Blessed Mother Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are cheerful, confident and keen to welcome visitors to the school.

Pupils feel safe because they know that the staff will look after them. There is a strong sense of pastoral care across the school, which reflects the school's values. Staff know the pupils well.

Leaders and staff, many of whom have worked at the school for several years, are committed to the school and the pupils. They work well together as a team to improve the school and drive improvements. Leaders and staff value the support of the multi-academy company, particularly in relation to the development of the curriculum.

In most lessons, pupils enjoy learning, listen to their teachers a...nd focus on their work. Teachers can teach and pupils can learn. On the playground, pupils mix and play cooperatively.

In the dining room, they enjoy chatting and spending time with their friends.

Pupils speak confidently about the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Bullying is rare, but when it happens, staff deal with incidents promptly.

Pupils and parents and carers appreciate this.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They value the level of care that staff show towards their children.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Subject leaders, supported by the multi-academy company, have carefully considered the structure and content of the curriculum. In a wide range of subjects, the curriculum maps out the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn within and across different year groups. Teachers value the information contained within curriculum plans.

They say that it guides them to know what to teach and when to teach it. What pupils learn today builds on what they have learned before.

Teachers have good subject knowledge.

They explain concepts in a clear, logical and well-informed manner. Teachers weave subject-specific vocabulary into their teaching effectively. Pupils use similar vocabulary when answering questions or explaining their understanding of a concept.

In most subjects, teachers make sure that work is matched to pupils' needs. Consequently, learning is embedded, pupils are not held back, and they work with an appropriate level of independence. However, in mathematics, there are occasions when the most able pupils are given tasks that are not challenging.

As a result, pupils finish tasks quickly and then have to wait too long for other pupils to catch up or for the teacher to provide them with another activity. This limits their progress through the mathematics curriculum.

Reading is a school priority.

Teachers and teaching assistants have been well trained to teach phonics. From an early age, children and pupils develop their reading skills well. Most pupils enjoy reading, but a small number of pupils who find reading more challenging are not displaying a love of reading.

Leaders are aware of this and are continuing to work on new ways to foster a love of reading across the school.

The school's handwriting policy is not being consistently implemented in all year groups. There are some instances where the work in pupils' books is poorly presented and untidy.

This is not being picked up and addressed by some staff. Therefore, some pupils continue to produce the same quality of work week after week.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in lessons and all aspects of school life.

Teachers think carefully about the needs of pupils with SEND. If required, teachers adapt activities and provide additional support. Where necessary, one-to-one or small-group work provides focused support for pupils with SEND.

Leaders and staff provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate leadership skills. For example, pupils have organised team challenge activities to raise money for charity. Pupils speak confidently about how the school's values encourage them to be kind to each other.

Pupils have a developing understanding of fundamental British values and how these are evident in, and part of, everyday school life. Pupils are really pleased that trips have restarted this year. Days out, such as the visit to Stafford Castle, are memorable and support pupils' learning.

School leaders, supported by the local governing board, are continuing to develop the school. All staff are fully on board and support leaders in their efforts. Staff say that leaders have an open-door policy and can always be approached if help is needed.

Staff appreciate this. Teachers value the actions taken by leaders to make workload more manageable, such as through the revised marking policy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a shared responsibility for safeguarding. Safeguarding is everyone's business. Those responsible for the leadership of safeguarding organise safeguarding training and regular updates for all staff.

Consequently, staff know what to do if they are concerned about a pupil's welfare. Where necessary, leaders work with external agencies so that the right support is put in place for pupils and their families.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, both in and out of school.

Pupils have a solid understanding of online safety and the associated dangers of the internet. Pupils say that they feel safe because the staff care for them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In mathematics, there are occasions when the most able pupils are given tasks that are not challenging.

As a result, they finish tasks quickly and spend too long waiting for other pupils to catch up, or for teachers to provide them with another activity. This limits their progress through the mathematics curriculum. Leaders need to make sure that in mathematics, teachers plan work that is well matched to the needs of the most able pupils, so that their learning can be deepened.

• Teachers are not consistently applying the school's handwriting policy, and some teachers do not have high enough expectations of how well pupils present their work. As a result, some pupils are continuing to produce work that is untidy and poorly presented. Leaders need to ensure that staff apply the school's handwriting policy and have consistently high expectations of the quality of work that pupils produce.