St Gregory’s RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this caring school community. Many pupils join the school at different times in the academic year, often from abroad. They are warmly welcomed and quickly become part of the school family.

Pupils feel happy and safe in school.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these expectations.

They listen attentively in lessons and work cooperatively together. Pupils achieve well.

Children in the early years thrive.

They settle quickly into the school routines. Children benefit from meaningful interactions wit...h adults. They are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps.

Pupils are proud of their school. They said that teachers want them to be the best versions of themselves. Pupils relish the high-quality experiences that the school provides for them.

For example, pupils take part in a wide range of visits in the community and residential trips that take them further afield. These help pupils to develop essential life skills, and together these experiences prepare them remarkably well for life outside school.

Pupils behave well.

They are typically polite and courteous towards each other and to visitors. Staff know pupils well. There is a strong culture of mutual respect.

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

In the early years, the school has designed an extremely well-thought-through curriculum. Children have plentiful opportunities to explore, take risks and to learn through play. They are excited about their learning.

The school places a relentless focus on developing children's early communication skills. Staff ask questions which encourage children to be thoughtful. Staff are also skilled at engaging children in conversations that help them to learn new and important words.

Children show increasing levels of independence and are amply prepared for key stage 1.

Across the rest of the school, the curriculum is well designed and captures pupils' interests. On the whole, teachers have been trained to deliver the curriculum well.

However, in a small number of subjects, teachers do not revisit learning regularly enough or check on how well pupils know and remember important content. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in how well pupils recall what they have learned.

Reading is prioritised throughout the school.

The school's phonics programme is well ordered. Staff have benefited from intensive training and support to ensure that they deliver this programme effectively. Pupils quickly learn the routines of phonics sessions and gain confidence in reading.

The school makes sure that any pupils who need extra help receive effective and timely support. This helps most pupils to become accurate and fluent readers in readiness for key stage 2.

The school actively encourages pupils to read for pleasure.

Pupils are exposed to a diverse range of high-quality texts. Older pupils enthused about the books that they had read. Teachers said that they enjoy reading to pupils daily and pupils look forward to stories being shared with them.

Pupils benefit from a range of activities that promote a love of reading, such as author visits and reading at a local library.

Pupils with SEND have their additional needs accurately identified. The school puts appropriate support in place to enable these pupils to access the curriculum alongside their peers, whenever this is possible.

This includes making sure that staff have the training that they need to support pupils' learning effectively. Where needed, the school uses the expertise of external agencies to strengthen provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond positively to these. Where pupils struggle to meet the school's expectations, appropriate help is put in place.

For example, the school makes effective use of the support of external agencies.

The school sets a high priority on supporting pupils to attend well. It analyses attendance records in detail and takes swift but considerate action if a pupil's attendance drops below an acceptable level.

The school's tenacious approach has led to attendance improving.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education is exceptionally well designed and expertly delivered. Staff make sure that pupils know how to keep safe and how to maintain good physical and mental health.

The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to broaden their cultural understanding.

The wider curriculum, which develops pupils' life skills, talents and interests, is exceptional. For example, staff go the extra mile to ensure that pupils can access a wide range of additional clubs.

The school is well led and managed. Those responsible for governance understand and fulfil their statutory duties well. Staff value the high-quality training that both the school and the trust provide.

This includes subject leaders, who are supported to develop their leadership roles effectively. Staff, including teachers at the beginning of their careers, are supported well with their workload and well-being.

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 small number of subjects, teachers do not revisit learning regularly enough to support pupils to embed key knowledge in their long-term memories. As a result, there are some minor inconsistencies in how well pupils recall what they have been taught. The school should review the way that it supports and helps pupils to remember key learning.