Address

Spire Hollin, Glossop, Sk13 7BS

How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, ​established and promoted by leadership at all levels, ​in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?

Overall grade

The impact of collective

worship

Good

Good

School’s vision

Opening eyes, hearts and minds. Opening our eyes to possibilities, our hearts to all others ​and to spirituality and our minds to knowledge. Living the prayer of St Francis with ​forgiveness for past mistakes, joy in the present and hope for the future.

Key findings

•The Christian vision enables a shared understanding of the school as a highly

inclusive family. It is the driving force that enables pupils and adults to flourish in a ​supportive and loving school community. The vision is less explicit in school ​documentation, development plans and in the public domain.

•Collective worship, RE and how the school’s vision is lived daily all make an important

contribution to spiritual growth for pupils and adults.

•Pupils are loved, nurtured and supported to succeed as individuals. Leaders prioritise

wellbeing and this is reflected in the care offered to pupils and adults.

•Religious education (RE) enables pupils to develop their understanding of Christianity

and other religions studied. However, their knowledge of Christianity is more

embedded than that of a range of world religions.

•Pupils express ownership of and commitment to the vision and values of the school.

This is practically demonstrated in the way they show respect to all and live well

together. However, pupils’ experience of world cultures is not as developed.

Areas for development

•

• ​•

Extend the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the Christian vision. This is to ​enable an ongoing process to inform future school development.

Ensure that the content and delivery of RE enable pupils to build upon their prior

knowledge in the range of religions and worldviews studied.

Expand and widely promote pupils’ experiences of a multicultural world. This is so that

pupils understand their place within a diverse and interconnected world.

Inspection findings

The prayer of St Francis is the foundation for the spiritual, social and academic direction of ​the school. Consequently, the vision underpins the school’s inclusive practice where ​everyone is respected and celebrated. Through the vision, forgiveness is central to how the ​school achieves a deep sense of belonging. Each new day is a fresh start. Pupils are ​reassured that errors are a natural step in their learning. Staff ask them if they are ready to ​learn from mistakes and adults are tenacious in supporting the more vulnerable. This enables ​pupils to learn with confidence, free from the fear of failure. The vision promotes an ​awareness that everybody matters and that all are respected. Each person is cherished in ​this community, individually valued and loved as one of God’s children.

The skilled governing body are diligent in maintaining the distinctive Christian ethos of the

school. They ensure that the process of their leadership discussions, and subsequent

decisions, are founded upon the school’s vision. However, the vision is less explicit in school

documentation. Consequently, ensuring that the vision remains a consistent driving force for

monitoring and evaluation is not meticulously achieved. Governors make good use of the

support and training offered by the diocese, opening their eyes to sustained good leadership.

This enables foundation governors to successfully achieve church school oversight.

Governors are hence more able to hold the school leadership to account. Strong links exist

between the school and the local church. Clergy regularly attend and lead worship. This

creates a sense of familiarity for ongoing pastoral support for pupils and adults.

Pupils flourish through the arts. They have boldly and successfully pursued and achieved the

Artsmark award. This enables a springboard for life to be lived in all its fullness. Leaders

recognise how this enables spirituality to thrive. There is a deep sense of developing the

whole child, celebrating how talent and aspiration opens the eyes to possibilities. This

enables pupils to be confident and articulate learners. The school shares a deep awareness

of spirituality. Staff discuss how planned and spontaneous spiritual opportunities have

enhanced personal growth for pupils and adults.

Staff model how to open hearts to all others, embracing loving and compassionate

relationships, enabling all to flourish. Consequently, behaviour is very good throughout the

school. Pupils enjoy their learning, characterised by their high level of engagement in lessons

and their respect and care for others. Staff create a happy and supportive learning

environment. In collective worship, RE and their daily school experience, pupils reflect upon

Christian character virtues. Pupils spontaneously notice the needs of others and respond

thoughtfully, with kindness. For example, at a recent sports tournament pupils offered to join

another school team when their opponents were short of players.

Opportunities to respond to social need and environmental matters are identified and acted

upon. For example, seeing homeless people on a visit to a nearby city moved the pupils into

action. Through such awareness pupils know that they can approach those they consider

well placed to make a difference. Pupils have a voice in choosing which local charities to

support. They consider the challenges and become increasingly aware of the social needs

within their community. Through a concern for the environment pupils challenge the overuse

of plastics and raise awareness of the volume of material that is in use, but then wasted.

Leadership instil confidence and trust and, as a result, encourage open dialogue with adults.

Staff are confident to express opinions and can always seek clarification and assurance.

They reflect that honest self-appraisal is respected by leaders which becomes the basis from

Leadership is attentive to parental views. Parents remark that children feel safe and they ​learn to make allowances for each other, responding to how the school promotes ​forgiveness.

The school attends the local church for major Christian festivals. Pupils arrange and plan

services there, demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of the church’s calendar.

Clergy remark that they do not need to add more to the pupils’ leadership of collective

worship because ‘they say it all’. In school, the pupil chaplains begin school collective

worship, welcoming each class. The themes of whole school collective worship are taken

back to the classrooms. Dedicated reflection spaces successfully remind pupils of the virtues

that have been discussed through worship, enabling them to reflect further. As a result, pupils

talk knowledgeably about how these make a difference to their choices and actions. One

pupil remarked that his superpower was kindness. In making good use of this special space

pupils write deeply personal prayers. Pupils also know how to use this space to take the time

to be quiet in spiritual reflection. Another pupil said that prayer helps them to reflect upon

how God knows them. Pupils affirm that collective worship positively impacts upon their

mood, enabling joy in the present moment. They find it to be a time for peaceful reflection,

where happiness is shared. Local Christians come into school to lead collective worship. This

enables the pupils to experience the wider community in worship, meeting Christians in the

expression of their faith.

Pupil chaplains regularly met to discuss collective worship. In discussion with clergy and

leaders, pupils evaluate its impact. They discuss and direct the choice of songs. They ensure

collective worship includes opportunities to sit quietly and think. They also value the time to

talk and share insights. Chaplains take pride in preparing for collective worship, ensuring that

everything is in its place, ready for each occasion.

Using the locally agreed syllabus and the ‘Understanding Christianity’ programme, the RE

curriculum is planned with sound resources. Pupils are able to discuss significant Christian

festivals and are able to compare and contrast key elements of world faiths and worldviews.

RE weeks provide the opportunity to explore these further. However, the way that pupils

record their learning does not enable them to successfully sequence knowledge.

Consequently, their ability to recall their learning is limited. Pupils’ experience of a

multicultural world is currently under-developed. Leaders recognise that exploring cultural

diversity further will enhance the pupils’ understanding of an interconnected world.

St Luke’s lives its vision. Pupils and adults successfully work together ensuring that the

prayer of St Francis provides the foundation for each day. Consequently, this bond unites

the community, applying forgiveness, joy and hope in equal measure.

School ​URN ​Diocese/District

Headteacher

Chair of ​Governors

Inspector

Information

St Luke's Church of England ​Primary School, Glossop

112817 ​Derby

Alice Littlehailes

Claire Aspinall

Mark Millinson

Inspection ​date ​VC/VA/ ​Academy

Pupils on

roll

25 April 2023 ​Voluntary controlled

210

No.

2121