St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where teachers are determined to give pupils the best experiences of learning. Staff have high expectations and want every pupil to achieve well, and they do. Pupils find the activities exciting.

They especially enjoy the new reading challenges.

Strong virtues are at the heart of everyone's work. Pupils know the virtues well, such as friendship, thankfulness and hope.

Pupils know how they can help support each other in school.

Pupils feel safe and happy in this small school. They say that kind, friendly staff look after them well.

Inspectors agree. Pupils and staff are cheerful. They listen respectfully and politely to each ...other.

Pupils told us that bullying is rare. They knew that staff would deal with any concerns quickly. The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils enjoy attending school and studying a wide range of topics across the curriculum. They like the trips that support their learning, for example to The Deep and the nature reserve. Pupils eagerly take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities and exciting outings that the school provides.

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

Reading is at the heart of everything the school does. Leaders have brought about substantial improvements in reading. They have raised expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

Pupils read regularly and understand the importance of reading. They enjoy completing reading challenges and coming back to school in the evenings to hear stories around the fire pit.

Leaders have put a clear phonics programme in place.

This begins as soon as children start school. Teachers frequently check the letters and sounds that pupils know. This helps teachers to match pupils' work to the books they are reading closely to their needs.

Those pupils who need extra practice with reading get individual support from the teachers so they catch up quickly. Pupils repeat their learning in different ways while continuing to learn new letters and sounds. As a result, pupils are well on their way to becoming fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

Provision for children in the early years is strong. Teachers understand the needs of young children. They provide a wide range of activities that children enjoy.

Children loved dressing up as pirates for the day to read their class book. Healthy and safe living are promoted well. For example, children take responsibility for when they have a snack.

They know the process of washing their hands before eating. Speaking and listening are promoted especially well.

Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school.

Pupils are given responsible jobs to promote the Catholic virtues within school. Staff build strong partnerships with external agencies and other schools. They are quick to seek the right support.

The needs of pupils and families who may be vulnerable are quickly identified and supported through Catholic Care.

Leaders think hard about what they want pupils to know and how the curriculum is organised for them to learn effectively. The vocabulary and knowledge that pupils need to learn has been carefully mapped out.

Pupils are starting to develop a deep understanding in a range of subjects. Displays and work in books show that pupils experience a good deal of success across the curriculum.

Sometimes leaders do not plan the next steps of learning carefully enough from one year group to the next.

This means that some essential subject knowledge is missing. Subject leaders are keen to further develop their role so that they monitor more effectively, the impact of the sequence of learning within their subject. Subject leaders do not always take account of the smaller units of knowledge that pupils need to learn over time.

Some planned activities are not always matched correctly to the needs of all pupils. This holds some pupils back from achieving their very best. Pupils with SEND can sometimes struggle to complete the work independently.

Governors know the school well. They take an active part in curriculum planning and ask challenging questions of subject leaders. They have a realistic understanding on how well the school is doing and are ambitious for the future.

New teachers feel supported by the leaders and other teachers. Staff say that leaders provide good training and help to lighten their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are uncompromising in keeping pupils safe. Staff, volunteers and governors are appropriately checked before they work with pupils. Staff are fully aware of what to do if they have any concerns about a child.

Staff and governors attend child protection and safeguarding training regularly. They understand local and national risks for pupils, including those posed by county lines. Staff know the signs of potential abuse or harm.

Records show that leaders take the right action to look after pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders are making sure that all subjects have well-detailed, long-term plans in place. They have carefully selected the vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember for each year group and subject.

The sequence of learning in some subjects is clear only for particular year groups. Subject leaders now need to measure the impact of the curriculum planning by ensuring that learning builds up over time, across all year groups. .

Sometimes the activities provided to pupils are not always matched to their needs. As a result, some pupils are not able to give more in-depth responses and show what they have learned and remembered. Leaders must ensure that all planned activities are appropriate for what pupils learn in each subject and match pupils' needs, including for pupils with SEND.