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 2024/25
During the first 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:
Refine the key vocabulary to be taught in each area of the curriculum.
Embed the actions from the Voice 21 Consultancy Day in teaching practice – build in low stakes opportunities throughout school.
Once embedded in teaching practice, build oracy tasks and opportunities into our curriculum planning and resources (Cycle A).
Revisit and refine what key knowledge/vocabulary to retrieve and how.
Emphasise teaching and introduction of new vocabulary in literacy to focus on developing strong writers with a good understanding of basic skills needed for interesting composition.
Youth Leadership:
Launch the Archbishop’s Young Leaders Award in KS2.
Introduce, promote and embed Year 6 Young Leaders projects and initiatives, ensuring every Year 6 child has as clear leadership role and responsibility (#ssyoungleaders).
Redesign the existing format of whole-school pupil groups (e.g. School Council), considering how to better engage all pupils across school in acts of service to others, not just those elected.
Collective worship theme for 2024/25 (‘Living Lives of Greatness’) to support the school’s work in this area. Children will explore what it means to “Aspire to Greatness” and will be encouraged to live lives of service to others.
Attendance and Attitudes:
Ensure staff time allocated to tackling attendance. This is to be factored into staffing decisions over the upcoming years e.g. temporary roles/ maternity leaves.
Continue to trial and evaluate incentives for attending including National Breakfast programme, celebration 97%-100% attendance at the end of the year, attendance trophy etc.
Attendance Team to use DfE VYED attendance statistics and Arbor (new MIS system) to make attendance analysis / processes more streamlined and straightforward.
Adapt and enhance the attendance letters to ensure they are as effective as possible.
Development of our Attendance principles in line with and in the style of the behaviour curriculum. This to then be implemented across the school and explicitly taught to children.
Outdoor Provision:
Seek funding to allow re-structuring of the Nursery Grounds (wraparound provision). If not accepted for funding, propose plan to the Governors or seek out other revenue streams.
Source smaller scale resources to develop rich experiences outdoors that target key areas of the EYFS framework (e.g. gross & fine motor, communication & language). Ongoing over 3 years for budgetary reasons.
Purchase structures/ storage/ units to create spaces for provision in the KS1 outdoor area. Ongoing over 3 years for budgetary reasons.
Develop the use of the Environmental Area to support and enhance curriculum learning.
Digital Transformation:
Develop and improve cyber security systems and procedures.
Improve staff use of Microsoft 365 to work, create and collaborate efficiently and effectively.
Redesign the school website, making information easy to locate and ensuring that this ‘first impression’ of our school is the best it can be.
Continue to revolutionise the school’s use of social media, in line with the school’s Marketing Strategy.
Introduce a new cloud-based MIS system (Arbor), moving away from SIMS. All staff to receive comprehensive training relevant to their role to ensure that Arbor is used to its full potential to improve efficiency and impact.
Begin to use Governor Hub as a digital portal to support the work of the governing board (communication, sharing agendas and documents, accessing training, scheduling, confirmations and declarations, etc.).
