St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher, supported by a strong governing body, has taken strategic action since the last inspection to improve pupils' achievement.

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, now leave the school well prepared for their secondary education. By the end of Year 6 in 2015, pupils' attainment, including that of disadvantaged pupils, was above the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. It was significantly so for the most-able girls in writing and for the most-able boys in mathematics.

Teaching has improved, especially in lower Key Stage 2, as a result of a high quality professional development programme. This inclu...des the effectiveness of marking and feedback in workbooks. Pupils now understand more readily what they need to do to improve their work and so their progress has accelerated.

Attendance is now high. The good teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) enables pupils, including those who arrive at the school speaking little or no English, to reach above average standards in reading. Pupils are very well cared for by all adults in the school, and so they feel completely safe and secure.

Year 6 pupils assert that bullying of any kind is rare. Pupils' behaviour in and around the school is usually exemplary. Almost all pupils, staff and parents who completed the online questionnaires expressed positive views about pupils' behaviour.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted. The pervading atmosphere is welcoming, calm and harmonious. Provision in the early years is good for children of varying abilities and from a wide range of backgrounds.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not consistently challenge most-able pupils appropriately, especially girls in mathematics and boys in writing. Although the marking and feedback in workbooks have improved, there is still more to be done to ensure that it is all as effective as the best in the school, as seen in lower Key Stage 2. The new system for assessing pupils' achievement without levels is not yet full embedded.

Although teachers are delivering the new National Curriculum, they are not consistently basing their planning on pupils' assessed learning needs. Subject leaders are relatively new to their roles and require further support to embed best practice.

Information about this school

This is a larger than average sized primary school.

Approximately half of the pupils are White British. A large range of minority groups ethnic are represented, the largest being any other White background. A larger than average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.

Some of these arrive in school with very little or no knowledge of English. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is low. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by the school, including those with a statement or education, health and care plan is below average.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics. The school is part of the Local Collaborative Trust, a mutually supportive cluster of schools working together to raise standards. The headteacher has been in post since January 2013.