• A strong ethos based on a distinct Methodist tradition due to the strength of the leadership and management.
• Christian values that underpin all aspects of school life.
• A high level of care for the children's personal development and learning.

Focus for development

• Develop the processes that monitor and evaluate the Christian character so that they provide more evidence of the impact on children.
• Involve children in implementing a system to evaluate the impact of collective worship.
• Identify the skills that will enable children to further develop spiritual awareness.

The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners
The glorious thing about Rode is that it has a very distinct Methodist philosophy that shines through in all aspects of life in the school. Children experience this as a place where they have good friends and caring adults around them. In achieving this, the school has fully addressed the issue from the previous inspection to ensure that its values are rooted in Christian teaching. The integration of skills and values is very successfully creating an exciting curriculum. This places an emphasis on each child experiencing opportunities to reach their potential both in their academic learning and in their personal development. The curriculum is underpinned by a particularly Wesleyan interpretation of learning. This encourages children to be open and explore concepts and issues for their own sake in an inclusive environment that values both the individual and diversity. For example, in a very good lesson, Reception children were encouraged to use the outside environment to interpret their experiences in an imaginative and innovative way as they responded to their perception of the world around them. Relationships are of a high quality with each member of the school feeling valued. This can be seen in the way that adults encourage children to listen to each other and reflect on what is said. This is a special part of school life whether in lessons or on the playground. It has a positive impact on the children's attitudes towards school as they recognise it as a place which cares for them very much. Children are very respectful towards each other as they share their opinions. This creates a climate where they feel comfortable and at ease in sharing their thoughts openly with each other. Children feel very safe in school and trust that adults will support them in times of need. The spiritual development of the children is outstanding. Children have many opportunities to reflect on the impact of the school's values on their spiritual dimension and the relevance it has to their lives. There is a need to identify the skills that will support the children in developing their ability to articulate their responses to questions of spirituality to an even greater depth.

The impact of collective worship on the school community is good
The celebratory attitude that the school has towards acts of worship means that they are joyous times when children are not only actively encouraged to respond but do so with great enthusiasm. This is certainly the case and therefore creates an atmosphere where the worship of God is lively and fun. Children react very well to this and become fully engaged in worship. In contrast, there are also moments for quiet reflection to which children respond equally well. Collective worship is truly an integral part of the school day because the planning is based on the set of values that form a major part of the creative curriculum. The value of the month is explored in worship and followed up as appropriate in appropriate curriculum areas. This allows for the theme to be expanded upon as it is explored further in personal, social and health education and circle time specifically. Since the introduction of this approach in September 2008, it is having a good impact on the children. They can, for example, tell you all the values that have been covered so far and how the messages that they hear can help them in their lives. Children explain how courage can help them overcome fears and stand up for what they believe in. As one child put it, 'don't step out, step in' - have courage when you feel you want to give up on something. This is a reflection of the success in equipping children with a vocabulary to articulate their thoughts to a good degree. However, there needs to be a system for the school themselves to gather evidence of the impact so that it informs them of its success and identifies areas for improvement. The school has recognised the need to involve children in this process. Children have a very good understanding of prayer and talk confidently about how they know that God hears them and answers them. Children respond to prayer with appropriate reverence and show a good level of respect when they are asked to sit quietly and reflect on the theme and how it can be of use in their lives. There are good opportunities for the children to experience a range of ways in which they can pray. Acts of worship are overtly Christian in character and reflect the school's Methodist tradition but also reflect the school's openness by welcoming visitors to lead worship from other Christian denominations.

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is outstanding
The strength of the leadership is reflected in the exceptional clarity of the rationale that underpins the distinctive Methodist ethos of the school. It puts Christian values at the heart of the school and firmly roots them in the children's personal development and especially in their learning. It is the sharing of an understanding of this vision by the leadership and governors that creates a strong vision. They realise that the time is right to share this with the wider community. The school celebrates its Christian status and the example is set by the headteacher who leads the school superbly with her personal commitment. She ensures that all within the school community understand how the care for each child is based on values rooted in the Bible. Parents rightly feel that she has created a special relationship between adults and children. This is based on warmth and openness that has made a connection which they feel gives their children a wonderful start in life. As one parent said,'teachers are fantastic role models'. Foundation governors are committed to promoting the Christian character of the school. Because of the quality of their understanding, foundation governors are very well placed to ensure that the school maintains and indeed continues to enhance its Christian distinctiveness in the future. To do this, governors need to play a greater role in monitoring and evaluating the impact of the Christian character on the children. The Superintendent Minister is a very familiar figure in the life of the school and plays a central part in forming its distinctive Methodist character. At the same time, his encouragement and welcome of other denominations helps to create the inclusive nature of the school. Links with the Chapel are good and the school values its opportunities to celebrate major Christian festivals there where they are made to feel very welcome. The religious education coordinator ensures that the subject maintains an important part in the school's integrated curriculum. In many ways this has strengthened the place of RE in the school as its links with other subjects have become clearer. Parents strongly feel that the school encourages their children to explore their spirituality. They appreciate that their children have a growing awareness that there are no immediate answers to some questions. By placing an emphasis on a search for truth the school is following in a tradition that John Wesley surely would have been proud of and in doing so maintains with integrity its historic foundation.

SIAS report March 2009 Rode Methodist VC First Frome BA11 6NZ