St Dunstan’s RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher has worked tirelessly since her appointment to drive forward school improvement. She is supported well by the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders who have a clear and collaborative focus on what needs to improve. The majority of staff share this vision and work well as a team to ensure that standards in school have continued to improve.

Governors know the school well and challenge senior leaders to continue to drive improvements. Since the last inspection, standards in reading, writing and mathematics have improved. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics in 2015 was clos...e to or above the national average at Key Stage 1 and 2.

Pupils make good progress from their starting points because the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils behave well and enjoy coming to school.

This is shown in their consistently above average attendance. The curriculum is well-planned and the use of specialist teachers in art, music and sports contributes well to pupils' personal and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Improvements to the early years provision since the previous inspection ensure that children get off to a good start and make good progress.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems and show mathematical reasoning. Teachers do not consistently plan tasks which allow pupils to apply and develop their reading skills across all subjects. Subject leaders are not fully using the range of information available to them to prioritise and measure the impact of improvements in the subjects they lead.

The early years outdoor environment does not provide children with the same quality of provision as that found indoors. Ofsted_Logo_Black_RGB

Information about this school

St Dunstan's RC Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school. Two thirds of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, some of whom speak English as an additional language.

The proportion who speak English as an additional language is similar to the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below the national average. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average.

The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority. The school meets the government's current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Since the last inspection there has been considerable staff turbulence and change, including to senior leadership.

The headteacher was appointed from September 2014 and the deputy headteacher from April 2015. A significant number of senior and middle leaders have also been appointed since the last inspection. There is a private breakfast and after-school club on site which is subject to a separate inspection.

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