The St Teresa Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Pupils achieve exceptionally well. Attainment has been consistently above the national average for the last five years.

Test results in 2014 show that at the end of Year 6 all ability groups reached standards well above the average in writing. The proportion of more able pupils gaining Level 5 in mathematics and reading was significantly above the average. This was a vast improvement on pupils' performance in previous years.

Many more able pupils than in previous years gained the higher Level 6 in mathematics and in the grammar, punctuation and spelling test. At the end of Year 2 in 2014, pupils reached standards in line with the... national average in reading and writing and well above the average in mathematics. The proportion reaching the higher Level 2a was significantly above the average.

This was a vast improvement on previous years. In 2014 all pupils made at least expected progress, all above the national average. A much greater proportion than the average made more-than-expected progress.

Pupils in school currently are making much faster progress than expected. The quality of teaching is mostly good and a high proportion is outstanding. Governors and leaders work tirelessly to continually raise standards.

They do this with rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning. As a result, teaching and learning have improved enormously. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary in classes and around the school.

Safety is outstanding. The school has meticulous procedures in place to keep children safe. Education in the Nursery and in Reception is outstanding.

Children are very well prepared to join Year 1 at the end of Reception.

Information about this school

This is an average-sized primary school, with slightly more girls than boys, one class in each year group. Children can join the school either in the Nursery at age three or in Reception at age four.

Children attend Nursery part time in morning sessions only. There is no afternoon Nursery. The proportion of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds is much larger than the average.

There are 13 ethnic groups, the largest of which is the African community, making up nearly half of the pupils. The second largest is the White British group, making up one fifth of pupils on roll. Other White children make up the third largest group.

All other groups are very small. More than half of the pupils are speakers of English as an additional language. This proportion is much larger than the average.

The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is very small and below the national average. In this school the funding is used to provide support for disadvantaged pupils, those in receipt of free school meals and children looked after by the local authority. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.

The school meets the government's floor standards, which set the minimum requirements for pupils' attainment and progress in mathematics, reading and writing. The school works with clusters of other primary schools in the borough to moderate assessment and share good practice. The headteacher is the local authority's Cultural Lead in a national pilot project for Cultural Education in which three authorities are participating.