St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe in this close and welcoming school community. Every pupil has the opportunity to thrive here. The school's core vision, 'our expectations of our school and our pupils are limitless', is deeply embedded in every aspect of school life.

The school develops pupils' knowledge and confidence through a rich curriculum and thought-provoking experiences. Pupils excel in their learning. This is because the school has high academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Pupils are rightly very proud of the work that they produce in different subjects. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of... their education.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

They listen attentively, are highly motivated and show respect and kindness to adults and each other. This begins in early years, where children are quick to learn and follow daily routines. They adopt a mindset where they see challenges or setbacks as opportunities for improvement.

The school provides pupils with a diverse range of wider opportunities to develop pupils' characters. Everything planned and offered by the school is done so with great care and consideration. Pupils learn about helping others by, for example, engaging in fundraising activities or supporting the local food bank.

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

Pupils follow a rich and ambitious curriculum. In all areas of learning, including those in early years, leaders have identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and remember. This is logically sequenced so that pupils return to, practise and embed important concepts.

This allows them to apply and connect their learning across the curriculum and build a depth of knowledge and understanding. For example, in French, children in Reception use adjectives to describe themselves. Older pupils recall what they have learned previously in French with confidence, such as by using their knowledge to talk about their local area.

Teachers have considerable subject expertise. Together with leaders, they have thought carefully about the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn in all subjects. They also think in detail about when and how this content should be taught.

Teachers check regularly that pupils remember this essential knowledge. Based on these checks, teachers introduce new learning at just the right time. This enables pupils to build a deep body of subject knowledge across the curriculum.

Teachers help pupils to take a keen interest in their lessons and look forward to future challenges.

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained so that they teach early reading effectively. Children learn phonics successfully from the moment they enter the Reception Year.

They build very well on the strong communication and language skills that have been learned and practised in Nursery. The books that pupils take home to practise reading are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to gain the phonics knowledge that they need to be successful readers.

Pupils across the school delight in the books that their teachers share with them. This includes the 'reading ladders' that leaders have developed. Older pupils act as reading champions, partnering with younger pupils to foster a passion for reading, either in the 'reading nook' or in the library.

Teachers read books that help pupils to understand and explore the rich diversity among people and families.

Children in early years learn routines and expectations rapidly. They move between activities seamlessly and behave impeccably.

Adults support children well in developing secure social and emotional skills. Older pupils build on this positive start successfully. Pupils leave the school highly equipped to embrace the opportunities and challenges of their secondary education.

They are respectful of each other and of adults. Pupils' exemplary attitudes mean that everyone can learn without disruption. The school is unwavering in its work to make sure that pupils' attendance is high.

Provision for pupils' personal development is exceptional. A wide variety of enrichment activities is available. There is a high take-up of this offer.

Responsibility is a key school value, and pupils are keen to take on the wealth of opportunities offered. Leaders provide training to pupils so that they can carry out their roles in a mature and sensible manner. For example, play leaders are equipped with a notebook filled with suggestions for activities.

They use this notebook to share games with other children, like 'What's the Time, Mr Wolf?' Intertwined within the curriculum are purposeful educational outings, visits and workshops that enrich pupils' education even further.

Leaders put pupils at the heart of every decision that is made. Leaders' passion, rigour and determination have enabled the excellent quality of education to be maintained over many years.

Staff are dedicated to the school because they feel valued and well cared for. Leaders' strong emphasis on staff development supports the school's culture of high ambition.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.