St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Coundon

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement The quality of teaching varies across year groups and subjects. The pace and pitch of work does not consistently meet pupils' needs, and this contributes to unevenness in pupils' progress. Although improving, pupils do not make consistently good progress across a wide range of subjects.

Improving attainment and progress in mathematics are not yet securely reflected in reading and writing. Disadvantaged pupils make slower progress than their peers and lower proportions reach greater depths of understanding. Disadvantaged pupils are more likely to be absent than their peers.

In partnership with the local authority, midd...le leaders are developing their subject expertise. However, improvement strategies are still evolving and have not yet resulted in consistently good outcomes for pupils. The wider curriculum does not consistently enable pupils to develop deeper understanding across a wide range of subjects.

Work to promote pupils' awareness of a range of equalities is not fully developed. Governors are building their expertise and ability to hold leaders to account. Over time, they have not been successful in challenging declining outcomes rapidly enough.

The school has the following strengths The headteacher has acted determinedly to improve the quality of teaching. Her actions have arrested decline and are contributing to improving outcomes for pupils. The new chair of the governing body is revitalising governance.

She is developing systems to enable governors to evaluate school effectiveness more sharply. Effective leadership, close planning and thoughtful assessment are enabling children to make good and improving progress in the early years. Leaders and teachers are committed to the well-being of pupils.

They know their pupils very well. Pupils behave well as they feel valued and supported.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

The majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities support is well above average.

The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club that are run by school staff. A new deputy headteacher joined the school in January 2017. A new chair of governors took up post in the spring term in 2017.

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