St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that adults in the school have high expectations of what they can achieve. As a result, pupils understand that they have a responsibility to try their best.

This helps them to be proud of their learning. They enjoy their lessons and like the various rewards for their work, such as the reading badges that they wear with pride.

Staff help pupils to understand the clear behaviour expectations.

Consequently, pupils behave well. Pupils in this school are very respectful. They aim to be the most 'awesome version of themselves'.

Older pupils enj...oy being positive role models for younger children. Incidents of poor behaviour and bullying are rare. When there are incidents, pupils trust staff to support them to resolve these.

Pupils relish the wide range of clubs and opportunities on offer. Year 6 pupils learn to be kind leaders in different prefect roles. They take these roles very seriously.

For example, they support younger pupils to play at lunchtimes. Pupils love visiting the forest and farm schools. They enjoy learning how to look after animals and how to identify different types of plants and trees.

Pupils also value how these experiences support their well-being.

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

Leaders and staff carefully balance giving pupils the knowledge and skills they need with supporting their personal development. This helps pupils to be well-prepared for their next stage of learning.

Leaders have ensured that the teaching of reading is strong. In the pre-school, children develop listening and speaking skills in preparation for learning phonics. From Reception onwards, teachers teach phonics in a well-ordered way.

This helps children get off to a good start in learning to read. Pupils practise their skills by reading books that are well matched to the sounds they have learned. Staff give effective extra support to those who fall behind to help them keep up.

Older pupils read challenging texts to broaden their reading experience. Pupils in all year groups love adults routinely reading books to the class. Pupils have a deep love of reading and learn to read well.

In mathematics, staff receive high-quality training to develop their subject knowledge. Leaders have ensured that the plans are well sequenced. As a result, teaching is effective and pupils build on their previous learning.

Children in Year 2 were observed using their prior knowledge to group numbers in different ways to make 10. Staff have prioritised the development of pupils' speed and accuracy when working with numbers. Consequently, pupils make good use of their improved fluency when solving problems.

Leaders have made sure that in subjects other than mathematics and English, plans carefully sequence what pupils will learn from the early years. In some subjects, such as personal, social and health education, subject leaders have precisely identified what essential knowledge they want pupils to know. This helps pupils to build their knowledge confidently over time.

For example, Year 6 pupils use their prior learning to maturely reflect on the question 'What is love?'. In some other subjects, subject leaders have not yet prioritised the most important content that they want all pupils to know. In physical education (PE), leaders have not ensured that pupils have received their entitlement to swimming lessons.

The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) uses her expert knowledge to advise staff. Staff carefully identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that they have the necessary adaptations they need to learn successfully alongside their classmates in English and mathematics. The SENDCo's work to check pupils' learning in other subjects and involve parents in reviewing pupils' targets is at an earlier stage.

Leaders' work to promote pupils' wider development is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy a range of interesting trips and experiences linked to the curriculum, including visiting the Houses of Parliament. Pupils learn about different faiths and how to get on with other people.

They can explain what a healthy relationship is. This learning starts in Reception when children learn what can cause different emotions.

Pupils are considerate and inclusive of others.

One pupil commented, 'I like how everyone respects each other.' Children in the early years settle quickly into their new routines. Pupils of all ages concentrate well in lessons and want to do their best.

Governors have a firm understanding of how to challenge and support leaders about the quality of education. They work closely with subject leaders to check for themselves what leaders tell them. Staff feel well supported by leaders and governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive good-quality safeguarding training and regular updates through the year. This ensures that they know what to be aware of and what action to take when they notice concerns.

Leaders know pupils and their families well and are alert to changes in circumstances. They work well with external agencies to help families and pupils get the support they need, pushing for further action when required.

Pupils learn about different risks they may face and how to manage them.

The youngest pupils are taught the language to describe different parts of their body so they have the means to share concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is variability in how clearly subject leaders have identified the key content that all pupils will learn. As a result, pupils are not always building on the essential knowledge over time.

Leaders should make sure that the most important knowledge is precisely identified from early years onwards and then check how well pupils have learned it. Leaders have already taken action to address this weakness over the coming year. For this reason, the transactional arrangements have been applied.

• Leaders and governors have not ensured that the full national curriculum for PE has been taught. This means that pupils have missed out on swimming lessons. Leaders and governors should ensure that all pupils have swimming lessons as part of their PE sessions.

Leaders have already taken action to address this weakness over the coming year. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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/outstanding.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2016.

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