St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious to provide a high-quality education for pupils. Expectations are high.

Leaders have worked to devise and implement a consistent approach to learning. Leaders have thought about the school's overall curriculum and how pupils build knowledge in different subjects. This helps pupils to connect and remember key subject content.

Children get off to a strong start, particularly in reading and mathematics in early years.

Pupils are happy and play well together at breaktimes. They behave sensibly.

Pupils said that they feel safe in school. Parents, carers and pupils felt that whenever any incidents of bullying occur, adults manage these... well.

Pupils enjoy assemblies, in which they explore various themes relevant to life in modern Britain.

For instance, pupils recalled a previous assembly and spoke confidently about why discrimination is wrong.

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

Leaders sequence subject knowledge so that pupils build on what they have learned before. Teachers provide time in lessons for pupils to go over prior knowledge and assess what they remember.

This helps pupils to understand and recall what they are learning currently. For example, pupils in Year 5 explained how their learning about conflict during Tudor times helped them understand about other conflicts, such as the Second World War. Leaders have strong subject knowledge.

As a result, their subject plans typically identify the most important information that pupils need to remember. Occasionally, some subject planning is not as coherently sequenced and structured or does not cover in detail what children in early years need to know to be ready for subject learning in Year 1. Leaders have plans already in place to address this in order to sharpen these subject plans.

Pupils enjoy reading. Leaders prioritise reading across the school. The phonics programme is embedded and taught from the Nursery Year onwards.

Staff receive training and deliver the programme well. Teachers check that children keep up with the programme. Any children who are struggling receive additional phonics teaching to help them catch up.

Leaders are committed to helping all pupils get better at reading. Teachers and staff provide books and resources that carefully match the sounds pupils know.

Leaders work with parents and external organisations to make sure that all pupils receive the right support.

Staff receive training to support pupils with complex needs. Typically, teachers and teaching assistants make sure that the curriculum is adapted and that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn alongside their peers.

Pupils' typically calm and orderly behaviour helps make sure that learning proceeds smoothly and without interruption.

Pupils are attentive and motivated in class.Children in the early years settle into school quickly. Children behave very well because they are interested and keen to learn.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about the rewards systems in the school. Pupils said how much they like the rewards system because it motivates them to behave well.

Leaders provide a range of wider opportunities beyond the subject curriculum to encourage pupils' personal and social skills.

Pupils take part in a range of clubs, including sports, cookery and coding. Some of these were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic but have resumed. Leaders plan assemblies to encourage pupils' sense of spirituality and moral understanding.

Leaders aim to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils learn about different types of families as part of personal, social and health education and spoke knowledgeably about the protected characteristics.

Governors have sufficient knowledge and skills to carry out their role.

They work well with leaders to improve the school. Governors monitor leaders' work through regular visits to the school. Leaders and governors are committed to supporting staff to manage workload and well-being.

The school's section 48 inspection is considerably overdue.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive safeguarding training.

Staff know the signs to look for that may indicate that a pupil needs help. Staff know the procedures for reporting concerns and do so swiftly. Leaders maintain records of any concerns raised, including how these are followed up.

Leaders work closely with outside organisations to safeguard pupils' well-being. Pupils know that they can speak to an adult if they are worried. However, a few pupils said that they would be reluctant to do this.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subject plans, leaders have not identified the most important content that pupils need to remember and the order in which it needs to be learned, including in early years. As a result, pupils do not remember the most important content in order to be ready for future learning. Leaders should make sure that all subject plans, including in early years, are coherently sequenced and structured.

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