Our Lady of Victories Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Our Lady of Victories, staff and pupils bring the school's values to life through their daily interactions.

They show courtesy and kindness towards each other. Pupils build friendships, feel part of a family, and celebrate their faith. Staff want the best for every child.

Pupils recognise that 'everyone is unique and achieves in different ways and times'.

Staff ensure that pupils feel safe and well cared for. Pupils are confident in having a trusted adult whom they would go to if bullying were to happen.

They reported that incidents of bullying are rare and, when they do occur, staff are quick to act.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary and re...lationships respectful. Leaders promote pupils' spiritual development very well.

Staff teach pupils about the importance of 'loving your neighbour'. Pupils show acts of love and correctly describe this as, 'helping someone, encouraging and comforting others'. They are open-minded and keen to be 'champions of the future' in promoting equality in society.

Parents and carers appreciate the strong links with the community and parish church. They are active and supportive in donating to charities, such as the Ukraine Appeal. Many parents share the view that, 'the atmosphere is kind and caring where children from different year groups look out for each other'.

Inspectors agreed with this.

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

Leaders plan clear and ambitious end goals for all subjects. Teachers, including the sports coach, have strong subject knowledge.

They organise well-planned learning experiences in subjects such as science, computing, music and physical education. For example, pupils in Year 6 dissect animal hearts to learn about its parts and their functions. In music, pupils learn to read and follow musical notation to play instruments well.

They sing together beautifully.

Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to read to adults throughout the day. Children start learning the phonics programme soon after starting in Reception.

Pupils practise using books matched to the sounds they know. Teachers group pupils so that they can support those needing to catch up in their phonics learning with their peers. Leaders train staff in learning how to teach reading, especially to those who speak English as an additional language.

Pupils enjoy listening to stories that adults read. They take part in reading challenges.

Leaders rightly describe the current initiatives in phonics and mathematics as being 'in their early stages'.

Some teachers use questioning well to deepen what pupils know and remember. This is not consistent in all lessons. Pupils recognise that teachers do not always provide opportunities or time to extend their learning.

Some teaching assistants fall short in supporting pupils' understanding in lessons.

Pupils enjoy being together in the classroom, at collective worship and during playtimes. They interact well with each other.

They show keenness in sharing their ideas and initiatives with school leaders. They ask questions freely. Pupils apply themselves and show exemplary levels of self-control.

Low-level disruptions are rare.

Leaders provide pupils with a range of opportunities to develop as young leaders. They want them to make decisions and choices.

Pupils enjoy their roles and responsibilities as prefects and as science and prayer leaders. They are proud to represent their school in local and national competitions. They take part in clubs such as those for frisbee, drama and netball.

Leaders understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work well with external partners in developing ways of supporting pupils. Teachers focus on the whole-school approach to inclusive teaching in lessons.

Leaders speak positively about the success that pupils with SEND achieve from their starting points. They attribute this to the personalised learning experiences offered.

Leaders' aim is for early years to be an 'activity learning centre where they foster and develop children's independence'.

They recognise the limitations in the timetable and space inside the classroom and outdoors. This makes the realisation of this aspiration challenging. Children in Reception do not have regular opportunities to develop their physical skills.

This includes activities such as climbing, balancing or negotiating obstacles. Children show focused and attentive learning attitudes. They take turns and play well together on the carpet.

Staff work together and enjoy working at the school. Some describe the workload as 'intense', and leaders try to simplify ways of working. Governors understand the actions that leaders need to take to deliver the curriculum consistently.

They recognise the potential in strengthening staff leadership capacity. Leaders know that more visits to lessons will help in forming an exact view of the quality of learning and the delivery of the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

This is a 'telling school'. Staff encourage pupils that if they are ever being bullied, they should ask the individual to stop. Pupils know to talk about their worries by telling an adult.

Leaders make considerable efforts to promote a culture of keeping pupils safe. They provide safety training opportunities. The safeguarding team discusses the school's caseload regularly.

Staff record and report concerns without delay. They involve external agencies where necessary.

Governors understand and fulfil their statutory duties.

Safeguarding systems are secure. All the required recruitment checks for staff are carried out.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not embedded the consistent delivery of all subjects in the curriculum.

This means that some lessons are not well planned to secure and deepen pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that there is a robust system in place to verify how teaching in all subjects helps pupils to know and remember crucial information in lessons. ? Children in Reception have limited access to take part in a wide range of purposeful learning opportunities in the classroom and outdoors.

As a result, some children do not get to develop their physical, personal and social skills in different contexts. Leaders should make sure that meaningful experiences are well planned, offered and delivered daily, indoors and outside the classroom. They should also ensure that adults' interactions support and extend children's learning during high-quality play provision.