St Werburgh’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers, staff and pupils speak positively about St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School. Staff know pupils and their families well. Staff provide support that enables pupils to feel safe and secure in school.

Pupils said that their school is a happy place to be. They warmly welcome new pupils who join the school at different times throughout the year. Pupils know why it is important to treat everyone with respect.

For example, pupils explained to inspectors how 'everyone is special and everyone is unique'.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They speak with confidence about their enjoyment of different subjects.

Pupils try their bes...t, and they help others to do the same. Children in the early years quickly learn to follow the routines and expectations staff have of them. Pupils know what it means to be a good friend and they are kind and caring towards each other.

For instance, older pupils relish their role as buddies for younger pupils at playtimes.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils strive to meet these expectations.

Typically, current pupils learn the curriculum successfully, and they achieve well. However, historic weaknesses in the curriculum mean that the improvements in pupils' learning are not reflected in published information about pupils' achievement at the end of key stage 2.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum in place that begins in the early years.

It sets out the most important knowledge pupils need to know. In most subjects, the school has designed the curriculum so that pupils build securely on what they already know. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not ordered learning to help pupils build their knowledge as well as they could.

As a result, some pupils are hindered when they encounter new subject content.

The school has designed a well-thought-out programme of training for staff, including support for staff to develop their curriculum expertise. As a result, staff have secure subject knowledge.

They explain new learning clearly to pupils and design activities that support pupils to acquire the knowledge that they need.

Children in the two-year-old provision and the Nursery Year benefit from the expertise of staff who understand how young children learn. For example, staff know when to guide learning and when to let children have a go for themselves.

Across the school, staff design learning that captures pupils' interest and that encourages them to be inquisitive. Pupils show determination to work with independence. However, they are not afraid to ask for help if they need it.

In the main, the school has designed appropriate assessment systems that support teachers to check on how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. However, from time to time, the school's strategies do not provide the most useful information about the knowledge that pupils can remember. On occasion, this hinders teachers when shaping future learning.

Children's love of reading flourishes in the early years where they learn a range of songs and rhymes off by heart. As soon as children join the school, they read well-chosen books that ignite their interest in reading. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they know.

This helps them to develop their fluency and confidence in reading.

Staff have a secure understanding of the school's approach to delivering phonics. They model sounds with accuracy.

Staff identify those pupils who need extra help with their reading. Those pupils who find it hard to read receive the support that they need to catch up quickly. Pupils show interest in a range of authors.

They said that the school's reading rewards encourage them to read widely and often.

The school ensures that staff are well equipped to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. Staff adapt how they deliver the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well.

For instance, staff break learning down into small steps and help these pupils secure important prior knowledge before moving on.

The school works closely with a range of specialists to help pupils to understand their emotions. Staff provide well-placed support for pupils who find this difficult.

As a result, classrooms are calm and orderly. Learning is seldom disrupted.

Pupils have an in-depth understanding of fundamental British values.

For example, they know that voting for school council members is an example of democracy. Pupils know why mutual respect is important. They value the opinions of others, even when they differ from their own.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests such as learning musical instruments and taking part in performances.

Staff feel valued by leaders. The school, including governors, care about staff well-being.

They consider staff workload while making decisions to improve the quality of education. Governors have the expertise to fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively.

Parents appreciate the nurture and care that the school provides for their children.

Added to this, the school shares information with parents about how to support learning at home. Parents said that they found this guidance useful.

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, the school has not ensured that new learning is ordered as logically as it is in other subjects. This prevents some pupils from embarking on subsequent learning with confidence. The school should improve the order of subject content so that pupils know and remember more over time.

• In some subjects, the school's assessment strategies do not provide staff with the information that they require about how well pupils are learning. From time to time, this hinders how well staff design the next steps in pupils' learning. The school should ensure that its assessment systems provide staff with the information that they require to shape and adapt the curriculum in these subjects.