Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS)

The inspection found that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school, and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.

The notable strengths were listed as:

- The Christian vision is carefully crafted to reflect the needs and  context of this Church of England school. Through its roots in scripture, it expresses the school’s values and drives the work of the school enabling pupils and adults to flourish.

 - Christian values underpin provision for pupils deemed vulnerable or disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff meet pupils’ needs, putting their requirements at the forefront of planning and actions. This creates a nurturing, inclusive   environment where pupils can succeed.  

- Deeply committed governors, supported by robust partnerships with the Diocese of St.  Edmundsbury and Ipswich and the Tilian Partnership multi-­academy trust(MAT), make wise  decisions with the vision at its heart. This enables school leaders to ensure pupils can achieve  and be the best they can be.

 - The school has a strong sense of community together with a supportive, inclusive culture.  This creates an environment where members of the community can thrive in their mental and emotional wellbeing. Relationships between pupils, adults and families are overwhelmingly  positive.

What is SIAMS?

SIAMS explores ways in which each school’s theologically rooted Christian vision drives its work and enables the school to live up to its foundation as a Church school. It does so by seeking to answer six Inspection Questions (IQs).

IQ1: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision enable pupils and adults to flourish?

IQ2: How does the curriculum reflect the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision?

IQ3: How is collective worship enabling pupils and adults to flourish spiritually?

IQ4: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create a culture in which pupils and adults are treated well?

IQ5: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create an active culture of justice and responsibility?

IQ6: Is the religious education curriculum effective (with reference to the expectations set out in the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement for Religious Education)?

IQ7: What is the quality of religious education in voluntary aided and former voluntary aided schools, and in former voluntary controlled schools in which denominational religious education is taught?

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. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.

Inspectors make one of two judgements:

The inspection findings indicate that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school, and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.

Or

The inspection findings indicate that the school has strengths, but that there are also issues that leaders need to address as a matter of priority.