Our Lady and St George’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Our Lady and St George's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come happily to school. Teachers know them as individuals and make learning interesting.

Pupils said that they want to do well. They know teachers want them to achieve their best.

This school is a calm and purposeful place.

Teachers expect good behaviour from pupils and pupils are keen to please their teachers. The behaviour policy, which was developed by staff and pupils, is clear and understood by everybody. Staff use common strategies that help children and pupils of all ages understand and meet these expectations.

Leaders make ...sure that pupils learn how to stay safe. Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. They had few concerns about bullying and were confident that teachers sort out problems promptly.

Parents and carers spoke warmly about the way staff try to bring out each pupil's talents. They were appreciative of the range of opportunities offered within and beyond the curriculum, such as the orchestra, choirs and chess. They like the way the school prepares pupils to be confident members of their local and wider community.

Parents told me that school leaders are approachable if ever they have concerns.

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

Leaders want every pupil to read fluently and without delay. The school's approach to teaching early reading is organised well.

Staff make sure that any pupil who is struggling gets the help they need. Staff training in phonics has had a positive impact. Staff understand how to teach phonics effectively and lessons are engaging.

Most pupils are given books to read that match the letters and sounds they know. However, this is not always the case for the least able readers in Reception and in Year 1. The books these children are given to read do not always help them practise the sounds they know.

Staff in Years 3 to 6 have good insight into how pupils learn comprehension skills. This means that pupils are able to discuss and understand the books they read. Teachers want pupils to become keen readers so they base a lot of learning around good-quality books.

Consequently, pupils get to know the work of a wide range of authors. All pupils who spoke with me, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), could talk with understanding about books they had enjoyed at home and at school.

Revisions to schemes of work in the foundation subjects are well under way.

Curriculum leaders have thought carefully about the order in which ideas are taught and learned. In science, for example, they have considered carefully how pupils develop skills of scientific enquiry. The impact of this was seen during a lesson, when I observed pupils discussing and investigating the properties of sound waves.

One aspect of curriculum planning that is not as well developed, however, is ensuring that learning in key stage 1 links with what is taught in the early years.

The music curriculum is rich and well planned. It builds pupils' skills securely over time.

For example, in the early years, children enjoy learning nursery rhymes. In Years 1 and 2, pupils learn to sing confidently in unison and then in rounds. By Year 6, they can sing confidently in parts and are able to add descants.

Class teachers' confidence and knowledge are developed by working alongside a subject specialist. A wide range of extra-curricular activities enhance pupils' musical development.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils who struggle with their behaviour are given help and support, which helps them to change for the better. Pupils focus very well in class. This plays an important part in helping them to learn more and remember more.

Pupils have the chance to take part in a wide range of activities beyond the curriculum. These include cheerleading, gymnastics, football, media, Spanish and a film club. Opportunities exist for pupils to develop leadership skills through these clubs.

Pupils have been involved in several creative writing projects to build their enthusiasm for writing.

The school has a high number of pupils with SEND. These pupils are given good support that enables them to learn well.

The school's approach also helps pupils with SEND to make good progress with early reading.

Governors are committed to and ambitious for the school. They know the school well and understand how it has developed over time.

They are aware of its strengths and areas to develop, but also understand the school's responsibility to manage staff workload appropriately.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture at the school.

Leaders make sure that the correct checks are carried out on everyone who works there. They make sure that staff are trained in safeguarding and understand what should cause them concern and how to report issues. Teachers have thought about the risks to pupils in the local area and made sure that teaching covers those risks.

The designated safeguarding lead acts on any concerns straight away and works well with other agencies to make sure that these concerns are taken seriously.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

While most pupils in the early years and key stage 1 are given reading books that match the letters and sounds they know, this is not routinely the case for the least able. Leaders need to ensure that these pupils are offered books that are appropriate to their phonics knowledge.

This is to help them become more fluent and confident readers. . The process of revising programmes of learning in different subjects is well under way, but not yet complete.

Leaders need to make sure that it is linked to work in the Nursery and Reception. This is so pupils in key stage 1 build effectively on the knowledge and skills that children learn in the early years.

Background

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

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2016.

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