Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this calm and welcoming school community. They enthusiastically described many things that they appreciate about school, especially the friends that they make. Pupils benefit from caring and positive relationships with staff.

They told inspectors that the school is a great place for them to learn.

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They understand the importance of respecting others.

They said that their school is a place where everybody is welcome. Pupils know that people should not be judged for any differences that they may have. Those pupils who have recently joined the school told inspectors that they have settle...d quickly in school.

They value the many ways in which they have been helped to feel part of the school community.

The school has high expectations for all pupils' achievements. Pupils understand these expectations and they work hard to learn as much as they can.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Pupils contribute to school and to the wider community. They are proud of the leadership roles that they have, such as playground friends, school councillors, writing ambassadors and eco-councillors.

Pupils enjoy gardening in the school allotment and in the community nature garden.

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

Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from a carefully constructed, broad and ambitious curriculum. The school has designed learning to build logically from the early years to Year 6.

In 2022, the proportion of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standards in writing and in mathematics was lower than the national average. This was also the case for the number of key stage 1 pupils who met the expected standards in reading and in phonics. The school identified the reasons for this and has taken effective action to remedy these weaknesses.

Across all year groups, the school has successfully addressed any gaps in pupils' learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

Staff receive appropriate training to strengthen the delivery of the curriculum.

They have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Staff select appropriate and interesting activities to engage pupils in their learning.

In most subjects, teachers successfully check that pupils understand and remember important knowledge.

However, in a few subjects, the assessment strategies that teachers use do not identify precisely what pupils have learned and remembered. At times, this prevents some pupils from making connections in their learning and knowing all that they should.

Reading has a high profile throughout the school.

High-quality texts are at the centre of the curriculum. Pupils appreciate the variety of books that teachers read to them. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they enjoy reading.

The school places communication and language at the heart of children's learning in the early years. Staff immerse children in a language-rich environment full of rhymes, books and poems. This helps to prepare children to learn phonics in the Reception Year.

Pupils practise reading from books that contain the sounds that they already know. They use their phonic knowledge to accurately read unfamiliar words.

The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly.

Staff ensure that these pupils access the same learning as their peers. Pupils who struggle to read, including those who speak English as an additional language (EAL), benefit from extra support. This increases their confidence and fluency in reading.

Parents value the strong relationships that the school builds with them. For example, they are invited into school and take part in their children's lessons. Parents receive useful guidance on how to support their children's learning at home.

Children in the early years settle quickly. Staff support them to concentrate on their learning. Pupils display positive behaviour across the school.

They usually learn without interruption. Pupils play well together in a wide range of activities at breaktimes.

Pupils are respectful of different religions and faiths to their own.

They know that families are made up in lots of different ways, and they learn what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils are taught about how to be healthy, both physically and mentally. For example, they learn how to make healthy food choices and how to share any worries they may have.

Pupils understand the importance of seeking advice and making safe decisions. This includes making choices when they are working or playing online.

Governors support and challenge the school effectively to ensure that all pupils receive a high-quality education.

The school is mindful of staff's workload and well-being when making decisions, such as about curriculum policies and development. This helps staff to feel valued and supported in their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? In some subjects, strategies to check how well pupils learn do not focus on the most important knowledge that pupils need to know. This means that some pupils do not learn all the essential knowledge needed. The school should refine assessment strategies in these subjects to check that pupils learn all the information that they will need to secure future learning.

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