SAMARES School has been “transformed” since the arrival of a new head teacher and her deputy two years ago, according to a report undertaken as part of the Jersey Schools Review Framework.
A team of five reviewers, led by an experienced professional from outside the Island, visited the school – more than a quarter of whose pupils are multilingual learners – at the end of January to listen to pupils reading, hold discussions with staff and attend lessons in English, mathematics, PSHE, music, art, history, and physical education.
Their report notes that the school benefits from strong and effective leadership, and commends staff for their partnership work with outside agencies. It found the school a safe and inviting environment which has a positive impact on pupils’ development and welfare. Children, parents, and staff feel valued, listened to, and supported, according to the reviewers.
The reviewers found what they described as “pockets of strong achievement across the school and in different subjects” but commented on the fact that achievement at Key Stage 1 is “variable”, noting that “progress across Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics is typically much stronger than in Key Stage 1”.
“Although the proportion of pupils achieving age-related expectations across the school in reading, writing and mathematics is typically low, standards are rising.
“By the end of Year 6, proportions achieving this measure are similar to other schools in Jersey,” they note.
The review recommends that the school should increase the capacity of senior leaders to improve the effectiveness of teaching further, highlighting the following objectives: Reception children should be better prepared for Year 1; the progress of pupils should accelerate, particularly in Key Stage 1; all teachers should become familiar with what represents highly effective practice; higher proportions of pupils should work at age-related expectations across the school; and pupils with high prior attainment should be provided with a greater level of challenge.
It advocates continuing to develop the role of middle leaders and the curriculum guidance for their subject areas to promote teaching that builds more sequentially on previous learning, and improve teachers’ subject knowledge.
Head teacher Jenny Posner thanked all her staff for their support during the review process.
“Since arriving at Samarès, I have been proud of the developments by the whole staff team, who ensure the children always remain our number one focus. The recommendations from this review will support us to continue improving the quality of education and outcomes for all our pupils,” she said.
