St John Vianney’s Catholic Primary School, Blackpool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well supported at St John Vianney's Catholic Primary School.

They particularly value the support that staff provide for their emotional well-being. Pupils told inspectors that this helps them to feel happy at school.

Pupils benefit from the many activities that the school provides to develop their self-confidence and resilience.

Pupils are keen to earn the many rewards that are on offer.

Pupils spoke highly of the opportunities that are available to them to develop their leadership qualities. For example, older pupils support others at breaktimes and in their learning through their many ambassador roles.

The 'Mini Vinnie...' group, and others, make a tangible difference to their school and wider community.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported well.

Pupils achieve well, especially in reading. They are ready for the next stages of their education.

Children in the early years quickly settle into well-established routines.

Pupils across the school understand the high expectations that staff have of them. Pupils focus intently on their learning during lessons. They behave well as they move around the school.

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

Overall, the school provides an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum for pupils. In the majority of subjects, this enables pupils to build on what they have learned before as they progress from the Nursery Year to Year 6. In these subjects, staff are well trained to deliver the curriculum with confidence and expertise.

They typically design learning and choose activities that support pupils to learn the curriculum successfully.

In the main, teachers regularly check that pupils have a secure understanding of their learning. They provide effective support to ensure that all pupils, especially those with SEND, can access the curriculum equally well.

For example, teachers place a high focus on ensuring that pupils learn key vocabulary. This supports pupils, especially those who speak English as an additional language, to develop a rich body of subject-specific knowledge in many subjects.

In a small number of subjects, however, the school has not made sure that teachers are clear enough about the important information that pupils should learn.

This sometimes hinders pupils from learning as deeply as they should. From time to time, some pupils' achievement in these subjects is not as strong as it could be.

Reading is a top priority for the school.

In the early years, children revel in the stories, rhymes, and songs that they learn in the Nursery classes. They are well prepared to begin to use phonics to read words by the time that they reach the Reception Year.

Skilled staff support pupils to practise and refine their reading knowledge.

As a result, most pupils can read with accuracy and fluency by the end of key stage 1. Any pupils who continue to struggle with their reading benefit from carefully targeted additional support, which enables them to catch up quickly with their peers. By the end of key stage 2, pupils become accomplished readers who enjoy reading both contemporary and classic literature.

The school ensures that staff know how to accurately identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are adept at adapting the delivery of the curriculum to enable pupils with SEND to learn well alongside their classmates.

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning.

They were keen to talk to inspectors about their achievements. They told inspectors how their learning and other activities in school help them to work towards the high aspirations that they have for themselves later in life.

Pupils learn how to manage their own feelings.

They told inspectors how they can use areas such as the 'nest' or other quiet areas around the school to help them when they feel anxious or overwhelmed.

The school ensures that pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs and other opportunities that support their wider personal development. Pupils learn how to make a positive contribution to society.

For example, they learn to recognise examples of inequality or injustice. Pupils take part in a wide range of charity work in their local and wider community. Through activities such as these and others, pupils learn about the qualities and attributes needed to be a responsible citizen.

The school carefully considers staff workload when it makes decisions about changing policies and procedures, such as when making refinements to the curriculum. Governors work closely with staff and leaders to provide effective support and challenge to the school.

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, the school has not clarified the essential knowledge that they expect pupils to learn. This means that pupils' learning in some aspects of the curriculum is not as strong as it is in others. The school should make sure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about what pupils should learn and when this content should be taught.