Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and nurturing school.

In line with the school's values, all staff are committed to helping pupils to experience the joy of learning and the possibilities that education can bring. There is a strong sense of community, rooted in the school's Christian ethos. Parents and carers speak very highly of the care that staff provide.

This supports pupils to thrive both socially and academically. Pupils make excellent progress and achieve highly, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils love learning at Saint Francis.

They are kind to each other and treat their peers, and staff, with courtesy and respec...t. Pupils know they are safe here. They behave very well in lessons and around the school.

They take pride in their achievements.

The school offers a broad range of opportunities and experiences for pupils to extend their learning and develop their talents and interests. Through the ambitious music programme, pupils have many opportunities to perform, including at the Royal Albert Hall, and the annual 'four choirs' concert.

Pupils experience the rich history of the local area through visits to key sites and monuments. Pupils look forward to their Year 6 residential trip and enjoy ongoing visits from authors, historians, and artists.

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

The broad, well-sequenced and highly ambitious curriculum is well embedded for all subjects.

The curriculum precisely sets out the important knowledge that pupils need to know. There are clear connections across topics and subjects so that pupils develop a breadth and depth of knowledge over time. For example, in history, pupils draw on their local study of the Notting Hill Carnival in Year 2 when learning about changing patterns of migration in Year 6.

In the early years, children master their understanding of number. This means they can confidently apply their mathematical knowledge across the curriculum.

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, demonstrate a continuous drive for improvement.

Staff value the opportunity to work jointly with colleagues in other local schools. This has greatly strengthened the school's curriculum and helped to reduce workload. Pupils' voices are valued, and they contribute positively to school improvement work.

Staff are proud to work here and describe it as a supportive community.

The school fosters a warm and nurturing culture where everyone feels included. Skilled staff rapidly identify the individual needs of pupils with SEND.

Staff put effective support in place promptly. Consequently, pupils with SEND make excellent progress.

Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Routines are quickly established when children join the Nursery. High expectations for pupils' behaviour are consistently upheld. In lessons, pupils settle quickly into their activities and demonstrate their readiness to learn.

As they move up the school, pupils develop increasing confidence and independence in their learning. This helps prepare them well for secondary school.The school is ambitious that every child will become a confident and fluent reader.

In the Nursery, children learn how to identify different sounds in their environment. This prepares them to begin learning the letter sounds at the start of Reception. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme with consistency.

In Reception, children confidently use actions and gestures to help them remember new sounds. Pupils' progress is assessed at regular intervals. Staff use this information to ensure that pupils who are struggling get the support they need.

This includes pupils with SEND who make strong progress from their different starting points. There are high quality texts from a range of genres to help pupils experience the joy of reading. Pupils look forward to voting for their favourite story book and, overtime, develop a small library of their own.

Mental health is a key priority for the school. Pupils and families have access to a range of therapeutic services to support with this. There is a well thought out and relevant curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education, which helps pupils to make informed choices about their mental health and wellbeing.

The school's Catholic principles support pupils to develop a strong moral awareness and to become well-rounded and conscientious individuals. The school has a comprehensive enrichment programme which ensures pupils are exposed to a breadth of experiences that will support them in later life.

Pupils attend well.

Persistent absence is declining because of the decisive action the school has taken. The school continues to be proactive in addressing barriers to attendance, including ensuring that families have access to specialist support where needed.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.