Our Lady and St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

For leaders and staff at Our Lady and St Teresa's, pupils' well-being is as important as their academic achievement.

In this small school, adults and children get on well and respect each other. During the inspection, parents and carers commented on the 'heart-warming' assemblies that celebrate pupils' achievements.

Pupils enjoy lessons, because teachers make them interesting and fun.

The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils study a wide range of subjects from the start of Year 1. Teachers and support staff help pupils when they find tasks difficult.

Teachers encourage pupils to work together and to help each other. Pupils know that teachers want them to ...do well. Results in national tests were much improved last year.

Pupils behave well in the school. Staff are attentive to their needs. If pupils do something wrong, teachers give them the opportunity to reflect on their behaviour.

This approach is successful. Pupils and staff told us that it works well.

Pupils understand what bullying is and why it should not happen.

They told us that it is not a problem in the school. When it happens, pupils know who to talk to and staff address it.

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

To give pupils a well-rounded education, leaders have redesigned the curriculum.

Pupils now study all the subjects in more depth. Teachers make the content of lessons relevant to pupils' lives. In geography, for example, conservation is the theme that links all the topics.

Teachers use that theme to help pupils understand and remember new concepts. In history, the theme is social justice. These themes are part of the school's values.

Work in pupils' books shows that the new curriculum is helping them to learn well. Pupils are making connections between subjects. They develop their reading and writing skills across the subjects they study.

Teachers started teaching the new curriculum in September. They still need to embed the new, effective ways of teaching. They also need to review the few aspects that are not yet effective, for example when the learning within each topic does not quite link together.

Leaders have organised teachers in three teams to develop foundation subjects in the new curriculum. In the teams, teachers lead the development of subjects they have an expertise in. This is a new responsibility for some teachers.

Leaders need to continue to support those teachers' professional development as subject leaders.

One of the school's priorities is to ensure that all pupils learn to read well. When they join the school in Reception, children learn phonics.

Most make rapid progress, because the teaching is effective. Teachers and support staff help children who find reading difficult. This help allows children to catch up.

Most pupils meet the required standard in the phonics screening check by the end of Year 1. Reading remains a priority up to the end of Year 6.

Staff provide effective support to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers plan lessons with the needs of all pupils in mind. Staff are well trained to help pupils with SEND in lessons. Sometimes, staff need to take pupils with SEND out of lessons for support.

Teachers make sure that these pupils do not miss out on key learning opportunities.

Pupils take part in a lot of trips, visits and other activities that enrich the curriculum. During the inspection, Year 2 pupils took part in an Indian culture afternoon.

Year 5 pupils attended a science workshop led by a student from Warwick University.

Leaders encourage pupils to contribute to the school life. Pupils take on roles in the 'school parliament', the 'eco team', the library team and many other pupils' groups.

The school organises many clubs after school. These clubs allow pupils to develop their interests and talents in sport, art or music.

The induction programme for children and their parents at the start of the Reception year is very effective.

Children settle well into the routine of the Reception class. Staff get to know children well. They assess children's abilities and skills when they join the school.

They set activities that help children to develop their social skills, independence and knowledge. The indoor and outdoor areas are safe and well equipped to support children's development. The early years provision is well led and managed.

Staff are caring and vigilant. Teaching is preparing children well for learning in Year 1.

Leaders and governors work together to make sure that the school serves the community well.

The school is welcoming to parents, and links with the local community are strong.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school's safeguarding policies and procedures are fit for purpose.

All adults in the school understand their responsibility to keep children safe. Staff training is up to date. Leaders and governors review the effectiveness of policies on a regular basis.

When pupils are at risk, leaders work well with families and external agencies to support them.

Pupils feel safe at the school. They trust adults to look after them.

The school has comprehensive programmes in place to teach pupils about safety. Pupils know how to avoid risk when using the internet or social media.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The revised curriculum that the school is currently implementing is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching.

There are still some variations that can limit pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that the effective practices that are being implemented are embedded and shared more systematically across year groups. .

Overall, the revised curriculum is mainly well planned and sequenced. However, there are still adjustments to be made in some subjects to continue to develop the curriculum so that learning is always well sequenced and that tasks meet pupils' needs. This is to fully secure pupils' long-term memorisation of knowledge.

Leaders should ensure that the sequence of learning is further refined in some subjects, such as geography. . Some teachers are new to subject leadership.

Their inexperience means that their skills in curriculum development are only just starting to build. Leaders should provide leadership training for teachers who are new to leading subjects. They need to embed the new subject leadership structure to continue to develop the curriculum for the foundation subjects.

Also at this postcode