Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 July 2024

The school has a warm and friendly ethos. Pupils respect their teachers and one another. Pupils show their support in a multitude of ways, from helping others learn lines for the school's production to celebrating when a peer does well. Older pupils support younger ones when at play, taking them under their wing. Pupils appreciate difference. They view pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as having a 'superpower'. Hence, pupils with SEND are comfortable talking with others about what helps support them. Pupils are proud to help their school and the local community. The eco-council works on sustainable projects, such as improving the local beach habitat. Pupils' contributions to the 'hungry cupboard' support homeless people in Southend. Pupils are eager to learn. They look forward to the many trips and visits they have that enrich the curriculum. Pupils rise to adults' high expectations of how to behave. Children in Nursery sit beautifully on the carpet ready to learn. Their learning behaviours continue as they move through the school. Pupils listen closely to their teachers and are curious to know more. In social times, pupils trust adults to deal with concerns and friendship squabbles when they arise.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes teachers do not effectively adjust their teaching to suit all pupils' needs and abilities in their lessons. This means that some pupils who are high attaining stall in their learning as sometimes they find work too easy. Sometimes pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they are able to. The school should provide further training so that teachers sharpen their adaptive practice, thus ensuring that learning is effective for all pupils.
• In Reception, staff do not use assessment as well as they might to identify exactly what children can and cannot do across all areas of learning. As a result, staff's use of continuous provision sometimes lacks precision. Children do not always undertake purposeful activities to consolidate their learning. The school should review how assessment informs planning so that staff have a deeper knowledge of what children know and can do, thus ensuring that children make the best start they can to their education.

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