St Pius Xth Catholic Primary School, Consett

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a small, and welcoming school.

Pupils enjoy a broad and ambitious curriculum. The school is aspirational for all pupils to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the wider world, and achieve well. Pupils are enthusiastic learners.

They are nurtured and valued as individuals. The school weaves its religious character through the curriculum. It is vividly reflected in the warm and respectful relationships.

Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and behave well. They develop strong, trusting relationships with staff. Pupils are confident that staff will help them with any worries they have.

Staff deal with incidents of poor behaviour effectively. ...From the early years, pupils develop positive attitudes to learning. Most engage well in their lessons.

Pupils enjoy the variety of school clubs available, such as rugby, dance and golf. They hold positions of responsibility and develop leadership skills. These include as members of the school council and being a 'Mini Vinnie' or 'Eco Warrior'.

Older pupils appreciate the opportunity to be 'Reading Angels', where they help to develop and manage the school library. Pupils develop a keen sense of the importance of looking after others. They eagerly organise and participate in many charity fundraising activities run by the school.

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

The school has reviewed and revised the content of the curriculum. The curriculum is carefully sequenced from the early years. Children in the early years make a positive start to school life.

They develop their early numeracy and literacy skills well. Some curriculum subjects are new and in the early stages of implementation. New approaches to teaching are helping pupils of all ages to know more and remember more of the curriculum.

The school is determined to raise standards. The school is eager for more pupils to exceed national expectations. Curriculum subjects are designed to build and extend pupils' knowledge over time.

There is a strong focus on ensuring that pupils develop an increasingly deep knowledge and understanding of the wider world. However, the checks that teachers make on pupils' learning is inconsistent. As a result, teaching is not consistently well focused to address gaps in some pupils' learning.

On occasion, these pupils lose concentration and do not achieve as well as they could in lessons.

Children in the early years learn the right things to equip them for their learning in key stage 1 and beyond. This includes an emphasis on developing children's language and communication skills.

The school has thought carefully about how pupils learn important subject vocabulary. For example, from the early years, teachers encourage pupils to use learned vocabulary when answering questions. Pupils relish responding using different voices or whispering the meaning of words to their friends.

Children start to learn phonics from the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff check pupils' learning of phonics regularly. They provide timely extra support when needed, to help pupils to keep up with the phonics programme.

Pupils enjoy reading. They talk animatedly about authors and books that they enjoy. Reading is promoted throughout the curriculum.

Older pupils like helping younger children to learn to read as their 'reading buddies'.

The school has a proud history of supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in a caring way. The school identifies and supports the needs of pupils with SEND well.

Teachers make appropriate adaptations to learning when necessary. Staff tailor teaching and resources to help pupils to access the curriculum when needed.

Most pupils attend well.

The school provides suitable challenge and help to parents to promote the importance of regular attendance. When necessary, leaders work with external agencies to ensure that everything possible is done to support pupils to attend regularly.

The curriculum for pupils' personal development is rooted in the school's Catholic values.

Pupils learn about life in modern Britain and develop respect for diversity and different faiths. They know how to eat healthily and learn strategies to support their positive mental health. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when crossing the road and online.

They take part in residential trips and sporting competitions. They like visiting the theatre to watch the pantomime. Younger children enjoy outdoor learning in the school's woodland area.

Trust leaders and those responsible for governance provide effective challenge and support to the school to secure purposeful improvements. Staff are well supported in taking on the changes to the curriculum. They benefit from the training opportunities provided by the trust.

Leaders are considerate of staff's welfare and workload. Most parents typically speak highly of the 'caring' and 'dedicated' staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, the use of assessment is not sufficiently precise to ensure that teaching is consistently matched to some pupils' needs. Some pupils may not achieve as well as they could. The school should intensify their actions to improve the implementation of the curriculum and ensure that assessment informs learning so that all pupils achieve their best.