenced, variation remains in:
- how consistently it is delivered
- how effectively pupils retain key knowledge
- how well pupils apply what they have learned over time
This results in uneven outcomes, particularly for pupils who require additional support.
- Gaps in reading, language and vocabulary limiting access to learning
Reading is the gateway to the curriculum. However:
- not all pupils read fluently and with confidence
- vocabulary development is not consistently strong across subjects
- some pupils are unable to fully access learning due to language gaps
This has a direct impact on attainment across the curriculum.
- Variation in pupil engagement, attendance and readiness to learn
Although relationships are strong and behaviour systems are well established:
- there is variation in pupils’ engagement with learning
- persistent absence remains a barrier for some groups
- some pupils require additional support to sustain attention and participation
This affects both learning time and long-term outcomes.
Our Core Expectations
To address these challenges, the school is committed to a set of Core Expectations that apply to all staff, all pupils, and all classrooms.
- Every pupil will access an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum
- No pupil is removed from the curriculum unnecessarily
- Learning builds on prior knowledge and is clearly structured
- Key knowledge and vocabulary are explicitly taught and revisited
- Teaching will be consistently strong and evidence-informed
- Teachers use explicit instruction, modelling and guided practice
- Retrieval and review are embedded in all subjects
- Misconceptions are identified and addressed immediately
- Behaviour will support learning at all times
- Classrooms are calm, purposeful and focused
- All pupils are actively engaged in learning
- Adults respond consistently and relationally
- Reading is prioritised across the school and beyond
- Reading is taught explicitly and systematically
- Pupils read frequently, fluently and with understanding
- Parents are actively supported to develop reading at home
- Inclusion is embedded in all practice
- Barriers to learning are identified and addressed early
- Support is precise, proportionate and regularly reviewed
- All pupils are known, supported and challenged
