Saint Clare’s Primary School A Catholic Voluntary Academy, Coalville, Leicestershire

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The four pillars of the school's motto, 'faithfulness, gentleness, tolerance and service', guide pupils in their actions.

The house system embeds these values; each house represents one of the values for the pupils to exemplify. Pupils talk knowledgeably about their meaning.

The school makes sure its pupils understand their own community of Coalville.

Pupils visit the local colliery museum and take part in the Armistice Day parade. This provides the start point to explore diversity in the wider world. One parent stated: 'The sense of community and faith in this school is wonderful.'



The school's expectations for pupils to do well are high,... especially for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is also particularly evident in the early years foundation stage. Children respond to these high expectations.

Pupils' attitudes to their learning are positive. Throughout the school they are attentive in lessons and work well with each other. Pupils are ambitious to do well.

Pupils talk positively about the many opportunities to hold positions of responsibility. School councillors share with pride the improvements they make to the school, such as renovating the benches. The pupil chaplains lead liturgy, write the scripts and share responsibilities.

Sports ambassadors organise charity walks. The eco team promotes ways of looking after the planet.

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

The school ensures that staff are experts at teaching pupils to read.

Staff apply a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. No time is wasted to provide pupils with the support they need. Books match the stage that each pupil is at.

When pupils fall behind, they receive the help they need to help them catch up. Pupils share the book titles, and names of authors, they would like to find out about with the school's librarians. The school ensures that these books go into the library.

Whole-class reading is a fun time. Pupils enjoy reading.

When standards in mathematics declined recently, the school moved swiftly to make improvements.

Expert advice was sought. This support ensured that staff understand how to deliver the ambitious mathematics curriculum. However, at times, misconceptions are not always identified quickly in some lessons.

This means that not all pupils do as well as they could over time. However, pupils talk positively about mathematics. Pupils commonly say they 'love maths!'

There is a clear vision for all curriculum subjects.

For instance, in physical education, safety, maximum participation, inclusion, enjoyment and success are driving principles. The school makes clear the key knowledge it wants pupils to learn in all subjects. This knowledge builds progressively over time.

However, there are inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught. Strong connections are not always made with prior learning. Therefore, not all pupils recall all that they have learned.

Where strong links are made across the curriculum, pupils apply what they know in different contexts. For example, in design and technology, pupils use what they have learned about axles in Year 2 to make more complex designs in Year 5.

Children get off to a good start in the early years.

Well-designed activities skilfully challenge children's thinking. Children work well together to solve problems. They share their work with pride, explaining enthusiastically what they have done.

Children try hard and never want to give up. The environment, inside and out, develops children's independence. Children link their learning.

One child explained, while watering the plants in the sensory area, that: 'Plants need water just like we do.' Staff expertly guide children's learning. Ambitious vocabulary expands children's spoken and written communication.

Staff regularly check that children have learned all they should. Children do well in the early years.

The school ensures that pupils with SEND do well.

Rigorous systems identify pupils' individual needs. Staff receive training to know how to help pupils with SEND. Regular checks find out if more help is needed.

Subsequent support encourages independence and helps these pupils to do well.

The school is a calm and friendly place. Staff care for the well-being of pupils.

There is a strong sense of unity and purpose. Pupils get along together during lunchtime and at breaktimes. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.

The school is ambitious to ensure that all pupils have rich and exciting experiences at school. Visits from the police and fire service help pupils to know how to keep themselves safe. Trips to a university botanical garden develop an understanding of habitats.

Pupils are keen to be good citizens. They raise money for charities. Eco-representatives encourage other pupils to look after the environment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has made significant improvements to the curriculum but has not yet evaluated thoroughly the effectiveness of all subjects. There are inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught.

Strong connections are not always made with prior learning. Therefore, not all pupils recall all that they have learned. The school should check that all subjects are being implemented in the way the school intended so that all pupils remember more of the curriculum over time.

• In a few subjects, misconceptions are not always picked up in lessons for some pupils. This means that not all pupils are doing as well as they could over time. The school should make sure that all teachers have the expertise to identify misconceptions and adapt teaching to ensure that all pupils make progress over time.