St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School Hindley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy in school. They spoke enthusiastically about the range of clubs and opportunities available to them.

Pupils feel privileged to represent the school in a variety of sporting events. They are proud of their recent successes in football competitions. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, to develop their interests and improve their physical health.

Pupils are thoughtful and caring. They value being part of their local community. Pupils enjoy activities such as singing to residents at the local care home.

They enjoy putting smiles on people's faces.

Child...ren in the early years quickly learn how leaders and staff expect them to behave. Older pupils also understand leaders' high expectations of their behaviour.

Children and pupils behave well. They make sure that they are ready and respectful.

Pupils are well cared for.

They know that staff listen to them if they have any worries. If bullying happens, staff deal with it quickly and well. This helps pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

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

Leaders have developed a well-organised curriculum.

Their curriculum enables pupils to learn in a logical way. It builds children's knowledge from the early years as they progress into key stage 1 and beyond. Curriculum leaders are ambitious for their subjects and for all pupils.

However, a small number of pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they do not benefit from leaders' ambitious curriculum as well as they could.Curriculums in many subjects are well established.

Leaders have ensured that staff know how to deliver these curriculums well. Leaders have broken down the important knowledge that pupils need to acquire into well-ordered steps. Teachers introduce and revisit this knowledge in a systematic way.

They check that pupils know and can remember what they have taught them. Pupils build their learning securely and achieve well in these subjects.In a small number of subjects, leaders' curriculum improvements are more recent.

Some leaders are finalising the order in which pupils will learn new knowledge. Leaders' approaches to assessment are also at an earlier stage in these subjects. However, leaders' improvements to these subjects mean that pupils remember essential knowledge better than they did in the past.

Leaders have improved the teaching of reading. They have introduced a new phonics curriculum and trained staff to deliver it well. Leaders have also invested in books that match the sounds that children and pupils have learned.

Children in the Reception Year take part in their phonics sessions enthusiastically. They quickly learn new letters and the sounds that they represent. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted some pupils' learning.

This means that some pupils in Years 1 and 2 have missing phonics knowledge. Leaders support these pupils to catch up well. However, some staff do not support these pupils as effectively as they could.

This slows some pupils' progress in developing secure reading knowledge.Staff immerse children in the early years into a world of much-loved stories. Teachers support older pupils to sustain this early love of reading.

They provide pupils with a broad range of high-quality books. Pupils become competent readers. They apply their reading knowledge well when learning new information in other subjects.

Children in the early years listen carefully to adults, and work and play together well. They are keen and inquisitive learners. Older pupils build on this positive start.

They are attentive in lessons and do not disturb each other's learning.

Leaders make sure that staff know how to identify pupils or children in the early years with SEND. Staff provide effective support for these pupils in class.

This helps pupils with SEND to achieve well.Leaders and staff place a strong focus on pupils' wider development. Pupils know how important it is to look after their physical and mental health, for example how to make healthy food choices.

Pupils readily take on extra responsibilities. In this way they learn how to become responsible citizens.Staff enjoy being part of the school team and their morale is high.

Leaders support staff to develop a healthy work–life balance.Governors are proud to serve the school community. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education across all subjects effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the safeguarding needs of pupils. They ensure that staff are well trained and know how to identify and report any concerns about pupils' safety.

Leaders are diligent in following up these concerns.

Staff also know how to identify pupils who may need help with their mental or emotional health. Leaders put effective pastoral support in place for these pupils quickly.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when working or playing online. They know that they should speak out if they are made to feel uncomfortable by other pupils or adults.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some aspects of the reading curriculum are not delivered consistently well by all staff.

This is particularly true for pupils receiving extra support to build their phonics knowledge. Leaders do not ensure that these pupils build up secure reading knowledge as quickly as they could as a result. Leaders should make sure that staff get the support that they need to deliver the reading curriculum equally well.

• A small number of pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. Their learning is disrupted as a result. Leaders should continue to work with parents and carers, and other agencies to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly so that they can achieve as well as they can.