St John Fisher RC Primary School, Denton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St John Fisher RC Primary School.

They told inspectors that they feel happy and safe when they are in school. Pupils said that their teachers look after them.

Teachers have high expectations of pupils academically, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

In return, pupils concentrate on their learning and achieve well. Equally, pupils know that teachers expect them to behave appropriately. Pupils try hard to follow the three school rules.

They can articulate what it means to be safe, to be ready and to be respectful.

Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Pupils are confi...dent that leaders will deal with any occasional bullying, or rare use of inappropriate language, quickly and effectively so that these incidents are not repeated.

Pupils explained that adults listen to their concerns and help them resolve their worries.

All pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy a wide range of activities that develop their personal skills. For example, older pupils take on the role of buddies to support children in the early years at playtimes.

Pupils in key stage 1 enjoy looking after Michelle, the giant African tortoise. Pupils relish taking part in the many sporting activities on offer each day at lunchtime.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils.

This includes children in the early years and those pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Leaders have continued to develop and refine the curriculum so that it closely aligns with the needs of the pupils at the school. Subject leaders have identified the important knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn.

They ensure that new learning builds on what pupils know and can already do. The well-designed curriculum supports pupils to know and remember more important subject content. Pupils who leave St John Fisher RC Primary School have the skills and knowledge that they need to access the next stages of their education.

Governors are very supportive of leaders. They challenge leaders appropriately to ensure that the quality of education continues to improve for pupils. They have worked alongside leaders to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND receive appropriate support from staff, to help them to access the curriculum and achieve well.

Staff have suitable systems in place to ensure that they identify any additional needs that pupils may have. This means that all pupils, including those with SEND, receive a wide range of effective additional support.

Many subject leaders have benefited from training to deepen their expertise in curriculum development.

Most subject leaders successfully work alongside teachers to support them to deliver the curriculum as intended. Overall, subject leaders assist staff in developing their skills and confidence in the range of subjects that they teach. That said, in a very small number of subjects, teachers have not had enough training and support from subject leaders to deliver the curriculum as effectively as they could.

Leaders understand the importance of reading. They have made the teaching of early reading and phonics central to the school's curriculum. All staff have benefited from high-quality training to deliver phonics knowledge in a consistent way.

This training enables pupils, including children in the early years, and those in the specially resourced provision, to learn new sounds in a logical order. Teachers make sure that the books that pupils take home build on the sounds they have learned in class. Pupils are well supported to develop accuracy and fluency in reading.

Pupils who fall behind with their reading receive timely support to help them to catch up quickly.

Pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision, and children in the early years, behave well in lessons. They move around the school sensibly and diligently and they follow instructions.

Classrooms are typically calm environments. Pupils can get on with learning without the worry of interruption.

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to extend their learning beyond the taught curriculum.

They engage in a wide range of charity events for local and international charities. Recently, pupils have supported an orphanage in Uganda. As well as this, pupils have collected food parcels and worked for the local food bank.

Through the wider personal development curriculum, pupils learn much about other faiths and cultures. Pupils in key stage 2 apply their language skills to write to their pen pals in their partner school in France.

Staff said that they enjoy their jobs.

They explained to inspectors that leaders and governors have taken positive steps to improve their work–life balance and their well-being. For example, staff appreciate the steps senior leaders have taken to review policies relating to marking, assessment and feedback.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are determined to keep pupils safe. They have ensured that all staff have received appropriate training so that they can safeguard the pupils in their care. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.

They know how to record and report safeguarding concerns. Leaders keep detailed records of their work to safeguard pupils.

The headteacher and the other members of the safeguarding team proactively engage with families to ensure that they receive suitable and timely support.

The positive relationships that are forged between families and adults at the school ensure that staff know each pupil very well.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the dangers of speaking to strangers. They learn about how to keep themselves safe when playing games online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers are trained as effectively as they could be to deliver those subject curriculums. This means, in one or two subjects, some teachers lack the skills and confidence that they need to deliver the curriculums as intended. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive further training in these remaining subjects to improve how they deliver these curriculums.