St Joan of Arc RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well. By the end of Key Stage 2, they reach standards that are significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Leaders, managers and governors have successfully maintained the quality of teaching since the previous inspection despite a number of staff changes. Leaders provide teachers, particularly those at the start of their careers, with really beneficial training and support to improve their performance. Pupils behave exceptionally well and are always keen and eager to learn.

Systems for checking and improving the quality of teaching are effective and involve leaders at all levels. This gives the school... good capacity to continue to improve. Pupils feel happy and safe and enjoy coming to school, as demonstrated by the school's high attendance figures.

Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. The school is known for its prize-winning sports teams and highly skilled choir.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : There is not yet enough outstanding teaching to ensure that pupils make rapid and sustained progress across a wide range of subjects in all year groups. The development points pupils are given to help them improve their work are not always effective and this can limit rapid progress. Pupils are not always encouraged to think deeply or justify their opinions.

This means their knowledge is not always deepened sufficiently to secure rapid progress.

Information about this school

This is a larger-than-average sized primary school. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is higher than national.

The proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is just under the national figure. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding for looked after children or those known to be eligible for free school meals) is average. More than half of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, with at least 11 different groups represented.

This proportion is double the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than national. Some of these pupils join the school at an early stage of learning English.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. There have been some staff changes since the previous inspection. The school has employed four newly qualified teachers this year and many of the middle leaders are new to post.