Corpus Christi RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Corpus Christi RC Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow in confidence and flourish at Corpus Christi School.

They are supported exceptionally well by caring staff. Pupils told the inspector that their teachers inspire them to persevere and succeed. Pupils develop a passion for learning.

They are immensely proud of their many accomplishments.

Leaders expect all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to behave well. Pupils' behaviour is impeccable.

They are fully focused during lessons. Pupils enjoy sharing social times together. They make sure tha...t no-one is left out.

Pupils feel safe and happy at school. They trust staff to sort out any worries that they have. Leaders deal with rare incidents of bullying swiftly and thoroughly.

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils. Children in the early years benefit from a high-quality curriculum. This expertly underpins their later learning.

Older pupils build up an impressive array of knowledge across the curriculum. This helps them to achieve extremely well.

Pupils make a valuable and tangible difference to their school and wider community.

They diligently carry out a wide range of leadership roles, such as chaplaincy or as part of the Laudato Si' team.

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

Many children in the early years arrive at the school with an insecure grasp of language. This includes those pupils who speak English as an additional language.

Despite this, by the time they are in key stage 2, pupils develop a remarkable range and depth of knowledge. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Leaders have designed a highly ambitious curriculum that enables all pupils to be successful.

Pupils readily build on what they have learned before. They easily make sense of new information. This is because teachers skilfully connect new learning with knowledge that pupils have already acquired.

Teachers use a range of effective strategies to check that pupils' previous knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. For example, pupils said that explaining what they have learned helps them to remember key information more easily. Pupils' rapid recall of past learning enables them to confidently apply what they have learned to more sophisticated concepts and ideas.

Leaders are successfully rolling out a new phonics programme. Staff have been well trained to deliver this programme to a consistently high standard. Most pupils develop secure reading knowledge as a result.

Leaders make sure that pupils who need extra help to keep up with their phonics knowledge benefit from the support of skilled staff.

Pupils across the school relish opportunities to read. They make the most of dedicated reading times.

Younger pupils are keen to practise the sounds that they have learned. Older pupils enjoy developing their understanding of complex vocabulary and a wide range of different writing styles. Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, become accomplished readers as a result.

They make excellent use of their considerable reading knowledge to fully access the wider curriculum. The carefully selected texts that teachers share with their classes enhance pupils' learning.

Leaders and other staff are adept at identifying when pupils have SEND.

Staff provide effective support to make sure that these pupils access the curriculum equally well. Staff are experts in swiftly addressing any difficulty that pupils with SEND may be experiencing. Pupils with SEND learn exceptionally well as a result.

In the early years, children quickly learn to respond to their teachers' high expectations for behaviour. Pupils develop extremely positive attitudes to learning. This ensures that no moment of lesson time is wasted.

Many pupils are keen to take part in the wide range of activities that leaders provide for their personal development. Pupils across the school enjoy contributing to the welcoming and vibrant learning community that leaders have created. Pupils become increasingly independent.

By the time that they are in Year 6, pupils are highly motivated and self-reliant. They are eager to face the challenges of the key stage 3 curriculum.

Leaders and governors work in close collaboration to make sure that all pupils receive the highest quality of education possible.

Leaders are highly effective in driving forwards further developments at the school. Governors are well informed and are proficient at holding leaders to account. Staff feel very well supported with their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders make sure that all staff are well informed about how to identify and protect pupils who may be at risk of potential harm. Staff diligently pass on their concerns to leaders with overall responsibility for safeguarding.

Leaders make effective use of the school's reporting system. They are tenacious in making sure that vulnerable pupils benefit from the most appropriate support available to them.

Leaders ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including while they are online.

Pupils develop a keen sense of who to trust. They know when to pass on any worries to members of staff.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in December 2015.

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