St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Patrick's is at the heart of its community. Pupils are happy to be at school and thrive because they feel part of this caring environment. In class, pupils are engaged and enthusiastic.

They talk positively about their school and about how much they love to attend. One pupil told inspectors, 'I go to sleep early at night so that it's soon morning and I can go to school again.'

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

They said that staff are approachable. They were full of praise for the regular communication between school and home regarding their children's progress.

Pupils' behaviour is good.

They have positive... attitudes to learning. Staff have high expectations and expect pupils to achieve well and work hard to become successful. Pupils struggle to recall a single incident of bullying.

They are confident, however, that if there ever was any bullying, it would be dealt with very quickly by staff.

Pupils are given a voice and a role in the decision-making in the school. They jump at opportunities to take on positions of responsibility such as the school council and as a junior Police Community Support Officer.

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

Leaders from the school and the multi-academy company have a clear vision for the school. They know what the school does well and what they still need to work on. They value the staff team and invest in staff training.

Leaders and staff have worked together to improve the school.

Leaders make teaching pupils to read their highest priority. The reading curriculum is well organised.

Children in the early years learn phonics daily. Staff across the school are confident and skilled in helping pupils to master their sounds. Leaders identify the high-quality texts they want pupils to know and read.

These books explore themes such as diversity and aspiration. Pupils told inspectors that they love the stories staff read to them, especially when they sit and listen to them with the school dog, Rosie!

The curriculum is well sequenced. In mathematics, for example, teachers regularly revisit what they have taught already to help pupils secure their understanding.

Additional interventions called 'therapies' are built into the school day. Well-trained staff help pupils who struggle to build on their knowledge prepare for their next lesson. Teachers use the information gathered during lessons and therapies to adapt the curriculum to meet pupils' needs.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the same opportunities to access the curriculum as their classmates. Teachers adapt the curriculum effectively so that pupils with SEND learn the same knowledge as their friends.

Children in Nursery and Reception settle well in school.

Children feel safe and happy. They enjoy learning and playing in the classrooms and in the recently developed outside spaces. Subject leaders have thought carefully about their plans for the curriculum.

In some subjects, such as physical education (PE), subject leaders have worked closely with staff in the early years to ensure that children develop the knowledge and skills that will help them in Year 1. However, in science, teachers have not created a clear enough plan for children to develop the practical knowledge and skills they need. Therefore, pupils move into Year 1 with these skills less well developed.

Leaders and governors place high importance on the ways in which the school, through its deeply Christian ethos, supports pupils' personal development. Leaders and staff go above and beyond to provide pupils with exciting experiences. Pupils enthusiastically take these opportunities, and the participation of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, is high.

Leaders carefully plan opportunities for personal development into the curriculum. Pupils study and debate topical issues such as climate change and living in a democracy. All pupils learn to play a musical instrument.

They show their care for others by organising their own charity events. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

The experienced governing body is ambitious for the school.

Governors challenge and support leaders well. They use their skills and expertise wisely to explore where improvements can be made. Funding is allocated where it is needed most to ensure a good quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. The school has robust systems in place to monitor concerns.

The designated safeguarding leads go above and beyond and work together to identify and care for vulnerable pupils. They follow up any concerns thoroughly and with speed.

The safeguarding leads work well with outside agencies to raise awareness of keeping safe within the wider community.

For example, they raise pupils' awareness of the dangers of gangs, county lines, drugs and knife crime.

Leaders have ensured that opportunities in the curriculum are planned for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils know how to respond to cyber-bullying and how to respect each other's personal space.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils in the early years have limited experience in comparing, measuring and testing. This means that they are not as well prepared for the science curriculum in key stage 1 as they should be. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum in the early years so that it prepares pupils well for key stage 1.

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