Mexborough St John’s School Improvement Priority Headlines 2026/27 

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Safeguarding 

• Ensure all safeguarding practices are maintained at the highest standard and are fully compliant with Trust and Ofsted expectations. 

Inclusion 

• To further develop school’s response to pupil’s SEMH needs and ensure a robust approach which meets the needs of more children  

• Leaders and teachers monitor the progress of SEND pupils closely and take swift action to address barriers to learning.  

• Teachers initiate the graduated response and fulfil the needs of their pupils with more independence. 

• EHC plans are properly considered when designing and delivering the curriculum.    

Curriculum and Teaching 

• To embed and further develop the wider curriculum. 

• To embed the new writing curriculum to improve attainment in all year groups and outcomes at the end of KS2 

• To further develop Oracy with the support of Voice 21. 

• Enhance the teaching of maths to secure attainment in all year groups and improve outcomes at the end of KS2 

• Reflect on the ‘Strong Foundations’ for Y1 and Y2 ensuring that both indoor and outdoor provision delivers on school expectations and that children have consistency from EYFS. 

Achievement 

• To further develop assessment procedures and process 

• Significantly reduce the gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils, with an additional focus on disadvantaged boys. 

• More children achieve RWM combined across the school. 

• Current whole school baseline (using KS2 SATs outcomes) – 54.2% 

Attendance and Behaviour  

• Increase attendance by 1% for all pupils and by 1.5% for disadvantaged pupils to reduce attendance gap.  

• Decrease PA for disadvantaged pupils by 1% when compared to non-disadvantaged pupils  (25/26 16.18% Dis / 15.15% non-Dis) 

• A Trauma Informed approach to behaviour management is understood and consistently and reliably implemented by all staff. 

• Improve relationships amongst pupils across school, with a focus on upper KS2 

Personal Development and Well-being 

• Implement a fully compliant 2026 RSE curriculum, including Online Safety, Water Safety and Railway Safety, to strengthen pupil's personal safety and preparedness for life beyond MSJ. 

• Extra-curricular enrichment provides high-quality, enhancing, learning opportunities. 

• Further strengthen pupil’s readiness for life beyond MSJ through the progressive development of independence, aspiration, leadership, real-world skills and effective transition support. 

EYFS 

• Improve Communication and Language outcomes for children in Nursery (F1) and Reception (F2).     

• Increase the proportion of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception from the current baseline of 73.3% to at least 77% (23/30 children), in line with the UK government’s Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life national ambition for 2028.  Aspiration 24 out of 30 = 80% 

• Strengthen the quality and impact of the outdoor learning environment to ensure it provides ambitious, purposeful and progressive learning opportunities across all seven areas of learning. 

Leadership & Governance 

• Continue to grow subject leadership and middle leadership for designated responsibilities.   

• Local LAB in place and functioning successfully 

Christian Ethos 

• Develop and sustain the Spiritual Garden as a welcoming, reflective and prayerful space. Through a programme of shared stewardship, pupils will take responsibility for maintaining and caring for the garden, fostering respect for God's creation, community responsibility and opportunities for spiritual reflection. 

• Strengthen the school's Christian vision by enriching pupils' understanding of world religions through the meaningful celebration of significant festivals and special days. Opportunities for learning will be enhanced through visits, visitors and first-hand experiences, enabling pupils to develop respect, curiosity and appreciation for people of all faiths and beliefs. 

• Review the school’s collective worship model to ensure engagement and enjoyment.