St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Vincent's is a friendly and welcoming school. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Pupils behave well in the classroom, around the school and in the playground. Older pupils show care and compassion for younger pupils. This means that pupils feel safe.

Pupils understand what bullying is and know what they would do if they felt unsafe. Pupils are confident that staff would resolve any problems that might occur, although these are rare.

Pupils speak enthusiastically about attending after-school activities in science, football, needlecraft, drama and art.

Pupils are proud to take on additional responsibilities and are aware of th...eir importance. For example, the 'mini-Vinnies', who work to make a positive contribution to the school and local community, have organised the harvest collection and distribution and are planning a Christmas performance for the local nursing home. Similarly, the 'eco club' checks how environmentally friendly aspects of the school site are each week.

Pupils work hard and produce work of a good quality in most subjects. This is because the curriculum is well designed. There are, however, some subjects in which pupils struggle more to remember and apply what they have learned previously.

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

Pupils enjoy reading and listen attentively to the stories they have read to them. They are knowledgeable about a range of authors and their works. Teachers have been well trained to teach phonics accurately.

This begins in Reception, where children learn and practise their sounds. This helps them become fluent readers. Pupils who struggle to read are identified swiftly and given additional help.

This supports many of them to catch up. However, a small number of staff deployed to support these readers are less precise and accurate. Misconceptions are sometimes taught, and errors not identified or corrected.

The curriculum matches the scope and content of the national curriculum. In each subject, leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn. The curriculum is designed so that pupils revisit and practise these ideas.

This supports them to apply their understanding in more challenging work. For example, in mathematics, pupils add mixed numbers successfully because their previous understanding of multiplication, division and fractions is secure. Similarly, in history, pupils talk confidently about the concept of ruling power by drawing on different examples of monarchies, empires and dynasties they have studied.

In art, pupils practise drawing portraits. Older pupils can identify how their drawing has improved over time. However, pupils have not developed a secure understanding of the artists or of other techniques they have learned.

Teachers do not identify this before moving on. Pupils struggle to understand new ideas or link them to what they have learned. Similarly, in music, pupils sing with enthusiasm and control because they practise regularly.

However, pupils are less confident about the musical features they use when composing or hear when listening to the work of different composers.

Children in the early years engage well with their learning. Staff model spoken language precisely, and children are given opportunity to talk with adults and to each other.

As a result, children are confident to talk and to share their experiences. Staff support children's mathematical learning effectively. For example, children practise their counting, and this enables them to understand the idea of more and less.

Although children practise their letter formation, staff do not routinely identify and correct the mistakes children make. As a result, these errors persist in Years 1 and 2 pupils' writing.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified swiftly.

Teachers are well supported to modify activities or provide additional resources to ensure all pupils benefit from a full curriculum. For example, in art, pupils are given larger brushes that can be more easily controlled. This enables them to create their own watercolour paintings alongside their peers.

Although all staff have received training in supporting pupils who may struggle, some staff do not always apply this fully. As a result, misconceptions are not always identified and persist in pupils' work.

Pupils behave well in lessons and engage enthusiastically with their learning.

Leaders manage attendance and punctuality effectively, supporting families to ensure their children attend school daily and on time. The curriculum for personal, social and health education has recently been rewritten. This includes increasing pupils' understanding of diversity, equality and discrimination.

Staff are proud to work at St Vincent's and are appreciative of the development opportunities they are given. They feel their workload is well managed. Subject leaders have been well supported by senior leaders.

As a result, they have an accurate understanding of the strengths and priorities for the areas they lead.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are knowledgeable about their responsibilities in keeping pupils safe.

This ensures any support pupils and families might need from the school and other professionals is provided. Pupils feel safe in school and have a clear understanding of the different ways they keep themselves safe when online. All parents who completed the online survey agreed that their children were safe in school.

When safeguarding concerns arise, action is taken in a timely way, including liaising with agencies. However, systems for recording these cases could be sharper. Leaders have already started to make improvements.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in all subjects identifies the knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn. It has been designed to ensure that pupils regularly return to and practise these ideas. However, in art and music, pupils struggle to understand new ideas or link them to their previous learning.

Leaders should ensure the curriculum in art and music is as well implemented as it is in other subjects. This is to ensure that pupils remember and understand the important knowledge and vocabulary identified in curriculum plans. ? Senior and subject leaders have provided training to support the delivery of the planned curriculum.

As a result, most teachers are knowledgeable and support pupils effectively. However, this is not the case for all staff. Leaders need to check that the training staff receive, including in reading, is understood and applied appropriately so that misconceptions and errors are identified and corrected swiftly.

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