St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Blackhall

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Governors and the headteacher have set a sure course for continuous improvement for the school. Their vision for the school and ambition to provide high-quality care and high levels of achievement are being realised. The school is improving rapidly.

Recent changes in leadership and in the way the governing body operates have brought a sharper, more effective focus to monitoring and evaluating teaching and its impact on pupils' progress. Pupils make strong progress from different starting points across a wide range of subjects, including in English and mathematics. Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils make regularly....

They have an accurate understanding of how well pupils learn. Leaders recognise that they need to hone their skills further in developing individual teachers' skills. Teaching is effective.

Staff know pupils' learning needs very well. They plan engaging lessons effectively. Teachers check pupils' understanding, but do not use answers to challenge pupils' learning further.

Staff maintain high expectations of pupils' conduct. Pupils behave well and apply themselves to their learning. They feel safe and cared for.

They enjoy school life and feel valued as members of the school community. Pupils develop a refined sense of right and wrong, are considerate and respect each other's differences. Pupils have a deep understanding of children's and human rights.

They know about different backgrounds, cultures, traditions and lifestyles. As a consequence, they are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Governors have strengthened their focus on pupils' learning and progress.

They have good knowledge of the school's performance. They have become much more challenging in holding leaders firmly to account. Children in the early years flourish.

Well-led staff use accurate assessment to plan activities that support children's development and learning. As a result, children develop their communication and language and their personal development skills very well. Children are kept safe and love their time in school.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. St Joseph's RC Primary School provides education for boys and girls, aged between two and 11 years, from the local area in east Durham. It is a voluntary-aided school of religious character.

There have been significant recent changes in leadership and staffing since the last inspection. The school is fully staffed. The chair of the governing body has been in post since the autumn term of 2015, and a number of other governors have taken up their responsibilities only recently.

The responsibilities of different governing body committees have been redefined. The school does not make use of any alternative educational provision. The headteacher is a national leader of education.

As well as being headteacher at St Joseph's, she is headteacher of a nearby infant school. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum requirements for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. A section 48 inspection of religious education was last carried out in February 2013.