Our Lady and St John’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. School leaders have ensured that the school's effectiveness has remained good.

Pupils achieve above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics over time. The numbers of pupils securing the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6 have risen recently and are above average. This is good achievement.

Pupils make good progress as a result of effective teaching in Years 1 to 6. Teachers and teaching assistants plan well together. As a result, pupils in need of extra help receive the best attention and support so they too make good progress.

The school provides a good range of activities to develop pupils...' spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness successfully. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils behave well in and around school.

They are polite, friendly and respectful to adults and to each other. They say it is a safe and caring place and are able to recognise any potential dangers outside of school. The new headteacher and the governors are united in their clear vision for moving the school forward and consequently the school is well placed to improve even further.

It is not yet an outstanding school because: The early years provision requires improvement. Weaknesses in assessing children's understanding and level of ability means activities are not always matched to their learning needs. Middle and subject leaders do not always check up on pupils' learning closely enough.

As a result some pupils are not always moved on to more demanding work quickly enough. Teaching does not always ensure that pupils follow their teachers' advice after their work is marked. Pupils are not always taught how to further improve the quality of their writing.

Information about this school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school with one form of entry. The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well above the national average, but very few pupils are at an early stage of learning English. Approximately one third of the school's population are Polish speakers.

Very few pupils are supported through the pupil premium. This additional government funding is for children who are looked after by the local authority or who are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is lower than the national average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is average. The children in the early years provision attend full time. The school meets the government's floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

There has been a high level of staff turnover during the last academic year. Approximately half of the current class teachers took up their appointments in September 2014. The new headteacher joined the school in September 2014, following the retirement of the previous headteacher.

Also at this postcode