St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 November 2024

Pupils enjoy being part of the school's diverse and welcoming community. They behave well in all areas of the school. Pupils appreciate the caring staff, who swiftly resolve any concerns or worries. Pupils support the well-being of others both in and beyond the school. For example, they lead fundraising events for their chosen charities. They support their younger peers by volunteering as play leaders, liturgical leaders and house captains. Digital leaders reinforce messages about how to stay safe online. Pupils experience a broad and rich range of activities to enhance their learning. These include canoeing, tai chi and choir. Visits take place to the Olympic Park, Stubbers Park and Fairplay House. Many pupils take part in the annual visit to Rome. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully included in these activities. Pupils learn about other religions, visiting both a mosque and a synagogue. Pupils study a broad and balanced curriculum, including in the nursery. Leaders have high expectations of their learning. Pupils work hard. In some subjects, pupils produce work of a high quality. In some areas of the curriculum, including reading, pupils are not consistently supported to build a deep body of knowledge. As a result, they are not as prepared as they need to be for the next stage of their education.

What the school should improve

• The implementation of the phonics curriculum is not consistent. As a result, some pupils do not develop accuracy and fluency as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that the tasks provided match the ambition of the phonics curriculum. The school should also ensure pupils are provided with sufficient opportunities to practise and embed the sounds that they are learning.
• In some subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should learn has not been clearly identified. In these instances, teaching does not focus as sharply on supporting pupils to achieve the intended curriculum goals. As a result, some pupils do not develop a sufficient understanding in these areas. The school should ensure that the knowledge that pupils need to secure is clearly identified. Leaders and those responsible for governance should prioritise checking the implementation and impact of the curriculum, providing additional support where needed.

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