St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

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

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show respect. They are respectful to each other, to the adults who help them and to people who visit the school. This is because of the strong relationships that have formed between parents, pupils and the school.

As a result, pupils attend well and behaviour in the school is good.

Bullying in the school is rare. Parents and pupils say that this does not happen because the school would not tolerate it.

Pupils feel safe in school and are taught about how to protect themselves online.

The school is aspirational for every child. The school commun...ity is diverse, with many different languages, cultures and ethnicities represented.

Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive effective support to access the school's curriculum. Achievement in the school is strong. By the end of Year 6, in most subjects, including English and mathematics, pupils are well equipped with the skills and knowledge that is needed to be successful in secondary school.

Pupils talk about leadership opportunities with passion. They aspire to be reading and writing ambassadors because of the status this gives them in school. Adults in school enjoy developing pupils' character through the '50 things to do before you leave St Theresa's' initiative.

This includes cooking on a campfire, making a den and visiting an art gallery. Pupils enjoy going on visits and residentials as they bring the curriculum to life. They said visiting a steelwork factory helped them understand more about their local area.

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

In most subjects, the school has designed a curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This starts in the early years. In most subjects, including English and mathematics, it ensures that they are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

The school focuses on pupils being aware of their place in both their local and the global community. As a result, pupils find the curriculum relatable and engaging. However, in a small number of subjects, such as geography and art, knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn has not been clearly set out.

This means that, in these subjects, pupils are not always taught what they need to achieve well.

The core subjects of mathematics and reading are well established. Staff have a secure understanding of the approach in these areas.

Consequently, pupils progress well through the curriculum, and achievement is strong. In mathematics, pupils talk confidently about what they know using complex, age-appropriate vocabulary. Children are able to provide reasons for their answers in Reception.

Teachers ensure that pupils are given time to practise calculations to build their fluency before moving on to reasoning and problem-solving. In reading, the school ensures that pupils are taught by reading experts. Phonics is a strength of the school, and pupils achieve well.

Children are taught phonics as soon as they begin in Reception. If a pupil is identified as being at risk of falling behind, adults act swiftly to address this. Staff read to pupils often.

Pupils talk with passion about their favourite genres, authors and how they choose the books they read. Pupils know why reading is important and how it helps them in their learning in the wider curriculum.

The school prioritises the inclusion of all its pupils across all subjects.

This includes pupils with SEND. Teachers ensure that the curriculum is appropriately adapted to meet the needs of their pupils. Alongside their regular classroom provision, facilities such as The Hive and the Emotional Intelligence Centre ensure that vulnerable pupils are given time to work on specific plans that have been created.

These help them to make progress educationally and emotionally.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons is impressive. Children in the early years listen attentively and learn to follow instructions.

Pupils learn about positive behaviour in assemblies and through personal, social and health education lessons. They focus diligently on what they are learning. A small number of pupils who may find managing their behaviour more challenging get the help they need from the caring pastoral team.

The promotion of pupils' personal development and wider opportunities is high priority and a strength of the school. The school understands the local context and ensures that pupils are provided with suitable knowledge of how to keep themselves safe. For example, being situated very close to a main road, the school has worked with the police and other agencies to ensure that pupils are aware of road safety.

Pupils talk about the charities they support, both in their local area and beyond. They show empathy to those less fortunate than themselves and see this as an important part of their school life. Pupils talk about the fundamental British values and how, as a Rights Respecting School, they encourage everybody to be themselves.

Pupils lead this area and organise events to celebrate diversity and the cultural differences of pupils at their school. The school ensures that pupils are aware of how to keep themselves both physically and mentally healthy.

The reputation of the school is strong.

They work well with local partnerships to ensure that all staff receive appropriate professional development. Staff, pupils and parents could not speak more highly of the school. One parent, voicing the views of many, said, 'The school is very nurturing.

It's like a family.' Staff say that well-being is prioritised and that they are always consulted about proposed changes.

There is a shared vision of excellence across the school's leaders, governors and staff.

Governors know the school well and are actively involved in the life of 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 a small number of foundation subjects, key knowledge has not been fully identified.

As a result, teachers are unclear about the curriculum end points, meaning that pupils do not achieve as well as they are capable of. The school should ensure that subject plans are refined, taking into account sequencing and implementation, to ensure that any gaps in knowledge are addressed and pupils obtain the necessary knowledge to allow them to access future learning.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2014.