St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Anthony of Padua Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school is at the heart of the community. Pupils arrive with big smiles on their faces each morning. Leaders have created a caring and supportive environment where everyone is respected.

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy.

On the rare occasion that bullying happens, leaders take it seriously.

They deal with it swiftly and effectively.

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils' behaviour and learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils... proudly rise to meet these aspirations.

Their behaviour and positive attitudes to learning contribute to their strong achievement.

Pupils are also encouraged to develop their talents and are given opportunities to further explore their interests in drama, sports and music. They enjoy attending extra-curricular activities, such as cross-country running, choir and chess.

Pupils' confidence and resilience are developed well by taking on various leadership positions, such as school council members and playground buddies. Teachers help pupils to understand the importance of physical and mental well-being. As a result, pupils know how to keep themselves fit and healthy.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum which is ambitious and exciting for children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2. All pupils, including those with SEND, study the full range of national curriculum subjects throughout their time at the school. Leaders have carefully considered their local context, alongside the interests of their pupils, when designing the curriculum.

Pupils achieve well across most subjects.

In most subjects, teachers have the knowledge and expertise that they need to teach the curriculum well. In these subjects, they present new learning clearly, so that pupils can build on prior knowledge and tackle more complex concepts confidently.

Teachers also use assessment information well to address pupils' misconceptions. However, in a small number of subjects, some teachers do not check that pupils have mastered earlier learning before moving on to newer concepts. This means that some pupils develop misunderstandings and their learning is less secure in the longer term.

In most subjects, leaders check the delivery of their curriculums effectively. They provide staff with helpful feedback to develop their confidence and skills further. However, some leaders are newer to their role.

They lack the specific subject knowledge that they need to identify where teachers may need additional support to deliver the curriculum even more effectively.

Leaders use a range of effective strategies to identify pupils with SEND. Teachers adapt their delivery of the curriculum well so that pupils with SEND can access the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates.

Leaders ensure that reading is a high priority across the school and staff promote a love of reading among pupils. Teachers immerse pupils in a wide range of high-quality texts. Leaders train staff to deliver the phonics programme effectively and with consistency.

Pupils practise reading using books matched accurately to the sounds that they know. Staff provide targeted support for those pupils who need to catch up. In the early years, staff encourage children to develop their awareness of letters and sounds from the start of the Reception Year.

Older pupils enjoy the responsibility of reading with the children in the early years.

Children gain good habits for learning from the start of their time in the early years. Pupils across the school behave well and they listen to their teachers and follow instructions.

They engage positively in their learning and contribute well to class discussions. Pupils understand the importance of good attendance and how this helps them as learners. They attend school regularly.

Leaders promote pupils' wider development well. Pupils develop a well-informed understanding of fundamental British values. They also learn to appreciate the differences between people, such as ethnicity, religion and gender.

As a result, pupils are respectful and well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors are committed to their roles and carry out their statutory duties effectively. They have high expectations of leaders and they hold them to account for their work to continually improve the school.

Leaders carefully consider the well-being of staff. Consequently, staff feel valued and supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff are well trained to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have any concerns about pupils' safety or well-being. Leaders work closely with external agencies to make sure that pupils and their families get the support that they need.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn to understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils have learned about the dangers of playing games online and the risk of cyber-bullying.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers check that pupils' understanding of new learning is secure before they move on to new concepts.

This leads to some pupils developing misconceptions over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding before moving them on to new learning. ? New subject leaders do not have the curriculum expertise that they need to support teachers fully.

This means that they are not able to spot when some teachers need extra help to deliver the curriculum more effectively. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are equipped to evaluate what is going well and what needs to improve in the subjects that they lead.Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2014.

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