St Julie’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of this happy and caring school. Children in the early years are given a warm welcome.

They settle into school life quickly. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident throughout the school. Pupils value the worry boxes that they use to help them to talk to adults about any concerns that they may have.'

Buddies' support pupils to play happily together at breaktimes. In lessons and around school, most pupils behave well. They enjoy being recognised for their kindness and positive attitudes to school life.

Pupils spoke with pride about the house points, star of the week and lunchtime awards that they receive in as...semblies.

The school has high expectations of pupils' academic achievement, including that of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils take pride in their work and achieve well across a range of subjects.

Children in the early years are exceptionally well prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

Many pupils contribute to school life by taking on additional leadership responsibilities. For example, by becoming school councillors and subject ambassadors.

Pupils benefit from clubs that develop their talents and interests through their 'university' experiences.

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

The school has developed an engaging and ambitious curriculum. Careful thought has been given to the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should be taught, from the early years to Year 6.

The school works with parents, carers, and other professionals to identify any pupils with SEND. Through this partnership work, the school gains important information about how to meet the needs of these pupils. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff have a secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They use this knowledge to explain new learning to pupils. In many subjects, teachers successfully use their expertise to identify and to address pupils' misconceptions.

In most subjects, this is evident in what pupils know and remember. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils' knowledge of some aspects of their learning is not as secure. This hinders pupils' ability to make connections between what they know already and new learning.

The school has made some recent changes to these curriculums. However, pupils have had fewer opportunities to revisit and strengthen their learning in these subjects. As a result, some pupils' knowledge is uneven.

Children in the early years are highly inquisitive and keen to learn. They eagerly rise to the challenges that staff provide for them. Staff maximise opportunities to expand children's vocabulary.

They miss no opportunity to engage children in high-quality conversation as they learn and play. This helps children in the early years to get off to a flying start.

The school has placed a high priority on ensuring that pupils learn to read well.

Children are taught letter sounds as soon as they join the Reception Year. Well-trained staff teach the phonics programme confidently. Pupils are provided with books that are matched to the sounds that they know.

They quickly become fluent, confident readers. Pupils who struggle with reading are provided with effective support to help them to catch up quickly.

Older pupils are proud of their roles as reading ambassadors and enjoy reading to children in the early years.

Pupils benefit from vibrant and engaging libraries and book areas across the school. This helps them to develop a love of reading. The school provides numerous opportunities for parents to support their children's learning at home.

For example, through reading workshops and support.

Pupils are kind and polite. They help each other in lessons and around school.

This expectation is established in the early years, where pupils learn how to take turns and listen to each other. The school is relentless in making sure that pupils attend school regularly and on time.

The school maximises opportunities for pupils to engage with their wider community and to become active and responsible citizens.

For example, pupils collect donations for foodbanks and deliver friendship cards to a local care home. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally. They learn about other faiths and visit different places of worship.

Governors understand their roles and ensure that they have the knowledge that they need to fulfil their statutory duties. The school seeks to support the well-being of staff as well as pupils. Staff are resoundingly positive about working at the school.

They appreciate actions taken by the school to reduce their workload, such as changes to the school's marking policy.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, some improvements to curriculums are more recent.

Some pupils' knowledge and skills are not as secure as they could be in these subjects. This is because pupils have had less opportunity to secure some important aspects of their learning. The school should ensure that improvements to these curriculums are embedded and implemented fully to support pupils to develop a strong body of knowledge in these subjects.