A fantastic outcome from our SIAMS inspection!

I am writing to share with you the result from our recent SIAMS inspection. But first, let’s start with a reminder of what SIAMS actually is. A Church of England school is required to have a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools - SIAMS for short. This is conducted separately from any OfSTED inspection and in line with the Church of England's schedule by a nationally accredited ‘denominational’ Inspector.

SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the school's Christian Vision in all areas of school life, especially on the children and adults who attend it. Each school has a variety of strategies and styles, which reflect their particular context or church tradition, to be distinctive and effective. Inspectors do not look to apply a preconceived template of what a Church school should be like. They, however, look for how the vision is theologically rooted and understood as a driving force for school improvement.

Our SIAMS inspection took place on Friday 24^th May.

Our Vision

The inspection starts with our vision and then examines all aspects of how this is applied and lived within the school. Our vision is:

To unlock the unique voice within each child fostering a lifelong aspiration of learning excellence. Striving for an inclusive school family where everyone can flourish and experience life to its fullest. We aim to grow within the natural beauty surrounding us, safe in the knowledge of God’s love.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Our values, Respect, Integrity, Compassion, Courage and Hope.

The inspection findings

We are delighted to report that inspection found “Checkendon Church of England VA Primary School is living up to its foundation as a Church school”.

The inspector’s report detailed five strengths of the school:

The Christian vision is inspiring and lived out by the Checkendon school community. Through this, adults and pupils have the opportunity to ‘live life to its fullest’ in any way they
Pupils and adults value one another as they seek to enable everyone to flourish. This results in relationships that are strong.
The Christian vision shapes the curriculum. The well-planned range of experiences including visitors within it enables pupils to flourish.
Worship provides calm and reflective opportunities to consider the school’s vision and values in ways that are inclusive and invitational. Pupils and adults value the time to come together as one in collective worship.
Effective leadership in religious education (RE) has established a well-sequenced and balanced curriculum. It develops knowledge and understanding of major world religions.

As with all inspections, areas for development are also identified:

Ensure that leaders’ monitoring of the school's Christian vision is robust and systematic. This is to evaluate and increase its effect on the flourishing of pupils and adults.
Develop an approach and common language for spirituality. This will deepen the spiritual flourishing of pupils and adults in collective worship and across the curriculum.
Extend the breadth and scale of opportunities for pupils to develop as agents of change for global issues. This is so they have a greater appreciation of the power of their voice.

We are discussing plans to address our areas for development and you’ll be hearing more about these in due course.

A full copy of the inspection report is available below or on the Church of England website.

In conclusion

We are absolutely thrilled with the results of the SIAMS inspection and the findings. This independent validation acknowledges the dedication and effort that our staff, children, and governors have put into the school. I want to express my gratitude to Richard Castle for leading the Governors' SIAMS committee and guiding the governors through the inspection. I would also, of course, want to thank Reverend Davies for his ongoing support in helping the school uphold our Christian vision rooted in theology. Finally, I would like to extend my appreciation to all of you for your continual support of our school.

If you have any questions about the inspection or the report then please do let me know.

SIAMS

All Church of England schools are inspected using the Church of England Education Office's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS). SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: how effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish? This is explored through seven strands:

Vision and Leadership
Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills
Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy
Community and Living Well Together
Dignity and Respect
The impact of collective worship
The effectiveness of religious education

For more information please click on the following link: The Church of England - Schools

Courageous Advocacy

We are courageous advocates for the common good, locally, nationally and globally. We recognise that life is full of ups and downs and that at times all people will face challenges that they need help and support to overcome. We believe that people are worth spending time with, that people need time to grow and need loving attention. The Christian Gospel says that every person has a unique task to do, with God, and for God, whether they know it or not. We hold and courageously advocate the conviction that there is something mysterious, and potentially wonderful, in everybody.

It is important for our children to appreciate their role as part of a community; to take responsibility, to be able to look after themselves & to foster an understanding of their importance, impact and influence in the world.

We support a range of charities in our local area, nationally and globally. The school council work with staff, governors, parents, pupils and St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church to identify worthy causes to support.

Our schools stand up for what we believe. We have met with the local parish council to support road safety measures around the school. This included obtaining a 20mps zone.

Our Christian values ensure that opportunities to discuss the big issues, to challenge injustice and to engage in activities that can bring about change are always present.

In recent years we have carried out a range of different fundraising to support many good causes, some of which include:

Wallingford Food Bank;
Sports Relief;
NSPCC;
Comic Relief;
Children in Need;
Macmillan;
The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Our children have an excellent grasp on the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with belonging. Thereby developing their ability to empathise and make a small sacrifice to benefit others. Together we consider the beauty and fragility of our environment, the actions we take, and the impact these actions may have on the well-being of everyone. Our school community and curriculum actively embrace a responsibility for the world in which we live. We are diligent in showing our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and care for the people who live in it:

Greener Henley who regularly deliver talks to our pupils and encourage us to enter competitions,
Developing links with schools locally, nationally and internationally (to learn about the similarities, differences & how we can help support/develop each other through these),
Strong PTA with community events such as Checkfest, Santa’s Grotto and Firework Night,
The school advertises and supports local events (for instance the Checkendon Run, organised by the Preschool and the Checkendon Car Boot Sale),
Strong links with local pre-schools,
Head teacher, teachers and pupils write in the local Parish newsletter and local papers to reach out to the community.