Runnymede St Edward’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Runnymede St Edward's. They are safe in school and they feel privileged to be part of a warm and welcoming community.

Pupils enjoy learning. They recognise that learning all that they can is important for their future lives.

Pupils live up to the high expectations that staff have for their learning.

Typically, pupils achieve well. This includes children in the early years, who are well prepared for all that Year 1 has to offer.

Staff demand equally high standards of behaviour from pupils.

Pupils show exemplary attitudes to learning. They are extremely well mannered and polite. Staff take swift and appropriate actio...n to resolve any incidents of bullying or unkindness if these should ever occur.

Pupils respect other people. They discuss the differences between themselves and others in an incredibly positive and mature way. Pupils also collect food and raise money for multiple charities and worthy causes.

They have a remarkable understanding of current affairs.

Staff nurture and celebrate pupils' talents and interests exceptionally well. For instance, pupils learn to play musical instruments to a proficient level.

They sing in harmony in the school choir. All pupils benefit from a vast array of extra-curricular activities and experiences. For example, they visit a wide range of museums, cities and different countries.

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

Leaders have successfully ensured that pupils learn well during a period of transition in the school's status. They have created an ambitious and knowledge-rich curriculum. Leaders have identified the subject content that pupils should learn and the order in which this knowledge should be taught.

Most leaders provide suitable training so that teachers can improve how well they implement the curriculum. However, in one or two subjects, leaders do not check with sufficient rigour that teachers are covering all the important knowledge that pupils must learn. This prevents these leaders from knowing that pupils are achieving as well as they should.

Generally, teachers provide pupils with clear explanations when introducing new topics and concepts. Furthermore, in most subjects, teachers successfully use leaders' assessment systems to check that pupils understand new knowledge. However, in a minority of subjects, leaders' assessment strategies do not provide teachers with sufficient information about what pupils have learned and remembered.

Occasionally, this weakness means that some pupils develop misconceptions which go unchecked.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life. Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly and accurately.

Leaders collaborate closely with parents and carers, and with external professionals. In the main, this ensures that pupils with SEND get the timely support that they need to achieve well.

Reading is a priority for all staff.

In the early years, staff immerse children in a language-rich environment, which is full of songs, stories and rhymes. Older pupils help younger children to develop a love of books by reading alongside them. Pupils read widely.

They relish talking about their favourite books and authors.

Children successfully start to learn phonics from the Reception Year. Leaders have made sure that staff have the expertise to teach early reading well.

This helps pupils to develop their phonics knowledge and wider reading skills. Most pupils learn to read with accuracy, confidence and fluency. Staff provide pupils with books that align closely with the sounds that they are learning.

Leaders have designed a programme to support pupils' development which goes beyond the expected. They provide pupils with a phenomenal range of rich experiences that enhance the curriculum. Pupils attend many clubs and enrichment activities, where they practise and develop their wider knowledge and skills.

For example, they engage in sports clubs, drawing classes, cookery club, coding club and foreign language classes. Pupils' participation rates in clubs are exceptionally high.

Pupils delight in showcasing their accomplishments.

For example, they relish celebrating their recent achievements in the school's prestigious awards scheme. These awards recognise pupils' strong contribution to the local community and to the school community. Leaders encourage pupils to develop into active and responsible citizens, by allowing them to take on roles of responsibility in school.

For instance, pupils become play leaders, school councillors, health ambassadors and librarians.

Pupils display excellent behaviour and conduct in all that they do. They develop into independent and resilient learners who apply themselves diligently to every task.

Children in the early years share and take turns. They have a strong sense of belonging. Older pupils learn that their opinions matter and that they can speak out and be heard.

For example, pupils have contributed to radio broadcasts, where they have discussed social justice and charitable work.

Governors bring relevant knowledge and skills to their roles. They successfully challenge and support school leaders to continually improve the quality of education for pupils.

Governors and leaders are mindful of staff's workload and well-being. Staff enjoy working at the school and they value the ongoing support and training that leaders provide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. They have introduced robust systems to ensure that safeguarding concerns are recorded and monitored effectively.

Leaders work well with outside agencies.

They provide staff with up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff are alert to the signs that may suggest a pupil is at risk of harm. They understand how to report concerns, including allegations about the conduct of a colleague.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum thoroughly covers important aspects of safeguarding. Visits from professionals, such as the police and well-being coaches, enrich pupils' understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils know how to protect themselves when using social media.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some leaders do not check in sufficient depth how well the curriculum is implemented. They do not know whether teachers are delivering all the important curriculum content that pupils should learn and whether pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that they check that the curriculum is being delivered as intended and that pupils are learning all that they should.

• In a small number of subjects, leaders' assessment systems do not provide teachers with sufficient information about how well pupils are learning. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions which go undetected. Leaders should ensure that their assessment strategies provide teachers with all the information that they need to address deficits in pupils' knowledge, skills and understanding.