St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 December 2025

Pupils at St Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Primary School do not benefit from the quality of education they should. Many do not achieve as well as they could. This is because teaching does not consistently help them to know and remember important knowledge and skills. Some pupils who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers to learning do not receive the support they need to progress well from their starting points. Staff expectations of behaviour are not consistently high. Consequently, not all pupils remain focused on learning. Leaders have only recently started to improve attendance and punctuality. Currently, not enough pupils attend regularly. The school's programme for personal development and wellbeing does not prepare pupils well enough for life in modern Britain. There has been significant turbulence in leadership and governance, which has affected pupils' experiences. This has now stabilised and leaders have an accurate view of the school. They have begun to strengthen weaker areas. However, this work is very recent and has not yet improved pupils' learning. Despite these weaknesses, pupils are happy and feel valued. Many join at different points in the school year. Whenever they arrive, staff help them settle swiftly so that they feel part of the school community. Pupils are safe and know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Staff and pupils are proud to belong to a close-knit school. Pupils enjoy opportunities to socialise at playtimes. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident that any instances are dealt with promptly and effectively. The school's distinctive values underpin its caring, compassionate atmosphere. For example, pupils raise money for local charities and take part in civic events. These experiences help pupils develop a sense of citizenship.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that staff understand the range of barriers pupils may face to their learning and wellbeing so that they can ensure that the curriculum is well matched to their needs.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers make important knowledge sufficiently explicit and check pupils' understanding systematically so that pupils can build on previous learning.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers use what they know about pupils' learning to identify and address gaps so that all pupils develop the foundational knowledge, language and communication skills they need.
• Leaders should ensure that the strengthened attendance policy is implemented consistently to raise pupils' attendance rates.
• Leaders should ensure that staff establish appropriate routines and explicitly teach and model the behaviour they expect from pupils so that these are well understood.
• Leaders should ensure that they understand the impact of the personal development and welfare programme so that all pupils benefit from high-quality personal development opportunities.
• Those responsible for governance should ensure that they continue to develop their expertise so that they can support and challenge leaders effectively.

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