St Saviour’s Catholic Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of the St Saviour's family.

They are greeted warmly each day by staff and the school's therapy dogs, Waffle, Maggie and Mollie. Pupils feel safe and trust that staff will listen to any worries or concerns that they may have.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND), rise to meet the high expectations that the school has for their academic achievement.

Pupils are highly articulate and keen to share their thoughts and opinions about their learning. They listen, collaborate, debate and support each other to achieve well.

Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school buildin...g.

They are polite, well mannered and demonstrate high levels of respect for each other and for staff and visitors. Pupils have a strong understanding of the importance of tolerance. They are keen to celebrate the many differing cultures and faiths that co-exist within the school.

The impact that pupils have on the day-to-day life of the school is tangible and highly impressive. One such example is in the pupil-led school shop where other pupils get to visit, bank or spend their well-earned tokens. Pupils across the school hold an array of leadership positions as school councillors, road safety officers or mental health ambassadors.

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

The school has recently designed an ambitious curriculum, which includes the essential knowledge and skills that pupils need to know. This builds logically from the two-year-old provision through to the end of Year 6. Staff know what to deliver and when subject content should be taught.

Pupils with SEND have been carefully considered in the construction of the curriculum. Staff identify pupils' needs early and provide well-tailored support which means that pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school has prioritised training to help staff teach the new curriculum, particularly in English, mathematics and science.

Staff's confidence in these areas is high. They reported that the level of support they have received has reduced their workload. Staff deliver the curriculum well with carefully chosen activities and resources which promote pupils' independence and resilience.

Staff regularly check how well pupils are grasping the essential knowledge in the curriculum. They are also adept at identifying and addressing any gaps that pupils may have. Pupils achieve well in these subjects.

In contrast, staff are still building their expertise and confidence in those subjects where curriculum development has been more recent. In these subjects, checks on pupils' knowledge are also less well established. This means that some pupils struggle to make smooth progress through the curriculum in those subjects.

The school recognises the importance of teaching pupils to read. It is relentless in its approach to developing a love of reading across school. This is clear to see in pupils of all ages who are keen to share books and talk about the authors whose books they enjoy.

Right from the start, children in the two-year-old provision and in the Nursery class develop a love of nursery rhymes and stories. They are surrounded by inspiring books and poems. They vote for their favourite to be read aloud at the end of the school day.

Staff deliver the phonics curriculum consistently well. They make sure that the books pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to gain the secure phonics knowledge that they need to be successful readers.

Highly trained staff give pupils who require additional support prompt help. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 2, they are confident, fluent readers.

Pupils are highly motivated. They follow adults' instructions promptly and effectively. Most pupils bound into school each day keen to learn new facts and broaden their minds.

However, attendance levels for some pupils remain stubbornly low. While the school works productively with pupils and families to bring about improvements, too many pupils are persistently absent.

The school's offer for pupils' personal development shines through and is truly impressive.

There is an ambitious programme in place which covers many aspects such as money matters, staying safe online, career opportunities and aspirations. Pupils know how to care for their own mental health and well-being. Their understanding of developing and maintaining a positive growth mindset is remarkable.

Pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their lives.

Governors support and challenge the school effectively. In recent years, decisive action has been taken to ensure that leaders are equipped to bring about improvements to the school.

The impact of key appointments to senior leadership positions is reaping the rewards for pupils and staff alike.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers are still developing the knowledge and expertise that they need to teach some aspects of the new curriculums.

At times, teachers do not check that pupils have learned all that they should. This interrupts some pupils from progressing smoothly through these curriculums. The school should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to deliver the new curriculums so that pupils know and remember more of the subjects they study.

• Some pupils are absent from school too often. This means that they miss out on key learning and the wider opportunities that the school provides. The school should widen its systems for addressing the barriers to pupils' regular attendance so that the rates of persistent absenteeism reduce further.