St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 May 2022

Pupils are proud to belong to this highly inclusive, happy school. They greatly value everyone's unique qualities. Pupils explained to inspectors that everyone is welcome at this school and that difference is to be celebrated. Relationships across the school are warm and supportive. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and behave exceptionally well. They live up to leaders' and staff's high expectations. Pupils are particularly kind and respectful of each other. They struggle to recall any incidents of unkindness or bullying, and feel safe and very well cared for by staff. Personal development is of exceptional quality. Values such as service, respect, compassion, justice and friendship are golden threads that knit this community together. Pupils understand and demonstrate these important school and Christian values. Pupils learn that, through their actions, they can help to make the world a better place. They are eager to take on extra responsibilities and be one of St Bernadette's community, prayer or eco 'Mini Vinnies'. Older pupils reflect maturely on issues related to social justice and fairness. As one pupil explained, 'People should not be excluded from this world if they are different, poor or don't have food to eat.'

What the school should improve

• Pupils who are behind with their reading are occasionally given books that are not well matched to their reading skills. Sometimes, adults encourage pupils to use picture clues rather than apply their phonics. This limits opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their phonics skills and risks them not catching up quickly enough. Leaders should take action to address these few inconsistencies in the school's reading provision.
• In a few foundation subjects, leaders have not specified with enough precision the important knowledge or concepts they want pupils to learn and remember and the order in which pupils learn new content. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to make meaningful connections with previous learning and build on this. Leaders should ensure that they identify and sequence the most important concepts and content they wish pupils to learn and remember.
• In some aspects of the English writing curriculum, leaders have not identified with complete clarity the component knowledge that pupils need to secure in some units of learning. This risks some important knowledge being inadvertently overlooked. Leaders need to implement their plans to further refine the English writing curriculum and identify more clearly the component knowledge that pupils need to learn.

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