St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school.

Strong Christian values are at the heart of everyone's work. Staff, pupils, parents and carers feel valued and part of the school family.

Pupils enjoy being part of the school community.

Staff, including the headteacher, provide a warm welcome to all pupils and their families at the start of each day.

Pupils are inquisitive and eager learners. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

Staff make sure that pupils are safe. Bullying is rare.

When this does occur, pupils say ...that teachers deal with it well. Parents appreciate the way in which the staff develop their children's confidence. Pupils' personal development is strong.

For example, pupils take on roles and responsibilities around the school such as answering the phones at lunchtime or being a reading partner for younger pupils.

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

Leaders, governors and teachers have all pulled together to make St Brigid's a good school. Leaders provide staff with helpful support to develop their teaching skills.

In turn, pupils' achievement has improved. At the end of key stages 1 and 2 pupils' attainment is above average in reading and mathematics especially. This is especially true for disadvantaged pupils.

In the early years, staff have excellent relationships with children. Staff support and nurture children's interests well. When children start in Nursery, many are not able to speak as well as they should for their age.

From the start staff make sure they do all they can to help children to speak and communicate more clearly. In Reception, children build on their earlier learning to achieve well. They are ready for the challenges of Year 1.

From the time children start in the Nursery, staff promote children's love of reading. Adults read quality books in an exciting way to grab children's attention. This carries on as they move throughout the school.

Pupils of all ages have the time to read for pleasure. Phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) is taught well. Teachers make sure that pupils' books are well matched to the sounds that they know.

This enables the vast majority of pupils to achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening check. For example, younger pupils with SEND are able to sound out difficult words. If any pupil falls behind, they are helped to catch up quickly.

Pupils repeat their learning in different ways while continuing to learn new sounds and words. As a result, pupils are well on their way to becoming fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

Pupils' writing is not as strong as their learning in reading and mathematics.

However, teachers are helping pupils to understand how to become successful writers. Teachers share examples of good practice. They plan pupils' learning so that it builds on what has been learned before.

Although this is improving, gaps remain in pupils' knowledge of how to write well. This is especially true for disadvantaged pupils. Some pupils find it difficult to express their ideas verbally before they can put pen to paper.

In subjects other than English and mathematics, subject leaders have set out clearly what they want pupils to know and understand. Pupils' learning has been organised in a logical way to help pupils remember more. This helps pupils to make easier links between different subjects.

Pupils have opportunities to repeat and practise their learning in some subjects, which also helps them to remember. For example, in design technology pupils understand clearly how to design and make different products. However, this is not consistently strong across year groups and between subjects.

Pupils sometimes struggle to talk about what they have learned previously. Also, subject leaders do not have enough opportunities to check on the quality of pupils' learning in different subjects.

Teachers manage pupils' behaviour well.

This helps pupils to focus on their learning. Pupils are well-mannered and work together well. Pupils develop into well-rounded and confident youngsters.

They show respect for each other and for adults. Leaders have ensured that pupils learn to be respectful of others' views and opinions. Pupils are reflective and accepting of the differences between people.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to ensure that pupils are kept safe from harm. Staff are alert to any signs that pupils might be at risk.

Leaders work with other professionals to provide the help that parents sometimes need.

Pupils say that they feel safe. This is because staff look after them.

The new computing curriculum ensures that pupils know how to stay safe when online. There is also a range of visitors to school, such as the police, to discuss pupils' personal safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have taken effective action to develop the curriculum, particularly in reading and mathematics.

However, writing continues to be an area for development. This is particularly true for disadvantaged pupils. Senior leaders have identified the need to develop pupils' oracy in order to write more effectively.

Leaders should equip pupils with the skills to articulate what they would like to write before translating this into their writing. Leaders should ensure that the writing curriculum enables pupils to achieve the highest standards in writing, including in the early years. .

Leaders have put in place a coherent curriculum. It is designed to build on pupils' prior knowledge. However, when talking with pupils about their work we found that their recall of essential knowledge was variable.

They have not had enough opportunities to consolidate their learning. Pupils should be given more opportunities to recap what they have learned in different topics and subjects to make sure that they remember what has been taught. Curriculum leaders should check more regularly to ensure that pupils remember what they have learned.