St Pancras Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St Pancras as they feel happy and are safe. All pupils respond well to the teachers' high expectations. Pupils talk with confidence about what they are learning.

They work well together. They listen carefully to each other and to the adults. They follow the school's rules of 'be kind, be safe, be respectful and do your best.'



Pupils, including in early years, behave well. Pupils know what bullying is. They say that bullying does sometimes happen, but that it is quickly dealt with.

They appreciate that all staff keep a caring eye on them, at all times. Pupils value the trips, visitors and events that are linked to their learni...ng. This includes participating in the Diocese's singing programme and visiting a local zoo as part of a science animal project.

Pupils are also given opportunities to attend a wide range of clubs, such as sports, cooking and computer programming. This helps to develop their wider interests. Pupils are encouraged to take on extra responsibilities.

They are proud to be an anti-bullying ambassador, house captain, school council member or 'Mini Vinnie.' Pupils like helping others as it makes them feel good and benefits the community.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum.

It makes clear, in each subject, what key knowledge is to be taught in each year group and how this knowledge builds on what pupils have learned before. Staff have had training to help them to deliver this curriculum.

Teachers adapt their teaching carefully, so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can access the curriculum.

Additional adults and resources are used effectively so that pupils with SEND achieve well. Adults regularly check what pupils know, in order to pick up any misconceptions. However, in some subjects and for some pupils, these checks are not precise enough.

As a result, some pupils are not having gaps in their knowledge securely filled.

In subjects where the curriculum has been in place longer, pupils are able to talk about what they are learning now and how it links to what they have learned before. However, where some subjects have been more recently updated, teachers are still getting used to the curriculum content.

This means in these few subjects, pupils are not yet gaining the understanding that leaders intended.

All staff are well trained to deliver the school's chosen phonics programme and teach phonics effectively. This starts in the early years.

Teachers regularly check what letter sounds pupils know. This means they quickly identify pupils who need extra help and provide timely support to any pupils who are finding reading tricky, so they catch up. Reading is given high priority within the school.

Pupils have daily reading sessions to help them develop their reading knowledge and vocabulary. As a result, older pupils read with confidence and fluency.

Children in the early years make a positive start to their education.

Teachers carefully plan opportunities for children to explore and learn. Teachers skilfully model spoken language. They support children to develop mathematical concepts, such as identifying numbers and being able to make repeating patterns.

Consequently, children are well placed to succeed in Year 1.

Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning. The school promotes this through assemblies, reward systems and adding pupils to the 'recognition board'.

This helps all pupils to know and understand the rules and routines. Staff know and apply the behaviour policy consistently and confidently. This ensures all pupils learn in a calm and purposeful environment.

The curriculum effectively supports the wider development of pupils. Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs, and they show tolerance and respect to others. Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy.

They learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy, through their work and support for the school council.

All staff say they are proud to work at the school and are valued. They know that leaders think carefully about their workload.

Governors, including the trust, know the school well and have the expertise to hold leaders to account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few subjects have recently had their curriculum content updated.

Teachers are still getting used to the key knowledge they need to teach in these subjects and how to build on prior learning. This means that pupils are not yet acquiring knowledge and consistently building the identified key concepts in these subjects to the depth intended. The school needs to provide further training to staff to ensure that the whole curriculum is being taught as intended and that prior learning is being recalled effectively in all subjects.

• The way in which the school uses the information that it gains from checking how successfully pupils are retaining key knowledge, is not always used precisely enough. This means some pupils have gaps in their learning which remain. The school needs to ensure staff use assessment outcomes precisely to identify and support pupils to secure the key knowledge set out in the curriculum.