St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Children settle quickly into school.

They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the school puts a strong emphasis on their personal as well as their academic development. Pupils continue to make good progress across the school. By the time they leave Key Stage 1, they have reached standards that are average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress across Key Stage 2. By the time they leave the school, pupils reach standards that are above and sometimes well-above average. Teaching is good overall with some that is outstanding, particularly in Year 6.

Teache...rs' planning and questioning are particular strengths. Pupils' behaviour is good. They enjoy coming to learn in this harmonious, caring school.

They work and play together well. Pupils are well mannered and proud of their school and the work they do. Pupils say they feel safe in school.

They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and manage risk in different situations, such as water and fire safety. The headteacher, well supported by a strong team of teachers, is keen that pupils should achieve well. A regular check on pupils' learning and progress ensures that pupils make good progress and that teaching improves across the school.

The governing body knows the school well. Governors know about the quality of teaching and the school's data. They are well trained and have been particularly effective at managing the school's finances and staffing issues to ensure pupils get good quality teaching.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils are not always sure how to make their work better because some teachers' marking lacks clarity about how it could be improved. Pupils have too little time to act on any advice given in marking. Standards for the most able pupils are not high enough in Key Stage 1 because teachers do not always set work that enables some pupils to reach the highest levels of which they are capable.

Information about this school

The school is an average-sized primary school. An above-average proportion of pupils is supported by the pupil premium which is additional government funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and children of service families. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below average.

An above-average proportion of pupils is supported at school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught as separate Reception and Nursery classes sharing an outdoor learning area. The school has before-school care for pupils, which is managed by the governing body. The school has experienced some turbulence in staffing over the past few years.