St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher has a resolute and determined focus on improving the outcomes of all pupils and is ably supported by a strong and developing team of senior and middle leaders. The hard work and commitment of all staff have led to improvements in the quality of teaching, pupils' attendance and achievement. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a good start because the environments are well organised and promote a love of learning.

In 2014, the standards pupils reached in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 2 improved on the previous year and were above the national average. Across the school, pupils make good progr...ess from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching is typically good and teachers and teaching assistants work well together to provide pupils with activities which interest them.

Pupils' behaviour is good and they are well mannered, polite and show respect for adults and each other. Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet. Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs helps them achieve as well as other pupils.

The primary school sport funding is used very well to provide pupils with high-quality lessons and a wide range of opportunities to experience and participate in different sports. The governors are well informed and, through their involvement in school, are able to both support and challenge leaders about school performance. The wide range of clubs, trips and links with the local church and other countries effectively promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Marking does not always provide pupils with clear guidance on how to improve in all subjects. Work is not always set at a level which challenges all pupils, especially the most able, for them to reach their potential. The best teaching practices evident in the school are not always shared widely among staff.

Information about this school

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of those who speak English as an additional language are similar to national averages.

The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is below average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. St Anthony's Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy on 4 April 2013. When its predecessor school, St Anthony's RC Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.

There have been significant changes to senior leadership since 2011, including the appointment of a headteacher in 2011 and a deputy headteacher in 2012. The deputy headteacher left for a promoted post in April 2014. A new structure of leadership has been implemented, with two new deputy headteachers appointed in the last 12 months.

Other senior and middle leaders were appointed in September 2014. There have also been significant changes to teaching staff over the past three years. The school currently has six newly qualified teachers and a further eight teachers who are in the early stages of their career.

The early years comprises a full-time Nursery and full-time Reception classes. The school is a member of the Wythenshawe Catholic Academy Trust. At the time of the inspection, the school was undergoing major building work to provide three new classrooms.