St Anthony's Catholic Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 July 2023

Pupils behave well and want to learn. They attend regularly, look smart and work hard. Indeed, a distinctive feature of the school is the expectation that pupils will do their best and think of others. The school's motto of, 'Let your words teach and your actions speak' is drawn from the words of St Anthony. Pupils know what this means in practice and show respect to others. Respect is identified as an important right in school, along with the right to learn and the right to be safe. Bullying is uncommon but pupils know how to spot it. If it does happen, pupils and adults do not allow it to continue. There is also a healthy culture of helping pupils to learn from any mistakes, so that everyone feels encouraged and valued. The 'guiding hand' of supportive adults is very evident in the school. Reading is a key priority and pupils achieve strongly in several subjects, including English and mathematics. Beyond the classroom, there are lots of different clubs that pupils can join. Parents say positive things about the school. They trust leaders and staff to do their best for their children and to keep them safe. Inspection evidence supports these views.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum in a few subjects is not as well developed as in others. This means that pupils' learning in some subjects, such as art and design and geography, is not as strong as it could be. Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum, so that learning in all subjects is well organised and sequenced.
• The school's use of assessment in foundation subjects could be better. Currently, leaders keep records of what pupils have done and achieved in all subjects, but this does not always help to inform future learning. Looking ahead, leaders should review the way they use assessment in some foundation subjects to support all pupils to know and remember more over time.
• The level of high-quality interactions between adults and children in the early years could be strengthened further. While all staff guide and talk to children, occasionally they do not prompt children to take learning further. Leaders should continue to promote strong practice in early years, so that all children make the best possible progress.

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