St Columba’s RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to help others to succeed.

Through undertaking roles such as subject ambassadors, school councillors and prefects, pupils make meaningful contributions to the school. For example, reading ambassadors help children in the early years with their phonics reading. Prefects help to make social times a positive experience for their fellow pupils.

Through the school's 'faith in action' initiatives, pupils proudly support charitable causes.

Pupils enjoy the curriculum trips that are arranged for them. For example, they told inspectors about the geography fieldwork study that helped them to learn about how rivers are formed.

Pupils spoke enthu...siastically about the residential trip to experience outdoor activities. There are several extra-curricular clubs on offer, which some pupils access. These have recently included football, dance and choir club.

The school has high ambitions for what pupils should learn. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), generally achieve well in most curriculum subjects. In recent times, pupils have made particularly strong progress in mathematics.

Pupils conduct themselves impeccably at this school. They love to learn. Pupils are kind and friendly.

They value the school's swift actions to deal with any minor disagreements. They get along well with each other and with their teachers. They are safe and happy.

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

The school has designed a balanced curriculum that is ambitious for its pupils, from the Nursery Year to Year 6. It has broadly outlined what it expects pupils to learn by the end of each year. In many subjects, the school has broken down these expectations into smaller, logical steps of knowledge.

In these subjects, the school provides staff with clear guidance on how and when to teach this knowledge. Staff typically deliver this learning content consistently. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, to build their knowledge securely over time.

The school is currently refining a small number of subject curriculums. Consequently, there is less clarity about what knowledge needs to be taught in these areas of the curriculum. Pupils' understanding in some of these subjects is not secure as it is in others.

Overall, teachers carry out effective checks on what pupils have learned. Teachers respond to these checks by providing help and guidance in lessons so that pupils quickly address their misconceptions. However, the school's checks on learning are less precise in subjects that are still being developed.

The school identifies pupils with SEND early. It provides these pupils with the support that they need to achieve. The school liaises well with external agencies to provide more specialised support for pupils with complex SEND.

Pupils enjoy reading. Teachers read a wide range of high-quality texts to pupils. In early years, these texts are woven through many of the learning activities that teachers design for children.

The school makes sure that children begin learning phonics as soon as they start in Reception Year. Well-trained staff deliver the school's phonics programme consistently. Pupils read books that are appropriate for their current stage of learning.

They receive extra help to catch up when they are struggling to learn new sounds. Most pupils meet the phonics screening check in Year 1.

The school encourages regular attendance.

However, some of the school's actions to tackle attendance issues and lateness are not as focused as they could be. This means that some pupils miss out on important learning.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

Disruptions to learning are very rare. Pupils are very sensible when they move around the school. They are considerate and polite.

Children in the early years quickly learn classroom routines and rise to the school's high expectations for behaviour.

The school caters well for pupils' personal development. Pupils develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values through their curriculum learning and regular school assemblies.

They are respectful of the different backgrounds of others. Older pupils spoke highly of the leadership programme that the school organises for them. They told inspectors how this programme develops their personal attributes, such as confidence and self-awareness.

Pupils have a secure knowledge of how to maintain healthy relationships with others.

Governors fulfil their statutory duties and take an active role in school life. Staff are appreciative of leaders' actions to support them in managing their workload.

For example, they value the extra time that they are given to carry out additional tasks.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school is still refining the curriculum to break down content into smaller, logical steps of knowledge.

At times, pupils' knowledge in these subjects is not secure. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking so that staff have clearer guidance on what they should teach. It should also ensure that this work helps teachers to carry out more precise checks on what pupils have learned.

• Some of the school's actions to improve pupils' punctuality and attendance are not having the desired effect. Some pupils miss out on important learning because they are late to school or do not attend regularly. The school should review its approaches to removing the barriers that are preventing some pupils from attending school regularly and on time.