Loxley C of E Community Primary School

What is a SIAMS inspection?

SIAMS stands for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools. All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the National Society's framework as a process for evaluating the extent to which church schools are"distinctively and recognisably Christian". All Church of England Schools receive a Section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS)in addition to the regular Section 5 Ofsted inspection. These inspections take place on a five year cycle.

A new and more rigorous schedule for SIAMS inspections was introduced in 2018. Under this new schedule, the bar for schools has been raised with the old ‘outstanding’ grade being merged into the new ‘good’. Good is now the 'gold standard' for church schools.

This new evaluation schedule has one overarching inspection question:How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels (including governors), in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?

This question is evaluated through seven strands:

Strand 1: Vision and Leadership
Strand 2: Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills
Strand 3: Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy
Strand 4: Community and Living Well Together
Strand 5: Dignity and Respect
Strand 6: The impact of collective worship
Strand 7: The effectiveness of religious education

Voluntary controlled (VC) schools, such as ours, are given one overall grade and a standalone grade for Strand 6 (the impact of collective worship). Voluntary aided (VA) or former voluntary aided schools, such as our federation partner Wilmcote Primary, also receive an additional, standalone judgement for Strand 7 (the effectiveness of religious education).

Current SIAMS Inspection Grade
Loxley Primary was last inspected in March 2020, under the new inspection schedule. We were graded as securely GOODoverall, withEXCELLENTfor the impact of collective worship.

We were particularly proud of the following strengths, which were highlighted in our report:

"The quality of worship is exceptional, enabling all pupils and staff to flourish spiritually."
"The rich and vibrant curriculum enables all pupils, regardless of ability, to shine in their own unique way."
"The strong, Christian partnership between the headteacher and executive headteacher is positively driving improvements across the federation, uniting everyone as a team."
"Pupils and their families are at the heart of all that is done."
"Behaviour is of the highest standard and pupils feel safe and attend well."
"Aspirational approaches, supported through the vision and values are effectively cultivating confident young learners."
"RE is a strength of the school" and"Everyone is treated equally."
"All pupils flourish as successful learners."

Loxley C of E Primary SIAMS Inspection Report March 2020

Looking Ahead: Our Next SIAMS Inspection

We are due to receive our next SIAMS inspection in the Autumn Term 2026. We are approaching this with confidence — proud of the work our school community has done since 2020 and excited to share the ways in which we have continued to grow and develop as a distinctively Christian school.

Since our last inspection, we have continued to strengthen and deepen our Christian distinctiveness in a number of important ways, including:

Developing a comprehensive and detailed approach to spirituality across the curriculum, using the Windows, Mirrors and Doors framework to ensure every child has regular, meaningful opportunities for spiritual development in every subject.
Strengthening our programme of Courageous Advocacy, with children taking action on causes including the Mountbatten Hospice, the Air Ambulance, our local parish playing fields, and global issues such as Amazon deforestation.
Introducing class Collective Worship Journals in every classroom, giving every child a weekly opportunity to record their responses to the Big Questions raised in assembly.
Deepening our partnership with St Nicholas Church and Reverend Linda MacDermott, who now visits school every two weeks to lead Collective Worship.
Achieving the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award in recognition of our children's commitment to caring for creation.
Gathering and acting on pupil and staff voice about our Christian distinctiveness through annual survey and conference processes.