School Improvement
At St Giles, our vision, embodied by Bringing out the best in every child, guides everything we do. We believe that when pupils, parents, carers, staff, and governors work together, we can achieve this.
Our ‘Home-School Agreement’ highlights how we can work together to help children thrive by keeping families informed and involved. A key part of this is our School Improvement Plan (SIP), which sets out the goals we aim to achieve over one or two years. These goals often align with key areas from the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).
We greatly value your feedback in shaping these priorities. Each summer, we invite parents and carers to complete a short questionnaire to share their thoughts on school life at St Giles. Your input is essential in helping shape the future of our school.
Below is an outline of our current goals, including the actions we are taking to achieve them and ways you can support both the school and your child.
Improve attainment and progress in mathematics.
What will change?
- We are ensuring clear and consistent teaching of maths across all year groups reviewing the use of the White Rose materials.
- Lessons are carefully planned to help children build fluency in maths while also developing strong problem-solving skills.
- We are continually exploring additional resources, including digital tools, to support learning.
How can parents and carers help?
- Stay Informed: We know that a lot of information is sent out from the school, but have a look at the White Rose advice and guidance. If you were unable to attend one of our KS1 'Mastering Maths' workshops that took place this term, you can always make an appointment to see your child's class teacher.
- Help at Home: Talk to your child about what they are learning in their maths lessons and provide support and a suitable environment for homework. Encourage them to explain their decision making (reasoning) and thought processes. Use suggested resources to develop fluency, such as Hit the Button and Times Tables Rock Stars.
- Real-Life Learning & Problem-Solving: Maths can be incorporated into everyday activities, such as cooking, shopping, or planning trips, to help children see the practical applications of what they learn in school. Encourage your child to solve problems, such as puzzles or games, to further develop their critical thinking and reasoning skills.
Develop the quality and consistency of assessment practices in order to inform planning and teaching.
What will change?
- We are reviewing how we assess children’s learning to ensure it provides a clear picture of their progress across all subjects and helps inform teaching.
- Our goal is to create a consistent and meaningful approach to assessment that:
- Recognises each child’s achievements and is varied to suit different needs.
- Supports progress and gives children useful feedback.
- Helps shape curriculum planning whilst remaining manageable for teachers.
- Mathematics, assessment and quality first teaching are just some of the focus areas for staff meetings, training, and professional development across the year.
How can parents and carers help?
- Curriculum Talk: Use the topic webs and homework grids to discuss with your child the areas of the curriculum they are learning about at school and ways in which this can be supported at home.
- Parental Consultations: Parental Consultations are a perfect time to discuss the curriculum and wider personal development, including additional needs or areas of higher attainment, to support adaptation.
- Celebrate: Recognise and praise your child’s effort and progress, which helps build confidence and self-esteem. Parents and carers are also invited to share achievements outside of school, creating a more comprehensive picture of a child's accomplishments.
Improve pupil learning behaviours, attitudes, and emotional wellbeing to ensure engaged, resilient, and reflective learners who are well supported by a positive school culture.
What will change?
- We continue to reinforce routines across the school to support a positive learning environment for all pupils.
- Staff focus on early intervention to address any attendance concerns before they become a pattern.
- We have reviewed opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles and share their voice in shaping engaging playtime and lunchtime activities.
- The RSHE curriculum is being updated to align with other subjects with an emphasis on respectful relationships.
- Initiatives such as Growth Mindset, Zones of Regulation, and most recently Kindness, will continue to be embedded across the school to support behaviour and emotional well-being.
- We are regularly reviewing the support available for our vulnerable pupils to facilitate further opportunities to build confidence and resilience through targeted support and nurture groups.
How can parents and carers help?
- Attendance: Ensure your child attends school every day and is punctual. More information can be found on the Absence & Attendance page of our school website.
- Routines: Help your child by keeping regular routines at home, for example reading, bedtimes and homework. Also stay informed about school routines by reading all communication sent out by the school.
- Wellbeing: Learn about school initiatives such as Growth Mindset and Zones of Regulation to support your child’s resilience. Visual prompts at home can also help children manage their emotions.
- Behaviour: Support the school and your child by talking about the choices that they make and school expectations. If you have any questions or concerns, make an appointment to speak to your child’s class teacher as soon as possible. More information can be found on the Behaviour page of our school website.
Embed the school’s Christian vision across all aspects of school life, enabling pupils and adults to flourish.
What will change?
- We are developing a shared understanding of spirituality, giving children and adults opportunities to reflect on their place in the world and grow.
- Pupils will have more opportunities to share their thoughts on collective worship, and we are expanding the role of Worship Leaders.
- Governors continue to monitor many different elements of the school, including collective worship and RE, gathering pupil feedback to understand the impact.
- We will gather further feedback from pupils, parents, and staff to help shape the self-evaluation process.
How can parents and carers help?
- Reflection: We encourage you to talk with your child about spiritual ideas and personal beliefs, creating a space for questions, reflection, and understanding.
- Events: If possible, please attend as many of our special events as possible, including services at the church, our sharing afternoons, coffee mornings and other events. Please continue to support the school and the community.
- Support: If you would like to express your views, provide feedback on school initiatives and improvements or may be able to offer some time to help, get in touch via the school office.