St William’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Teaching is outstanding.

Lessons have a range of highly interesting activities and pupils work at a brisk pace. Teachers make it extremely clear to pupils what they are to learn and they ask questions which stretch pupils. Teaching assistants are exceptionally skilful at supporting and teaching pupils of all abilities.

Marking is very well done so that pupils are clear about the level of their work and know how to improve it. Pupils have clear targets that help them take the next steps in their learning. Work is challenging and pitched at exactly the right level for all pupils.

Pupils' achievement is outstanding. They ha...ve high attainment and make outstanding progress from their starting points. There is a vibrant learning atmosphere in school; pupils are excited by their learning and enjoy school immensely.

The excellent curriculum is based on pupils' own interests. It helps them to see the links between subjects and offers them many opportunities to practise their writing and mathematics. The school provides exceptionally well for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary; they say they feel extremely safe. Attendance is above average. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding.

With the governing body, she has taken decisive action to tackle previous weak teaching. Their very effective action has improved pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching from good to outstanding. This is clearly an improving school.

All teachers contribute extremely skilfully to school improvement. They relish the responsibility and accountability they have for their own classes and for subjects across the school. Teachers are set targets to improve their performance and these are used extremely successfully to increase pupils' progress.

However, these targets are not yet rigorous enough or consistent across school. In the few lessons where teaching is good, as opposed to outstanding, the pace of learning is slower, pupils spend too long on tasks and progress is not so rapid.

Information about this school

This school is much smaller than the average sized primary school.

Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average.

The proportions of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are well below average. There are many lunchtime and after-school clubs, which are managed by the headteacher and run voluntarily by staff. The school meets the government's current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' progress and attainment.