St Mary & St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy school. They particularly like the outdoor learning programme. This provides wonderful opportunities to explore, play and make dens.

Pupils love to build fires and work sensibly to make different objects. However, at other times, pupils do not behave well enough, including during play at breaktimes which can get too rough for some. This spoils an otherwise calm and orderly environment.

Teaching is not successfully building pupils' perseverance. Some pupils find it difficult to keep trying and they give up easily, including children in early years. This can prevent them from doing as well as they could.

Pupils feel safe. They know that bullyi...ng is harmful and that it is not tolerated. The pupils' colourful anti-bullying posters adorn the school's corridors.

These provide useful prompts and reminders to all about the dangers of bullying.

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

Since it became an academy in 2014, the school has had some significant changes, particularly in those leading the school. This led to a decline in the quality of education.

However, following the appointment of the headteacher in January 2019, and with the ongoing support of the trust, the school is starting to recover. Leaders have an accurate understanding of what the school needs to do to improve. Nevertheless, this has taken time to achieve and there is much work to do.

Some leaders still do not have enough knowledge of their subjects to hold teachers firmly to account, which further impedes improvement.

Subject leaders have plans for what they want pupils to know in each subject, from Years 1 to 6. However, there are too many weaknesses in how these are designed and implemented.

For example, in music, teachers do not take enough account of gaps in pupils' knowledge. Pupils cannot recall great composers or basic musical notation. Lessons do not ensure that pupils build knowledge sequentially, starting from what pupils know.

At other times, such as in science, teachers attempt to teach difficult concepts, such as fossilisation, without ensuring that pupils build secure knowledge. As a result, pupils do not achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Furthermore, leaders do not ensure that the early years curriculum is well planned or sufficiently ambitious to prepare children well for Year 1.

Since September 2019, leaders have implemented a new approach to reading and phonics. Starting in Reception and continuing to Year 2, pupils are taught phonics every day. However, teachers' knowledge of the order in which letters and sounds should be taught is weak.

This leads to poor progress for some pupils, including those who need to catch up quickly. These pupils are not gaining secure knowledge to be confident and fluent readers. The approach to reading in key stage 2 is confused.

Teachers do not know clearly enough what pupils need to learn next. This leads to gaps in their knowledge, including their vocabulary. Recent strategies, such as the 'High-Five' challenge, encourage pupils to read more.

Pupils are beginning to show more interest in authors and literature. They all have a reading book and understand the importance of reading.

Pupils enjoy having responsibilities, such as being eco-warriors or class monitors.

They understand the school's gospel values and recognise how these make the school a better place. Staff ensure that pupils learn about the world around them. For example, the children in Reception enjoy learning about Chinese New Year celebrations and cultural similarities and differences.

Pupils enjoy the various trips and visits, such as to Corfe Castle, where they learn more about their local heritage and the impact of our lives on future generations. These help to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are diligent in checking that staff and visitors are safe to work with pupils. All the required safeguarding training is fully in place. Staff understand the school's processes for referring any concerns.

Leaders respond swiftly and work well with other professional agencies to keep pupils safe.

Pupils know how to stay safe in different situations. They told us how to avoid danger when working online, as well as how to evacuate the school safely in an emergency.

Staff also help pupils to manage their emotional and mental health well.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

There are weaknesses in the school's reading and phonics programme. These prevent pupils from reading fluently and confidently.

Leaders must ensure that a robust reading and phonics programme is implemented, along with accurate assessment, to ensure that all pupils learn to read well, including in Reception. . The curriculum is not well planned or designed to enable pupils to acquire sufficiently deep knowledge in many subjects, from Reception to Year 6.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge, including vocabulary. Leaders need to ensure that the school's curricular model builds knowledge and skills sequentially and at the right time, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education. .

Some leaders do not have sufficient expertise in their subjects or areas of responsibility. This means that they find it difficult to hold others to account, or evaluate accurately, which weakens the capacity to improve. Leaders need to ensure that there is a comprehensive plan to develop leaders' knowledge and confidence for subject leadership.