St Bede’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this nurturing, inclusive school. They describe St Bede's as 'caring, loving and encouraging'. Pupils enjoy celebrating cultural diversity through events such as 'International Day'.

Pupils consider very firmly that everyone is equal and should be treated with respect and kindness. The school is a harmonious community where older pupils take good care of the very youngest. The school's strong values shine through in daily life.

Staff have high expectations of pupils' achievement and behaviour. All pupils, including those with special educational needs ...and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported to achieve well. Right from the start of early years, skilful staff help children to develop strong learning habits.

This sets them in good stead for later years. Pupils find lessons interesting, focus well and enjoy their learning. A wide range of trips and visits helps to bring subjects to life.

Pupils enjoy the many activities on offer at playtime. They love making dens in the woodland area and using the climbing equipment. Staff make sure that there is always something fun to do.

Extra-curricular clubs such as art, football and orchestra help to develop pupils' interests and talents well. Many pupils are keen musicians and choir members, regularly performing in local venues.

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

Leaders are currently refining the broad and ambitious curriculum.

In most subjects, the curriculum sets out precisely the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught. For example, in mathematics, pupils build on previous learning in a highly structured, carefully considered way. However, in a few subjects, where the curriculum requires further strengthening, the knowledge that pupils need is not yet identified and sequenced precisely enough.

This means that pupils do not build up their knowledge and skills as systematically as they do in the strongest subjects. While pupils achieve well across all their subjects, in a few, they could do even better.The school provides staff with regular training that supports them in improving their teaching further.

Staff have strong subject knowledge. Teachers check pupils' understanding and address any misconceptions before they move on to more complex learning. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified accurately.

Staff adapt activities to ensure they are well matched to pupils' needs. Pupils with SEND complete similar work as their peers and achieve well.

Reading sits at the heart of the curriculum.

This starts in early years, where children have many opportunities to listen to and join in with stories and rhymes. This supports the development of their vocabulary well. Children are taught phonics right from the very beginning of Reception.

Staff listen carefully and check that pupils are becoming increasingly fluent and confident readers. Teachers quickly spot any gaps that pupils may have in their phonic knowledge and give them extra support. While the teaching of phonics is effective, leaders know that some staff would benefit from additional training to ensure a fully consistent approach.

Pupils' personal development is a notable strength. The school gives pupils many meaningful opportunities to act as responsible citizens. For instance, pupils plan and run their own activities to raise funds for their chosen charities.

The pupil eco-council helps to improve the environment by organising litter-picking and 're-wilding' areas of the field. The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught to manage risk and keep safe.

They have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and of growing up. The school makes sure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and for life in modern Britain.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

They make a very positive contribution to the calm, respectful school environment. In early years, children settle into the daily routine quickly and develop strong social skills. Staff act swiftly on the very rare occasion that a pupil behaves unkindly.

No forms of discrimination are tolerated. Pupils are very proud of their well-organised school, and there is rarely any disruption to learning. If a pupil with SEND needs gentle encouragement from adults to refocus, this is carried out with sensitivity and skill.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at the school, and morale is high. They appreciate the many professional development opportunities they receive that help them to continually improve in their roles. They value the strong support they get from leaders.

Governors know the school well and fulfil their role effectively. Parents thoroughly endorse the work of the school. One parent, typical of many, commented, 'St Bede's is a fantastic school, which treats all children equally and with respect.'



Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few subjects are not organised as precisely as the strongest. The precise knowledge and the order in which it should be taught is not clearly identified.

In these subjects, pupils do not build on previous learning as effectively. Leaders should continue to refine the curriculum in these subjects so that pupils' knowledge builds cumulatively over time.

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 October 2013.

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