St Sebastian’s RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has united leaders and governors in their drive to improve the school. Although there is further work to do, together they have already improved teaching, pupils' outcomes and attendance. Pupils are happy in this harmonious school.

They work hard, play safely and want to learn. Parents and carers are very pleased that they chose this school for their children. Teaching is good and is particularly strong in phonics, reading, writing and in the early years.

Teachers benefit from support through a network of local schools. Effective teaching has improved pupils' reading, writing and mathematics across the school. Mathematics ...teaching is highly effective for the oldest pupils, who receive challenging work.

However, it is not as strong in other year groups. Writing is taught consistently well across the school. Pupils apply their widening vocabulary and knowledge of grammar in their writing in subjects such as science and humanities.

Provision in the early years is caring and nurturing. Good teaching means interesting and fun activities improve children's skills and ensure that they make good progress. Pupils enjoy reading.

Younger pupils use phonics to help them read unfamiliar words and older pupils read with increasing confidence. Attendance is improving, including for disadvantaged pupils, because leaders persistently challenge parents who keep their children away from school. Leaders have improved the richness of the curriculum, but it does not prepare some pupils well enough for the diversity of life in modern Britain.

Middle leaders are at the early stages of developing their skills. Subject leaders' monitoring sometimes fails to spot the key changes needed to improve pupils' learning. Governors have improved the way that they work.

They manage the school's finances carefully and check that safeguarding is effective. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well due to effective support in class and help from external agencies. Disadvantaged pupils, including many who speak English as an additional language or joined the school in key stage 2, make good progress because of the high-quality extra help they receive.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school, with one class in each year group. Over half of the pupils are disadvantaged, which is above average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils varies in each year group.

About three quarters of pupils in Year 5 are disadvantaged. A diverse range of different heritages are represented by pupils at this school. Less than half of the pupils are of White British heritage.

Almost one third of pupils are Black or Black British-African, with small numbers from other backgrounds, including Travellers. Almost one third of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is above average. The school welcomes pupils from families who are new arrivals to the country, many of whom start mid-year.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is average. Early years provision comprises one Nursery class for three- and four-year-old children and one Reception class for four- and five-year-olds. Children in the Nursery attend full-time.

The school provides a breakfast club each morning. The headteacher joined the school in September 2017. Other recent changes to leadership include a new assistant headteacher and a new leader of early years.

Changes made to governance since the previous inspection include the appointment of some new governors and sharing the role of the chair of governors. This is a voluntary aided Roman Catholic school. The school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in November 2018.