Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 September 2022

This is a welcoming and thoroughly inclusive place to learn. Pupils are proud to belong to the school community. Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. They work well together. Leaders use many well- planned strategies to support pupils' wider development. The arts are at the heart of school life. Leaders organise many opportunities for pupils to come together and reflect, including through music assemblies and singing. Leaders have prioritised developing pupils' ability to express themselves clearly and with confidence. This is evident across the school. For example, leaders and staff expect pupils to answer questions using subject vocabulary and in full sentences. This approach also helps pupils when they come to record their thinking and ideas in writing. Overall, pupils achieve well and are successfully prepared for their next steps at secondary school. Leaders have high expectations for pupils in all areas of their learning. Pupils work hard and want to do well. They behave sensibly and show mature attitudes towards their learning. Pupils understand their responsibility to behave with kindness and respect. They said that bullying is not tolerated. On the rare occasions that bullying does happen, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils are kept safe and feel safe in school.

What the school should improve

• In a few of the foundation subjects, leaders' curriculum thinking is at an earlier stage of development. While leaders are clear about the intended end points for pupils' learning, they have not set out precisely how pupils need to develop their knowledge in order to achieve these long-term aims. Leaders should continue to refine and adapt their curriculum thinking so that pupils acquire the necessary knowledge to work towards the clearly defined curriculum goals in all subjects.
• Occasionally, teachers do not support pupils to build on what they have learned previously. This can reduce how well pupils deepen their knowledge over time. Leaders need to provide additional training and support for teachers in knowing when and how to adapt their teaching for all pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)