St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

On the walls, entering the building, pupils are greeted by the message 'all are welcome'. This truly is a sentiment that pupils feel accurately describes the loving, community spirit at their school.

Pupils are happy at school and get along well with one another. They feel that their differences are accepted and embraced. Cheerful, friendly staff look after pupils well.

This contributes to pupils feeling safe and secure. It is a school filled with warmth and positivity.

Pupils are well behaved and sensible.

Social times are calm and well-organised. Pupils have plenty to do during these times, such as playing board games indoors or ball games outside....

The school is ambitious for what pupils should achieve.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically achieve well in many subjects. Those with a particular talent in mathematics achieve exceptionally well by the time that they leave Year 6.

Pupils benefit for a range of opportunities to explore further interests and develop their unique talents. For example, pupils access violin, guitar and piano lessons. They also attend a performing arts club that regularly puts on plays for the school.

Pupils enjoy participating in sports competitions. They were particularly proud to tell inspectors of their historic and current footballing achievements in local and regional tournaments.

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

In recent times, the school has experienced a prolonged period of interim leadership.

The school has managed this effectively to ensure that pupils have continued to achieve well. Moreover, the school has continued to develop the curriculum during this time.

The school has ensured that pupils learn a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum.

It has outlined its expectations for what pupils should learn by the end of each year. In most parts of the curriculum, the school has specified the important knowledge that pupils need to know. In the majority of cases, the school has carefully considered the order in which pupils will be taught new subject content.

This helps pupils to develop a secure body of knowledge in many subjects.

The school uses effective strategies to check how pupils are doing in their learning. In many subjects, teachers quickly identify pupils' errors or misconceptions in their thinking.

They provide helpful guidance to help pupils to correct what they might have misunderstood.

The school carries out checks on the curriculum to evaluate its quality and impact on pupils' learning. However, this is done with greater precision in some subjects than it is in others.

This sometimes means that the school is not clear about how well some subjects are designed and delivered to pupils. It also means that the school is not as quick to respond to some deficiencies that prevent pupils from learning all that they could.

The school identifies pupils with additional needs early.

It uses a range of strategies and resources effectively to help pupils with SEND to access learning alongside their peers. These pupils achieve well.

The school adopted a new phonics programme last year.

The school makes sure that pupils begin this programme from the start of the Reception Year. The programme is taught consistently well by capable staff. Pupils read books that are matched well to their phonics knowledge.

Pupils receive timely additional support if they are struggling. Pupils quickly become confident, fluent readers.

The school nurtures a love of reading.

Pupils enjoy the class novels that they read as part of their English lessons. They become deeply engrossed in the storylines of these books, which have been carefully chosen to help pupils to appreciate a broad range of cultures and characters. Pupils spoke positively about their additional non-fiction reading sessions that deepen their learning of historical and scientific topics.

The school provides for pupils' personal development well. It encourages pupils to engage in various charitable activities. It also encourages pupils to undertake a variety of roles and responsibilities.

These roles range from older pupils acting as buddies for children in the early years to pupils taking on subject ambassador roles. The school organises curriculum trips that help to bring pupils' learning to life. Pupils have strong respect and tolerance for peoples' different backgrounds.

Pupils learn how to develop positive, safe relationships and know how to look after themselves when using the internet. Pupils understand the fundamental British values and are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning.

Many pupils attend school regularly. They are attentive in their lessons and are often engrossed in their learning. Children in the early years quickly learn school routines and classroom expectations.

Lessons are rarely disrupted.

Governors understand their duties and carry them out effectively. The school is considerate of staff's workload.

For example, it made changes to the marking policy to reduce the burden on staff. These were well received by staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school is not clear on how well subject curriculums are being implemented and the impact that these curriculums are having on pupils' learning. At times, the school is unable to act as quickly as it otherwise could to address some deficiencies in the design of these curriculums and some gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school should refine how it oversees subject curriculums so that it is better placed to support teachers to deliver curriculum content well.