School Development
We believe we can always be better. As an organisation, we seek to continually improve what we do whilst sustaining that which is already excellent. We are driven in the pursuit of our ambitious vision and our school development planning plays an essential role in directing us on our journey.
Three-year Plan: 2024-27
Underpinned by our vision, our three-year development plan identifies five key development themes that will guide our improvement work throughout the three years from September 2024.
Our vision-led outcomes (see below) set out our long-term goals in each key development area.
Vocabulary and Oracy:
Pupils are able to build and apply their knowledge through the use of subject specific vocabulary.
The key vocabulary taught in each unit of work is clearly identified by subject leaders and teachers use this within their teaching.
Children are confident talkers, using subject specific vocabulary and high-level discussion-based vocabulary.
Oracy opportunities are planned for throughout the curriculum and within wider school life.
Retrieval practice is planned for and developed to ensure children revisit learning in previous lessons, topics, terms and year groups.
Pupil outcomes are improved in reading due to a wider awareness of vocabulary.
Pupil outcomes are improved in writing due to a wider awareness of vocabulary for use when composing.
Pupil knowledge in the wider curriculum areas is enhanced as key knowledge is attached to their understanding of the linked vocabulary.
Youth Leadership:
Pupils recognise local and global issues and are passionate about taking action and raising awareness of these.
Pupils are proactive agents of change who believe they can make the world a better place through ‘great’ acts of goodness and service.
Every child in Year 6 has a specific leadership responsibility in school. They are active in these roles and enjoy them.
All pupils have the opportunity to complete the KS1 and KS2 Archbishop’s Young Leaders Awards.
Pupils recognise the power of collaboration in seeking to make the world a better place – they work alongside children from other schools, planning and leading campaigns and projects.
Pupils are confident and articulate; they believe they can change the world.
St Stephen’s is recognised across the region for its excellent work in developing young leaders.
Attendance and Attitudes:
Attendance is consistently very close to the national average.
Persistent absence has continued to fall, becoming comparable to the national average.
All parents receive regular updates, information and reports about their child’s attendance (including current or emerging trends).
Initiatives to improve attendance are regularly evaluated and those that do not impact or are less effective are removed or replaced with another strategy. Strategies used are all research based and therefore a ‘best bet’ for dedication of time and resources.
Outdoor Provision:
Pupils develop their characteristics of effective learning (EYFS framework) through engaging, challenging and authentic outdoor provision.
Free flow between indoor and outdoor provision is effective as both spaces are equally as inviting and stimulation; in their different ways. This will be the case for Nursery, Reception and KS1.
Pupils' experience in the EYFS is improved leading to positive end of year outcomes and pupils who can sustain play and develop their PSED (personal, social and emotional development) through engagement in the outdoors.
In KS1, enriching pupil experience with provision will lead to an improvement in end of KS1 outcomes.
Pupils across school make effective use of the school's beauitful wildlife/environmental area.
Digital Transformation:
Staff collaborate effectively and efficiently using digital tools (e.g. Microsoft To-Do, OneDrive, etc.).
Staff make use of digital tools and systems (including AI-powered applications) to work more efficiently and productively.
The school operates a cloud-based MIS system that improves the efficiency and impact of administrative systems (e.g. tracking pupil attendance, and acting to improve this).
Senior staff have the skills to chair and lead efficient and effective meetings.
Staff communicate effectively with one another, using email strategically and purposefully.
The school communicates effectively with parents, ensuring that relevant information is shared in an accessible and timely manner (without overwhelming).
The school’s website and social media channels are exceptional and are worthy of being shared with other schools.
School Development 2025/26
During the second year of the school's three-year development plan, key actions and drivers of change are outlined below. A more detailed implementation plan (informed by the EEF's evidence-led implementation guidance for schools) is used by school leaders and governors to pursue these areas of improvement.
Vocabulary and Oracy:
Build oracy tasks and opportunities into our curriculum planning and resources for Cycle B.
Review current practice in specific areas to identify areas of improvement in those areas.
Refine what key knowledge and vocabulary to retrieve and how.
Youth Leadership:
Continue embedding Year 6 leadership roles (#prestonsssyoungleaders).
Launch KS1 Archbishop’s Young Leaders Award (as an extra-curricular club).
Extend Year 6 leadership projects to include partnership work with other schools.
Ensure alignment between collective worship themes and the focus on equipping pupils for effective youth leadership.
Strengthen opportunities for all pupils to participate in projects, not just those in formal leadership roles.
Attendance and Attitudes:
Ensure staff time allocated to tackling attendance. This has been factored into staffing decisions for the 25/26 academic year and will continue to be over the upcoming years.
Refine incentives and work on embedding attendance culture.
Strengthen data-driven intervention to target areas of focus.
Deepen parent partnership on improving attendance. Move from awareness [developed in Year 1] towards active engagement- encouraged by pastoral staff in the Attendance Team.
Begin an attendance social media campaign to publicise the importance of attendance.
Outdoor Provision:
Introduce the Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) Primary Programme at St Stephen’s.
Obtain Forest School Association accreditation for St Stephen’s Preschool.
Establish specialist Forest School provision within St Stephen’s Preschool, transforming the curriculum to make the most of our outdoor environment.
Obtain funding (e.g. via grants) to support the development of the Forest School space and OPAL provision.
Transform/redevelop the preschool outdoor area to support learning and development across all aspects of the EYFS.
Continue the development of a new KS1 outdoor area (adjacent to the Year 1/2 and Year 2 classrooms).
Digital Transformation:
Dive deeper into Arbor MIS to maximise its impact across all teams.
Continue to embed the use of AI tools (e.g. Microsoft Copilot, Teachmate AI, Chat GPT) to improve the quality of all that we do, remaining alert to new developments.
Support the continued use of OneDrive as the sole platform for file storage and collaboration.
Embed new cyber security measures and take additional steps where necessary to further strengthen this.
Ensure parent communication systems are clear, streamlined, and consistent.
Provide training for leaders on running effective, high-impact meetings.
