St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

Pupils receive a good education in this improving school.

Almost all aspects of its work are good as a result of effectively led and managed initiatives. The headteacher and staff successfully foster a caring ethos and promote its Catholic values of consideration, respect and support throughout. The leadership team's effective self-evaluation provides an agenda for improvement and focuses sharply on appropriate priorities to raise attainment.

Their determination to improve teaching is paying dividends in the form of above average attainment, good learning and good progress. The school has a good capacity for further improvement to the next level. Children make good progress in the Early Years... Foundation Stage and, although progress slows in Key Stage 1, it accelerates rapidly in Key Stage 2.

This is because of the outstanding way the school prevents any discrimination by very assiduously ensuring all groups of pupils are helped to do equally well. Pupils participate wholeheartedly and industriously in lessons and thoroughly enjoy learning. Attainment in Year 6 has risen year-on-year to above average.

A concerted effort to improve writing is particularly successful. Mathematics, too, has improved. The school rightly recognises the need to consolidate these improvements.

Pupils say they feel safe as a result of the school's stringent arrangements to safeguard their welfare. Pupils generally behave well and the school is calm and orderly. Staff effectively manage the conduct of a small number of pupils who behave inappropriately and ensure that others are able to make good progress.

Pupils are well aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Good opportunities enable pupils to take on responsibilities in school and participate in local community activities. They develop skills, maturity and confidence which prepare them well for their future lives.

Well-organised activities successfully promote pupils' good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teaching quality is generally good but is not consistent throughout the school, especially in the way teachers use assessment information to plan activities for pupils and to give them pointers to help them improve. Good quality care, guidance and support underpin the good progress made by pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Work within the curriculum enhances their reading, writing, numeracy and computer skills in all subjects and gives pupils good opportunities to grasp the cultural diversity within the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world.

Information about the school

St John the Evangelist is an average-sized primary school where about half of the pupils come from Catholic families. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is lower than average.

A lower-than-average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities and none has a statement of special educational needs. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The school has gained Healthy School status, the Activemark, the Basic Skills Quality Mark and the foundation level International Schools award.