St Alban's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

Pupils are happy and enjoy being part of this caring and welcoming school. They know that staff care about them as individuals. The school makes sure pupils are safe and feel secure. The school has high ambitions for pupils' academic achievement. Most pupils meet the school's expectations in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in some other subjects, pupils do not learn all that they should. Pupils behave typically well during lessons. Classrooms are purposeful. Pupils trust that staff will help them with any worries or concerns that they may have. They are delighted that their achievements do not go unnoticed by the staff. Pupils strive to be the best that they can be. They are polite, respectful and well-mannered. Pupils are proud of the positive contributions that they make to the school. For example, pupils in the gardening and 'go green' groups have raised money for recycling and growing activities. Pupils have identified charities to support that are close to their hearts. They want to help the world and make a difference. Pupils benefit from trips locally and further afield that widen their horizons. They enjoy the residentials that help to build their independence.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders do not have a clear oversight of curriculum effectiveness. This means that they do not know if the curriculum is having the intended impact and what changes are needed to improve the curriculum. The school should ensure that subject leaders have the skills and knowledge to oversee their subject areas effectively.
• There is some variability in curriculum implementation. This includes approaches to checking pupils' learning and opportunities for pupils to recap and practise prior learning. Where this is the case, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well across subjects.
• In some subjects, the school is not clear about the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that some pupils do not learn to the depth that they should. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, the most important knowledge is identified so that pupils can deepen their understanding of these subjects over time.
• There are inconsistencies in how early reading and letter formation are taught, even though the school has a systematic and well-planned approach to early reading and writing, including phonics. This means that some pupils do not secure the key knowledge they need to become confident readers and writers. The school should ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to implement the phonics programme consistently well.

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