St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has set high expectations for what teachers and pupils can achieve. This has improved the quality of teaching and pupils' outcomes since the last inspection.

Leaders check rigorously on how well pupils are learning. Their actions have a clear impact on classroom practice, so that standards are continuing to rise. Governors are highly ambitious for the school, and have taken major steps to increase their own effectiveness.

Teachers provide children in the early years with good opportunities to develop in all areas of learning. Children make strong progress, and are well prepared to start key stage 1. The school spends addit...ional money for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities wisely.

These pupils make good progress and catch up well. Firm expectations and good communications with families have led to a substantial increase in the rate of pupils' attendance, which is now above average. Some improvement plans lack precision about what leaders aim to achieve and the timescales within which they expect to achieve them.

Teaching is good. Teachers set high standards, and introduce pupils to interesting and challenging topics, particularly in the early years and in upper key stage 2. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards their learning, and regularly make good use of informative marking to improve their work.

Sometimes, teachers do not combine classroom activities in a way which enables pupils to make the most rapid gains in knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers frequently provide pupils with good opportunities to develop their skills in literacy and numeracy while studying other subjects. Pupils' progress across the school in a wide range of subjects is now good.

However, a legacy of weaker progress earlier in their school career means that some pupils still have some catching up to do to reach the highest standards by the end of Year 6. Pupils rightly feel very safe in school. They conduct themselves well, and take a consistent pride in their work.

Older pupils appreciate their additional responsibilities.

Information about this school

St Andrew's Catholic Primary School is an average-sized primary school. Pupils Children attend full time in the Reception class, but for the morning session only in the Nursery class.

The school runs Jigsaws Childcare, which provides pay-as-you-go wrap-around care, including provision during the afternoon for pupils in the Nursery class. The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about governors' backgrounds and interests on its website. The large majority of pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged is below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. In 2015, the school met the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.