St John Bosco RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is made to feel welcome at this inclusive school that prides itself on supporting the community. Being respectful, kind and considerate form an important part of the school's ambition for its pupils.

Pupils value the caring relationships that they have with staff. They trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, a number of pupils have gaps in their learning that have not been addressed. This means that these pupils do not achieve as well as they should ...in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.

Despite this, pupils work hard and behave well in lessons.

Pupils learn the importance of teamwork and responsibility through being members of different groups, such as the school council and well-being group. Pupils take part in a range of community activities.

These include singing to the residents of a local care home and providing donations to a community food bank. Such opportunities build pupils' understanding of empathy and what it means to make a positive contribution to society.

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

Previously, children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2, did not achieve as well as they should in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school has taken action to improve how the curriculum is taught in these subjects. Most pupils, including those with SEND, are beginning to benefit from these improvements. The school has identified some of the gaps in knowledge that pupils have in these subjects as a result of historic weaknesses.

Progress is being made to address these gaps in knowledge, but it is at an early stage. The fact remains, that in 2023, too many pupils were not well prepared for their move to the next key stage or to high school.

In subjects other than English and mathematics, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn in Years 1 to 6.

Some teachers use this information well to design appropriate activities that deepen pupils' knowledge.That said, elements of key knowledge set out in the curriculum are not taught in sufficient detail by some teachers. This includes important vocabulary.

Furthermore, in some subjects, the school has not ensured that teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to be able to design activities which help pupils learn as well as they should. This results in some pupils having gaps in their knowledge which hinders their ability to make sense of new learning.

The school has set out the important knowledge that children in the early years should learn in communication and language and mathematics.

This is not the case in other areas of learning. This makes it tricky for teachers to know what they should prioritise when designing learning activities. As a result, some children are not as well prepared for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum as they should be.

The school places a high priority on children in the Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 developing a secure knowledge of phonics. Staff teach phonics effectively. They quickly identify and support any pupils who need extra help.

The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they have learned. Pupils use effective strategies to read unfamiliar words. Many pupils become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

However, some staff do not routinely check that pupils understand the meaning of new words or phrases. Similarly, older pupils in key stage 2 read with confidence and fluency, but some do not understand the meaning of key words that they have read. This limits their ability to make sense of what they have read.

The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Carefully considered support and resources ensure that pupils with SEND progress through the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils display excellent manners.

They are courteous and helpful. Behaviour across the school is positive and learning is rarely interrupted. Children in the early years learn cooperatively alongside one another and follow class rules and routines well.

Well-developed attendance systems and procedures allow the school to identify any potential issues and take effective action. The school has been highly effective in improving attendance following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pupils experience a range of personal development opportunities.

They understand that there are many different types of families in society. Pupils are clear that they should treat everyone with respect regardless of differences. They enjoy attending a range of clubs such as yoga, football and design and technology.

The governing body understand the weaknesses in pupils' achievement. Governors have worked with the diocese and the local authority to improve the school's capacity to begin to improve the quality of education. However, turbulence in staffing since the previous inspection has limited the impact of this.

Staff are positive about what the school has done recently to further support their workload and wellbeing. This includes access to training that is helping them to develop their knowledge and expertise in certain subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? The school has not identified the key knowledge that children in the early years should learn across the curriculum. As a result, a number of children have gaps in their knowledge and are not sufficiently prepared for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum. The school should ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking so that it is clear what children in the early years should learn and when this knowledge should be taught.

• In a small number of subjects across the school, some teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the intended curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. These gaps hinder pupils' ability to make sense of new learning and they do not achieve as well as they should.

In these subjects, the school should ensure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to effectively teach the curriculum, so that pupils achieve well. ? In some subjects, teachers do not teach parts of the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum in sufficient detail. This includes vocabulary.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. They are not prepared as well as they should be for the next stage of education. The school should ensure that teachers deliver the curriculum as intended, so that pupils are well prepared for the demands of the next key stage.