Our Lady and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils are included fully in the life of this caring school. A pupil explained, 'The school opens its arms to all children.

Everyone is welcome.' Leaders promote this ethos through the 'Big Question' in assemblies. This encourages all pupils to consider the role they play in making sure everyone is of equal value.

Pupils are proud of their school. They feel happy, safe and respected.

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum which makes full use of the local area.

Visits to galleries, museums and theatres bring learning alive. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and enjoy the topics they study. One Year 6 pupil said that in sci...ence, 'The cup is only ever half full.

There is always more to learn.' Leaders and teachers foster a love of reading across the school. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the authors they know, the books they enjoy reading and their new library.

However, the books that the younger pupils take home to read are not matched closely enough to the sounds that they know.

Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning.

They behave well in lessons and at playtimes. Incidents of bullying are rare. Relationships between pupils and adults are strong.

This means that pupils are confident that staff deal with any issues. The overwhelming majority of parents are happy with the school.

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

Leaders ensure that reading is a high priority throughout the school.

Phonics is taught well, and pupils get off to a flying start. Any pupils who fall behind in reading receive extra support to help them catch up. This helps pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

Children in Reception and pupils in key stage 1 read books in school that are well matched to the sounds that they know. This is not the case when pupils take books home to read. Sometimes these books are too hard because they do not contain words with sounds that pupils have learned.

Across the school, staff share whole-class novels, which pupils enjoy. The vast majority of pupils achieve the expected standard in reading at the end of key stages 1 and 2.

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children.

They make the learning of new words an important part of lessons. Regular checks on pupils' understanding of key words help them to understand and use subject-specific vocabulary with confidence. For example, when defining a divisor, a lower key stage 2 pupil said, 'It is the number you are dividing the dividend by to get the quotient.'

Yet, pupils do not use subject vocabulary as well across the wider curriculum. Leaders do not always introduce vocabulary in a timely way in subjects such as science.

Subject leaders check the quality of their subjects well.

They benefit from training and opportunities to share their learning with other staff in school. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They are adept at sequencing learning so that new ideas build on what the pupils already know.

Across the wider curriculum, for example in science, teachers' assessments of what pupils know and can do need further development.

The special educational needs co-ordinator is well trained. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive work which is challenging and ambitious.

They often complete the same work as their peers, with extra support if needed.

Governors know the school well. Accompanying leaders for walks around the school gives them a clear picture of the school.

This helps them to challenge and support leaders in equal measure. Governors also receive information about the school's performance from subject leaders. This means they can check on the quality of leaders' plans for all pupils.

Pupils take on roles of responsibility, such as playground leaders and school councillors. They have a wide knowledge and understanding of different cultures and religions in the school and locally. They show respect for, and tolerance of, those with different faiths and beliefs.

They have studied the major world religions and made visits to places of worship, such as the local synagogue. Pupils understand the importance of working hard and having clear rules. They understand British values and know the difference between right and wrong.

Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Leaders and teachers have developed close relationships with parents and carers. They provide information workshops for parents on relationships and sex education.

All pupils access this aspect of the curriculum.

The early years leader ensures that all adults are well trained. They are clear about what they want their children to achieve.

Adults are adept at questioning the children and modelling the language they expect them to use. This means that children's vocabulary develops rapidly and prepares them for later learning in key stage 1. Books are central to the curriculum in the early years.

Teachers give children the opportunity to choose their whole-class reading books together. This captures their interests and promotes a love of reading from an early age. During the inspection, teachers had linked activities to the class book.

Some children acted out the story of The Three Little Pigs while others made buildings that the wolf could not blow down. Adults helped the children to confidently use the language of the story. This language-rich environment supported the children's learning well.

Children in the early years benefit from a rich and varied outdoor environment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders carry out all the necessary checks to ensure that the adults working with children are safe to do so.

Leaders have ensured that all staff are well trained. This is regularly revisited, and staff are confident in reporting concerns they have. This results in swift and effective action being taken in response to safeguarding concerns.

There is a culture of vigilance in the school. The strong relationships that adults have with children mean that pupils always have someone to speak to if they are worried.

Leaders work well with external agencies to get the right help to the right children and families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school is developing pupils' vocabulary effectively in reading, writing and mathematics. In other curriculum areas, such as science, pupils are not introduced to new vocabulary quickly enough. In addition, the definitions they use are not scientifically accurate.

Leaders need to ensure that the approach to developing vocabulary in all curriculum areas is timely and provides opportunities for pupils to learn and make use of this newly acquired language. . The school has well-established systems to check on pupils' progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders have trialled assessments in other subjects, but these are still developing. Assessment in the wider curriculum does not provide accurate information on pupils' attainment. Leaders need to ensure that assessments carried out in the wider curriculum give teachers and leaders an accurate picture of pupils' understanding.

. For pupils across Reception and key stage 1, the books that are read in school closely match the sounds that the pupils know. This builds pupils' confidence, enjoyment and fluency.

However, pupils' home reading materials do not consistently match the sounds that pupils know. Some books are too hard to read confidently. Leaders need to ensure that the books pupils read at home are matched closely to the sounds they have been taught.