Catcott Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Catcott Primary School are happy and safe. The school values of curiosity, creativity and compassion shape the whole curriculum. Outdoor learning is a favourite part of the day.

Pupils relish the regular sessions they spend in the forest area learning new skills. As a result, pupils find their time in school fun and exciting, and they learn a lot.

The school is ambitious for pupils to experience a high-quality education.

It has markedly improved the curriculum and staff's subject knowledge so that pupils learn, remember and can do more over time.

Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. They are polite and courteous to adults ...and each other.

Pupils live up to the school's high expectations. Bullying is rare. Staff build warm relationships with pupils.

Pupils are confident that staff will sort out any worries or concerns they may have. This contributes to a harmonious atmosphere in the school.

Pupils enjoy the wide and diverse range of extra-curricular activities they can attend.

These include multi-sports, arts and crafts, construction and choir. Pupils develop their leadership skills through opportunities to become house captains or school councillors. These experiences help them to build their confidence.

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

Children get off to a flying start. Adults build positive and caring relationships with children and their families. The well-thought-out provision in the early years promotes learning effectively.

This means that children are ready for Year 1.

The school prioritises early reading. As soon as children in Reception Year are ready to learn to read, they do.

They learn phonics in a logical order. Teachers provide effective support for those pupils who fall behind. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know.

This helps pupils to develop their fluency and become capable readers. Pupils enjoy reading. They are introduced to a wide variety of high-quality texts from the well-resourced library.

However, the approach to teaching reading to older pupils varies between classes. This slows progress for some pupils.

In most subjects, pupils learn, do and remember more over time.

Teaching helps pupils to build on what they already know. For example, in mathematics, teachers use resources effectively to develop pupils' mathematical understanding. They explain new concepts clearly and model mathematical vocabulary well.

Across many subjects, teachers provide frequent opportunities for pupils to revisit and consolidate new learning. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum, tackling increasingly complex concepts. However, where subjects are less developed, the curriculum is not routinely implemented as well as the school intends.

In these subjects, pupils do not learn the same depth of knowledge as they do in the more established subjects.The school has taken effective action to strengthen the writing curriculum. For example, it has made sure that staff have the subject knowledge they need to teach writing effectively.

This is having a positive impact on the quality of writing across the school. Therefore, the published outcomes for writing in 2023 do not fully reflect how well current pupils are learning.

The school is ambitious for what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can achieve.

Staff know these pupils well. Individual pupil plans are precise. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to help pupils learn alongside their peers.

The school works closely with parents and external agencies to ensure that pupils get the right support. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well.

Some groups of pupils do not attend regularly enough.

This results in these pupils missing out on learning and not building their knowledge well over time. The school is taking positive action to improve attendance. However, there is still more work to be done to reduce persistent absenteeism further.

A strong personal, social and health education curriculum supports pupils' well-being and wider development. Pupils have a good understanding of different religions and views. For example, they accept that different opinions and beliefs of others should be respected.

Pupils are well prepared to contribute positively to society as respectful citizens.

The school has a committed group of governors who fulfil their roles well. They receive accurate information about the school.

This helps governors to understand the school's strengths and priorities. Their intelligent work to support and challenge leaders enhances the effectiveness of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, including reading in key stage 2, the curriculum implementation is not consistent across all classes. Consequently, pupils do not develop sufficient depth in their knowledge and skills, and their progress is slowed. The school should continue to develop staff expertise to implement the curriculum more effectively and help pupils build knowledge and skills over time.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This leads to gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should continue to develop and extend the strategies it uses to work with parents to improve attendance so that pupils do not miss out on important learning.

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