Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Our Lady of Compassion Primary School is the heart of its community.

Leaders and staff ensure that pupils get the best possible start in life. They have the highest expectations of all pupils. Staff inspire pupils to be the best that they can be.

The strong relationships between school and home have a positive impact on pupils' learning.

Pupils told us that they feel safe and enjoy coming to school. They want to learn and work hard in lessons.

Pupils value the relationships that they have with their friends and with staff. As a result of excellent personal development, pupils are able to talk openly about how they feel. This helps them to understand ...how others may feel too.

Staff expect pupils to behave exceptionally well and engage fully in their learning. Pupils want to learn because they enjoy their time at school.

Pupils know what is right and wrong.

The school's code of conduct is simple and well understood. Pupils told us that bullying is rare. If it does happen, staff will sort it out.

Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs for sports and music. They are enormously proud of their achievements in regional sports and music competitions. There are also clubs to learn about life skills, such as cooking and Spanish, which pupils attend regularly and enjoy.

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

Leaders and teachers have put in place a curriculum that prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education. They are currently improving this curriculum to make it even more interesting for pupils. Teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils already know.

This makes sure that pupils gain skills and knowledge in a logical order. It helps pupils to make links in their learning. Although there was a slight dip in those achieving the expected standard in key stage 1 in 2018, pupils achieved well in 2019 once again.

Current pupils achieve well across key stages. They are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

Pupils have many opportunities to practise what they already know before they learn new things.

For example, learning in mathematics is broken down into manageable parts for pupils. This gives pupils time to practise and discuss their thinking. In physical education (PE), leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to be able to have each year.

For example, pupils know how to create high-quality sequences in gymnastics because of the movements they have learned in previous years.

Teachers' subject knowledge is strong. They are clear what they are going to teach and how this will help pupils to develop knowledge in the future.

Plans show exactly what pupils should know at the end of each topic. Across all subjects, pupils achieve well. However, some pupils occasionally find it difficult to use what they already know to make connections to new learning.

For example, inspectors found that some pupils did not use what they already knew about rivers to help them when they were learning about the River Nile in history.

Reading is at the heart of the school. Everyone in the school understands its importance.

Pupils across the school enjoy reading and achieve well in this subject. Story times are a special and exciting time of the day. Staff read books that sometimes challenge pupils and at other times entertain.

This fosters a love of reading. The teaching of phonics is a key strength. Teachers plan lessons well.

Pupils' achievement in phonics is strong. By the end of Year 1, most pupils pass the phonics screening check.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve as well as all other pupils.

This is because teachers and support staff meet their needs well.

The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has recently improved. This is because staff now plan learning opportunities which build well on what children can already do.

This ensures that children learn more and are able to do more by the time they enter Year 1.

Governors understand their statutory duties. They receive regular and detailed information from school leaders.

They are proud of the core values that underpin the curriculum: 'employability, diversity, resilience and compassion'. Staff are proud to work at the school. They say that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Leaders have made sure that pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand that respect for other people is vitally important. They routinely support charities and volunteer to help others.

Pupils are well prepared to be active, compassionate citizens of the future. They receive excellent opportunities for their ongoing personal development. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Records are detailed and show that leaders follow up on any concerns quickly. There is a culture of safety around the school.

This is strengthened by the caring relationships between staff and pupils. Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures. They are fully aware of the various signs and symptoms of abuse.

The safeguarding governor meets regularly with the headteacher to discuss safeguarding issues. They ensure that policies are up to date and that they are effective. Leaders make sure that all of the required checks are completed before adults are allowed to work with pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders offer pupils a good-quality, well-planned curriculum. However, they know that there is still more to do to develop the school's curriculum further. Leaders should ensure that pupils know how to make connections between their prior learning, within and across subjects, when learning new concepts and ideas.

This is to deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding. . Recent improvements in the early years provision have contributed to the increase in the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception.

However, these improvements are relatively new. Leaders should embed the recent strategies to improve provision in the early years foundation stage. This is to ensure that a greater proportion of children consistently achieve a good level of development and make strong progress from their starting points.