St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Teresa's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel privileged to belong to this welcoming school community. Staff make sure that all pupils get the support that they need to flourish academically and in their wider development. Staff ensure that pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries or need any additional help.

The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils achieve well, especially in reading and mathematics.

Pupils learn about the importance of helping others.

They carry out an impressive array of leadership roles with diligence. For example, older pupils take great care of y...ounger ones in their roles as 'buddies'. The 'DOVES' group sensitively and skilfully serves others in the school and wider community.

Pupils who are part of the 'dog squad' learn how to keep Finn, the school dog, fit and healthy.

Children quickly settle in the early years. They learn the value of working cooperatively and being attentive to their teachers.

Older pupils build on this firm foundation. They are well behaved, polite and considerate. During lessons, pupils are firmly focused on their learning.

They enjoy being at school and are keen to make the most of the wide range of opportunities on offer to them.

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

Since the time of the previous inspection, the school has focused on strengthening and extending its curriculum. The curriculum now defines what all pupils need to learn in each subject as they progress from the Nursery Year to the end of key stage 2.

Teachers focus on the most important information so that pupils, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not become overwhelmed. This means that, by the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the challenges of the key stage 3 curriculum.Teachers are becoming increasingly skilled at supporting pupils to build on what they have learned previously across the curriculum.

When this happens, pupils achieve well. They successfully recall key information with ease. In most subjects, including in reading, pupils develop a wide range of knowledge that they apply well to other areas of learning.

In a small number of subjects, teachers are still developing their expertise. At times, some pupils become confused and do not achieve as well as they could. This is because, on occasion, teachers do not check pupils' understanding of prior knowledge well enough before introducing new learning.

Reading has a high priority at the school. The school makes sure that staff are well trained and supported. The reading curriculum, including the phonics programme, is delivered to a consistently high standard.

Pupils value the wide range of high-quality literature that they read in class or choose from when reading for pleasure. Teachers' genuine enthusiasm for reading ignites the interest of their pupils. Pupils described how the recommendations from their teachers or classmates inspire them to try new books or authors that they might not otherwise read.

Children in the early years revel in the rich diet of stories, songs and rhymes that they share with their teachers. In the Nursery Year, children develop well-attuned listening skills. This helps them to learn to read words using phonics in the Reception Year.

Pupils benefit from practising their reading regularly with books that carefully match the sounds that they know. This is especially true for those who find reading more difficult. Most pupils can read with accuracy and fluency by the time that they leave key stage 1.

The school makes sure that pupils continue to receive well-targeted additional support until they become proficient readers.

The school ensures that teachers understand how to identify and meet pupils' differing needs, including those with SEND. Pupils with SEND achieve well across the curriculum.

Pupils' strong attendance and positive attitudes towards their learning contribute well to their achievement. Pupils understand how important these attributes are in achieving the high aspirations that they have for themselves.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities for pupils' wider development.

For example, pupils particularly enjoy exploring the outdoor spaces at their school. They develop a strong awareness of the benefits of being physically active. Pupils also learn how to care for the environment and make choices that ensure that their own and others' lives are as safe and healthy as possible.

Governors are kept well informed about the work of the school. They provide effective challenge and support. Governors also maintain a high focus on staff well-being.

They ensure that new policies or practices do not have a detrimental impact on staff workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, there is variation in how carefully teachers check that pupils have a secure understanding of previous learning before moving on to something new.

As a result, at times, some pupils struggle to make sense of new information, which affects how well they achieve. The school should ensure that pupils are supported to build up an equally secure body of knowledge in each aspect of the curriculum.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2019.