Paternoster School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 October 2023

Learning at Paternoster School is like being a part of a big family. Positive relationships underpin the success of this school. Staff want the best for pupils. They have high expectations and look to ensure that learning is meaningful and fun. As a result, the school's values of 'courage, ambition, respect and enjoyment' are reflected in all pupils' experiences. Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for. They are right. Bullying is exceptionally rare, if it ever happens. Everyone knows what is expected. This helps maintain a calm and organised atmosphere. As a result, learning is mostly purposeful. Occasionally, however, some teaching is less effective in helping pupils to learn and they lose focus. Nevertheless, pupils typically make strong progress over time. Parents and pupils agree that this school is making a positive difference to their lives. Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities to learn and to prepare them for adulthood. They benefit from many interesting and stimulating experiences, including learning outside, being in the community and regularly celebrating important dates in the calendar. Pupils want to come to school, they like learning and they are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.

What the school should improve

• Elements of curriculum implementation need more time to embed. For example, staff do not consistently apply the approaches the school has adopted to teach some subjects. This can impede pupils' learning. The school should build on and strengthen the consistency of the implementation of the curriculum so that pupils learn well in all areas.

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