St Edward’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Edward's is a welcoming school.

Pupils from different backgrounds get along together. They value the friendships they make. Pupils are polite and friendly to adults and each other.

They work hard and are keen to learn.

Leaders and staff have high expectations. They plan the curriculum carefully, so that pupils achieve well.

Pupils say they learn interesting things. They talk enthusiastically about the many trips they go on, for example, to the theatre, the zoo and local castles. Termly outdoor days develop pupils' confidence and resilience.

Pupils enjoy spending time with Ralph and Millie, the school dogs.

Staff take time to get ...to know pupils. They help pupils who join the school partway through the year to settle quickly.

This includes pupils who arrive with little or no spoken English. Support for these pupils, and for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is improving but there is more to do.

Most of the time, pupils behave well.

They follow the school rules 'kind hands, kind feet, kind words'. Pupils understand what bullying is. When it happens, adults take action to make it stop.

Every pupil has five adults they can talk to if they are worried or upset, the 'five paws'. Pupils are happy and safe at school.

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

Starting in the early years, leaders think carefully about the small chunks of knowledge pupils need to learn, so that they achieve well.

In almost all subjects, leaders organise learning, so that pupils' knowledge and skills build securely over time. Staff make learning memorable through purposeful trips and visitors. For example, pupils in Year 4 have recently visited the Waseley Hills to learn about wind power.

Throughout the school, there is a focus on developing pupils' vocabulary. In the early years, staff model new words for children. They question children skilfully and listen to their responses.

This helps children's vocabulary knowledge to grow. For example, during the inspection, children confidently used the word of the week - 'celebration' - in their play. Further up the school, teachers explain things clearly.

They use subject-specific vocabulary accurately in their explanations.

Teachers read aloud to pupils each day. They introduce pupils to high-quality texts linked to the topics they are learning about.

Eye-catching murals and a well-resourced library make pupils want to read. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. All staff have received training and deliver this programme well.

They make sure that pupils have books that match the sounds they need to practise. Staff know the sounds that each pupil needs to learn next. All pupils get some teaching that matches these sounds closely.

However, pupils who are behind where they should be spend too much time in phonics lessons that do not teach them the sounds they need to catch up.

In mathematics, as in reading, teachers check what pupils know and understand. Leaders keep track of this information and use it well to help teachers plan what to teach next.

Teachers also make appropriate checks on pupils' learning in other subjects, but currently, leaders do not have as strong an oversight of this information as they do in mathematics and reading. This means they are less sure about how well pupils are learning.

Pupils with SEND and those in the early stages of learning English follow the same curriculum as other pupils.

Each pupil has broad targets based on their needs. Teachers decide on the small steps that pupils need to take to achieve each target. Some teachers do this better than others.

As a result, the quality of provision for these pupils varies from class to class.

Pupils mostly behave well. They move quietly and sensibly around the building, listen to adults and follow instructions.

Occasionally, a small number of pupils lose concentration in lessons. Teachers deal with any inappropriate behaviour effectively. Some pupils receive extra support to help them follow the school rules.

Leaders help pupils to become responsible individuals. Pupils are proud to carry out roles, such as sports captains, school councillors and digital monitors. Pupils learn about the world around them.

They are knowledgeable about the recent changes to the monarchy and prime ministers. Pupils show respect for the beliefs of others. They accept difference.

As one pupil said, 'We are all the same because we are all different.'

Leaders and governors work together to support staff's workload. A governor meets with staff regularly to check on their well-being.

Leaders respond to what staff say. Staff value the training they receive.

Since the last inspection, leaders and governors have improved aspects of the school's work, particularly in the early years.

They have taken some steps to improve communication with parents and carers. However, parents continue to have mixed views about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff receive regular training to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff are vigilant and report concerns about pupils promptly. Leaders take the right action to keep pupils safe.

They refer concerns to external agencies when necessary. Leaders use their knowledge of pupils, their families, and risks in the community to provide bespoke support. This includes signposting families to wider services who can help.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils' knowledge of how to manage different risks builds year on year. Leaders provide parents with information to help keep their children safe when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils who are behind in the school's phonics programme do not get enough teaching that is matched to the sounds they need to learn. This means that some of these pupils are not catching up as quickly as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all teaching is tailored to the sounds pupils need to learn, so that all pupils become fluent, accurate readers as quickly as possible.

• Teachers do not receive enough support to break learning down into small, well-sequenced steps for some pupils with SEND and for some pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. This means that some of these pupils do not make the progress they should. Leaders need to help teachers to identify precisely what each of these pupils needs to learn and ensure that they put this into practice, so that they can achieve the ambitious end points that leaders intend.

• Leaders know what is being taught but do not have a thorough understanding of how well pupils are learning it in some subjects. This means that leaders cannot target their actions as precisely as they need to. Leaders need to have better oversight of how well pupils are learning in different subjects to help guide further refinements to the curriculum.

• Parents continue to have mixed views about the school. Some parents have concerns about the way leaders and staff communicate with them. Leaders and governors should continue to engage with parents to strengthen relationships between school and home.