St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend St Patrick's Catholic Primary School.

They talk positively about how the school values enable them to feel part of a 'community' where everyone is kind, gentle and fair. Many parents comment favourably about the school's nurturing and inclusive ethos and the care that staff show to pupils and their families.

Staff follow the school's 'behaviour charter' to model the high expectations for pupils' behaviour.

This starts in the early years where children listen carefully and follow instructions well. Across the school, pupils are polite, friendly and well mannered. They behave well in lessons and move around the school calmly and sensi...bly.

Staff and pupils enjoy positive and respectful relationships. Pupils feel safe and trust adults to listen to them when they need to share any worries or concerns.

Pupils take their roles as members of the chaplaincy team or school council seriously.

They understand how these roles help them to plan and lead school events. Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities they have to develop their interests and talents outside the classroom. They take pride in playing a variety of instruments, such as piano and guitar, in concerts.

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

The school is ambitious for what all pupils can achieve. It has managed recent staffing changes effectively so that there has been no impact on the quality of education pupils receive. The school's curriculum is designed and sequenced well.

It carefully considers the school's context by emphasising the importance of spoken language for pupils who have English as an additional language. This enables these pupils to access and progress through the curriculum well.

The school prioritises reading.

Pupils enjoy choosing a range of texts from the newly refurbished library. They understand how the books they read help them to become more aware of individual differences. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school.

They learn and remember new sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly. As they move through the school, pupils read with increasing accuracy, fluency and expression.

In most subjects, assessment is well used to check on what pupils know and to inform future learning. In mathematics, for example, staff use a range of strategies, such as 'flashback 4', to help pupils remember and practise what they have learned before. Children in the early years confidently use words such as 'full' and 'half full' when talking about capacity.

Older pupils use their previous knowledge of addition and subtraction when solving more complex worded problems. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, assessment is not used as effectively. While pupils can discuss their current learning, they struggle to make links to what they have learned before.

This hampers the progress that some pupils make.

The school understands the needs of an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It makes effective use of the advice it receives from external agencies to tailor the support that pupils receive.

Staff make effective use of resources to help younger pupils sustain their focus. Older pupils show increasing levels of independence when writing. However, some pupils' plans lack precision.

Some staff do not routinely adapt learning well enough to help these pupils build their knowledge. This means that some pupils with SEND do not progress as well through the curriculum.

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning.

This starts in the early years where children take turns and follow the established routines that are in place. During social times, pupils enjoy the range of sporting activities on offer to them and play well together.

The school promotes the importance of regular attendance.

Robust systems are in place to monitor patterns of attendance. The school intervenes quickly if a pupil's attendance declines.

The school promotes pupils' personal development well.

Pupils understand the importance of respect when talking about different beliefs. They learn to look after their physical and mental health. Pupils develop their character by raising money for local hospitals and charities.

They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors and trustees share the school's ambition for what pupils can achieve. They have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where it needs to develop.

Staff value the support they receive from colleagues. They benefit from the opportunities they have to collaborate with other local schools which in turn develops their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment is not yet used effectively in some wider curriculum subjects to ascertain what pupils know and remember and to decide next steps in learning. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not build their knowledge well over time. The trust needs to ensure that teachers use assessment effectively across all subjects and use this information to inform future learning.

• In some subjects, learning is not adapted well enough to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils find it difficult to access their work and do not learn as well. The trust should ensure that staff understand how to provide the support that each pupil with SEND needs in order to learn and make progress across the curriculum.

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