Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly enthusiastic about their school. They love the kind, nurturing environment.

Pupils appreciate the 'helping hand', which ensures they know exactly what to do if they need help in any way. Parents are also highly positive about this school, valuing the caring ethos and family feel. Many parents commented that they appreciate the strong sense of community and belonging at the school.

They trust the school to manage any difficulties pupils may have with high levels of compassion and patience.

The school seeks for all pupils to get the best start to their education and achieve well. In many subjects, pupils achieve highly.

This is becaus...e they have strong, positive attitudes to learning. Pupils work hard in lessons, showing high levels of engagement and a thirst for knowledge.

Pupils' behaviour is impeccable.

They show exemplary levels of respect for both adults and for one another. Pupils listen well to each other when taking part in discussions. They really value one another's ideas and thoughts, actively building on what their peers have said during conversations.

Pupils are highly respectful of difference and value diversity. They explain confidently the importance of appreciating everyone as unique individuals, each with something to offer to society.

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

The headteacher, school and trust leaders, and those responsible for governance, work well together to ensure that this school continues to improve rapidly.

Staff feel highly valued. High-quality training equips them well to do their very best for all the pupils in the school.

The school has developed a broad, rich curriculum.

The school aims for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn knowledge and skills appropriate to their age and relevant to their lives. Individual subjects are at varying stages of development. In the strongest subjects, such as mathematics and history, pupils achieve very well.

This is because the tasks teachers design ensure that pupils make connections between concepts and develop their understanding well. For example, in history, pupils in Years 5 and 6 draw on their existing knowledge of the past to understand how migration has shaped the society that we live in today.

However, a few subjects are at an earlier stage of development.

Sometimes, the knowledge pupils must learn and the order in which they need to learn it is not identified clearly enough. Also, occasionally, the information pupils need to learn in topics is too broad. For example, in geography pupils are sometimes required to learn about several different places in the same topic.

This risks pupils learning superficial knowledge and making inaccurate generalisations.

Pupils with SEND receive appropriate and effective support. Right from the start of early years, there are clear systems in place to identify children who may need additional help.

Careful adaptations, and bespoke provision where necessary, ensure that pupils with SEND learn well and are included fully in the life of the school.

Teaching pupils to read is a strength of the school. A well-structured programme ensures that pupils learn the phonics knowledge they need.

Further support, delivered consistently by expert staff, enables those who need extra help with reading to catch up swiftly if they fall behind. Pupils read books that match their reading ability. This helps them to read confidently and apply their phonics knowledge well.

All pupils enjoy reading. In Reception, children enthusiastically join in when listening to high-quality stories and rhymes.

High expectations and strong consistent routines ensure that pupils' conduct is exemplary.

Pupils appreciate being taught the reasons for school rules. They willingly stick to the rules as they understand that they keep them safe. Furthermore, pupil leaders play a key role in educating their peers about aspects of social conduct, such as bullying and racism.

Most pupils attend well. For the very few whose attendance is not as it should be, the school takes a sensible approach to addressing this.

The school supports pupils' personal development well.

Pupils have a strong understanding of healthy relationships and consent. Children in Reception learn how to resolve conflict and take turns in their play. Older pupils learn about maintaining positive friendships.

Visits and special theme weeks enhance the curriculum. To enrich learning about healthy eating, pupils enjoy sampling different foods from the variety of cultures represented in the school. Visitors from different careers introduce pupils to the world of work.

This learning is further enhanced by pupils taking on responsibilities in school, including shadowing members of school staff. Pupils also learn the importance of looking out for those less fortunate than themselves through supporting various charities, including the local food bank.

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, the curriculum is at an earlier stage of development or needs to be refined. This means that the tasks given to pupils do not always enable them to learn as well as they could. The school needs to continue to develop the curriculum, where necessary, to ensure that the whole curriculum reflects that of the strongest subjects and enables pupils to achieve highly.