St Anne’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

Let trust, respect and love live here.' This motto permeates every aspect of St Anne's. Pupils' well-being and care are at the forefront of everything that happens here.

The school has high ambitions for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All adults want children to be the best they can be. Consequently, pupils flourish and do well.

Pupils at this school are a delight. They are courteous, welcoming and friendly. They enjoy learning and coming to school.

The warm and respectful relationships between adults and pupils are a joy to observe. Pupils trust their adults to deal with any ...issues quickly and effectively should they ever happen. Pupils say that everyone is welcome at their school and that they can 'just be who they are'.

The school places great emphasis on pupils' personal and character development. Pupils benefit from an extensive range of activities that develop their personalities and further their interests. The many activities include taking on leadership roles, trips, residentials and a wide range of after-school clubs.

Pupils speak with passion about their roles as special friends to younger peers and as house captains. The school is inclusive and ensures that pupils with SEND have the same opportunities as their peers.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum that ensures pupils learn a wide range of subjects every week.

This includes art, music, computing, and design and technology. Leaders have given careful attention to what knowledge and skills pupils should learn in each subject over time. Pupils achieve well and make strong progress.

Pupils with SEND are well supported. Pupils who may need extra help are quickly identified and supported. They receive bespoke intervention when needed and generally do well.

Staff use assessment well to find out what pupils can do and what gaps they may have in their learning. At times, staff do not always address gaps in knowledge as effectively as they could. When this happens, pupils', especially pupils with SEND, are moved on to new learning before they are ready.

This slows their learning.

Leaders have prioritised reading. Pupils read often.

The new library is well stocked and includes a wide range of interesting and exciting texts. The reading curriculum is sequenced effectively to focus on developing pupils' reading skills. Effective teaching of phonics ensures that pupils learn how to read at an age-appropriate level.

Staff quickly spot pupils who may need extra help. Interventions are swift and ensure that pupils catch up quickly. Over time, pupils become fluent readers.

Nursery and Reception children settle well into school life. Adults forge strong and nurturing relationships with children. Children are safe and happy.

They enjoy learning and playing in classrooms and in the outside spaces. Children learn about the links between letters and sounds as soon as they start school. Adults help children to have the skills they need to begin early reading.

In addition, the environment promotes children's interest in number and early mathematics. Senior leaders are aware of some of the remaining areas that need addressing in the early years, such as the explicit teaching of learning behaviours. They, along with trust leaders, are already addressing these.

Pupils' behaviour is good. Lessons are calm and orderly learning environments. Leaders have set high behaviour expectations and made those clear to staff, pupils and parents.

However, pupils are not yet taught effectively how to regularly meet these very high expectations and can sometimes fall short. When this happens, not all staff consistently reinforce leaders' expectations.

The school utilises its Catholic ethos and values highly effectively to support pupils' personal development.

This work is further underpinned by excellent relationships and the school's personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils have many varied opportunities to grow as people. For example, they are leaders in school, provide support in the library or take part in the many activities to extend their learning beyond the classroom.

Pupils understand about different faiths and cultures and say that everyone is equal regardless of their faith. They are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Senior leaders and the trust are unwavering in their drive for excellence.

They correctly identify any issues that fall short of their high expectations and address them. The trust always ensures that all staff receive regular and highly effective training to enhance their professional development. The coaching model used is exceptional in upskilling staff.

As a result, all staff, including support staff, have strong subject knowledge across the curriculum. Staff and parents are unanimous in their praise for leaders and the trust. All staff are proud to work at the school.

They know that leaders care about their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The gaps in learning that some pupils have, especially pupils with SEND, are not always addressed effectively.

This means that sometimes pupils are moved on to new learning before they are ready, and this slows their learning. The school should ensure that pupils' learning is secure before moving on to new content. ? Staff do not routinely teach pupils how to meet the high expectations they expect of them.

In addition, some staff do not consistently reinforce the school's expectations. Consequently, pupils can sometimes show less positive learning behaviours that fall short of leaders' high expectations. The school should ensure that all pupils know how to meet the expected behaviours and that staff consistently reinforce them when needed.

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