St George’s Catholic Primary School, Warminster

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has experienced an unsettled period mainly due to changes in staffing and leadership arrangements.

The school has begun to address some of the weaknesses in provision that are evident in published outcomes. However, pupils do not learn effectively.

The school encourages pupils to celebrate difference and to be respectful of one another.

Pupils recognise how the school values of faith, courage, honesty, respect and love help them to know how to treat one another. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They are polite and well mannered.

The school provides a range of after-school clubs, such as dance and drama, craft, mindfulness, Littl...e Troopers and cinema club. These help pupils to develop talents and interests. Pupils value leadership opportunities, such as the school council.

This helps them to have a say in how to improve the school and to learn about responsibility.

Pupils enjoy attending school. They value the friendly ethos and know that there are adults and children who look out for them.

As a result, pupils feel safe. Most parents and carers are positive about the school's supportive and caring culture.

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

The school has prioritised curriculum developments in English and mathematics.

It is currently updating the curriculum in many foundation subjects. Most teachers are new to the school. Most subject leaders are new in post.

Changes are, therefore, in the early stages. Nonetheless, the school is making some headway.

The school has implemented a new programme to improve the provision for phonics.

Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. The school provides extra support to help pupils to catch up in phonics. However, the quality of this support is inconsistent.

While some teaching supports pupils to learn to read well, this is not always the case. As a result, some pupils do not become confident and fluent readers quickly. The school has identified a range of high-quality texts for pupils to read so that they experience a depth of genres and authors.

However, some pupils do not read widely.

Pupils do not know and remember the depth of knowledge they need across the curriculum. This is because the curriculum does not always reflect what pupils know and can do.

Some content and learning activities are not well sequenced. They do not provide the appropriate small steps in learning pupils need to take. Activities do not always enable pupils, particularly pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to build on what they already know.

As a result, pupils do not develop a secure understanding.

New systems for assessment are in the early stages of development. Teachers do not routinely check what pupils know.

Teaching does not ensure that pupils recall and revisit their prior learning. As a result, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned.

The school is developing its provision in the early years, including updating the curriculum.

However, it has not yet identified essential content that children need to learn throughout the year. Recent changes to the provision, including the outdoor environment, are positive. However, there is more to do to ensure that all resources and provision support pupils' learning across the early years foundation stage curriculum effectively.

The school is calm and orderly. There are high expectations for behaviour. Pupils understand the school's expectations.

In class, learning is mainly purposeful and most staff manage any disruptions quickly.

The school's vision: 'in the light of Christ, we will learn what we need to be the difference in our world', underpins the curriculum for personal development. Pupils benefit from activities that are designed to extend their learning beyond the academic.

This supports pupils with becoming responsible citizens. For example, through fundraising activities, such as the Poppy Appeal. Pupils understand about keeping healthy, both mentally and physically.

They speak confidently about different strategies for supporting their mental well-being, including resilience and self-esteem. Pupils learn about relationships and consent. They are confident that there are adults who will help them if they have a concern.

Staff value the support that leaders provide and the consideration of their workload. However, staff do not always have the training they need to develop curriculum expertise.

The governing body have worked with the diocese and the local authority to begin to address the areas in need of improvement.

However, governors have an over generous view of the school's strengths. Improvements are beginning to take effect but the impact is not yet evident.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Subject leadership is not fully developed. Many subject leaders are new to their roles. They do not yet have curriculum expertise.

The school needs to strengthen leadership of the curriculum. The school must ensure that staff receive the training and support they need to secure improvements in the curriculum and pupils' outcomes. ? Some content and learning activities do not match the curriculum intention.

Activities do not enable pupils, especially pupils with SEND, to build on what they already know. The school must ensure that teaching supports all pupils to sequentially build their knowledge over time. ? The school does not routinely check what pupils know and remember.

Gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified, so they persist. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure understanding of the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively so that pupils know and remember more over time.