St Sebastian’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the caring relationships that they have with staff.

Pupils trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

Children in the early years settle in and quickly develop positive learning behaviours.

Pupils throughout the school build securely on these firm foundations. They are attentive in lessons and keen to share their thoughts and opinions. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), respond positively to the school's high expectations for their academic success.

They achieve well.

Pupils behave well. They are kind and conside...rate towards each other.

They play sociably at breaktimes. Pupils take on leadership roles as 'active play leaders' and 'buddies'. They encourage physical activity and help younger pupils resolve any minor disputes.

Pupils take pride in these additional responsibilities. This promotes their self-esteem and confidence.

Pupils take full advantage of the wide range of activities the school provides for them.

These include sports, choir, drama and board games clubs. These opportunities introduce pupils to new hobbies and develop their talents. Pupils love making a positive difference in the local community.

For example, the choir sings to residents in nearby care homes, and children work together to fundraise for local charities.

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

The school prioritises the development of the curriculum to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. This work has ensured that many subject curriculums are coherent and well ordered.

In the early years, the school has thought carefully about the building blocks of knowledge that help children to learn over time.

In the main, staff know the important learning they need to focus on. However, in some subjects, the school's curriculum thinking requires further precision.

This makes it difficult for teachers to design learning activities to cover all the subject knowledge that pupils need for future learning. This also hinders teachers from checking how well pupils are learning. As a result, some pupils do not learn and remember the intended curriculum as well as they could in these subjects.

The school quickly identifies pupils' additional needs. It ensures that any barriers to pupils' learning are carefully considered. Staff use a range of approaches to help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum successfully.

They achieve well. Pupils with SEND told inspectors they appreciate the ways that staff and their classmates support them in lessons.

The school has made sure that reading is a priority.

Children in early years have daily phonics lessons and many other reading activities. This helps to develop their ability to read and supports their love of reading. This approach continues as pupils move into Year 1.

Staff are experts at spotting any pupils who fall behind in their reading knowledge.They provide effective additional support. This has a positive impact.

Most pupils can read with increasing fluency and confidence by the end of Year 2.

There is a calm and orderly atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils move around the school sensibly.

They are polite and welcoming, displaying courtesy towards staff and visitors. In lessons, staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. For pupils who may find this challenging, there are strategies in place to support them to manage their feelings.

Pupils' personal development is promoted through the curriculum, assemblies and other opportunities. Pupils learn about different cultures and a range of social and moral issues. This helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

Older pupils recognise what constitutes a healthy relationship. They also talk maturely about the importance of equality. Pupils are taught about ways to maintain their physical and mental health.

They spoke to inspectors about the value of positive affirmations and finding ways to relax.

The school is resolute in its approach to securing pupils' regular attendance. It has taken effective action to reduce the number of pupils who are absent from school too often.

As a result, these pupils' rates of attendance are improving.

Governors are deeply committed to the school and the community it serves. They visit regularly and support school events.

Several governors volunteer in the school, for example by listening to pupils read. However, the governing body does not have oversight of some important aspects of the school's work. This means the governing body does not hold the school to account with sufficient rigour.

The new leadership team has quickly and accurately identified the most important issues that need to be addressed. Staff speak positively about the supportive teamwork in the school. They know leaders consider their workload, for example when they introduce changes to the curriculum.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

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, the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember has not been identified precisely enough.

This hampers teachers from designing suitable learning and from checking that pupils have secured the knowledge necessary for subsequent learning. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure teachers are clear on the essential knowledge pupils should learn in these subjects.

• The governing body does not have robust strategic oversight of the quality of education this school provides. This means it does not appropriately challenge or hold the school to account sufficiently well. The governing body should focus attention on its core duties so it can support the school more effectively in its improvement work.

Also at this postcode