Saint Paulinus Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

This is a happy and caring school where pupils thrive and achieve well. Pupils' behaviour and the school's work to keep them safe and secure are both outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe in school.

They develop very positive attitudes to learning. From average starting points, pupils make good progress. By the end of Year 6, standards are consistently above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly to school life and get off to a good start with their learning. Teaching is good. Teachers' excellent subject knowledge and varied learning activities ...ensure that pupils usually make good progress.

Effective support for disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who are eligible for the pupil premium funding helps them to keep up with their classmates and achieve well. The headteacher's inspirational leadership successfully sets a positive tone for the whole school, and the entire team works well together for the good of the pupils. Governors are knowledgeable and provide excellent support and challenge, which contributes to promoting school improvement.

The headteacher, senior leaders, and the governing body have a clear understanding of what the school does well, have secured improvements in the monitoring and evaluation of pupils' progress and know where the school could be even better. Parents are strongly supportive of the school. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not enough teaching is outstanding, and a small amount requires improvement.

At times, pupils are not given sufficient opportunity to practise what they have learnt, particularly in mathematics. Middle leaders are at an early stage in helping to drive school improvement. Pupils do not have the opportunity to improve their spelling and grammatical skills in subjects other than English.

Information about this school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a part-time Nursery and a Reception class. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English fluently.

The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is above the national average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. The headteacher was appointed in September 2012. The school provides a breakfast-and after-school club, which are managed by the governing body.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The school has been granted an Academy Order by the DFE on the 5 February 2014, and the proposed conversion is on the 1 July 2014. The name of the Catholic Multi-Academy the school will be joining is 'The Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust'.