St Bernard's RC Primary School Manchester

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 December 2022

St Bernard's RC Primary School is a caring, inclusive and supportive place where all pupils can learn. Pupils feel safe and enjoy learning with their friends. Pupils feel well looked after and cared for here. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are benefiting from leaders' raised expectations of what they can achieve. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning have been transformed by leaders. Pupils strive to meet the high standards of behaviour that leaders set. Leaders have cultivated a kind school community where pupils are considerate of everyone's differences. Pupils have the confidence to express any concerns because staff make the time to talk to pupils. Pupils know about bullying and describe it as repeated, unkind behaviour. On the very rare occasions on which bullying occurs, it is reported and dealt with effectively. Pupils benefit from an array of school trips and visits to help build their awareness of the wider world. For example, pupils talk enthusiastically about visits to the Imperial War Museum and the Central Library in Manchester. There has been significant investment in raising the profile of sport in the school. Pupils talk with excitement about their lunchtime sporting coaches and opportunities to visit the football stadium.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, teachers do not check what pupils have remembered thoroughly enough. This means that teachers are not always certain that pupils' learning is fully secure before moving on to new learning. As a result, some pupils struggle to remember what they have learned in the long term. Leaders should ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding in order to uncover gaps in pupils' understanding and close them before moving on.
• Pupils struggle to remember some of the content that they have learned over time. They do not revisit key knowledge regularly. This means it is difficult for them to build on their prior learning and secure their understanding. Leaders should ensure that they introduce robust systems that help pupils remember what they have learned in the long term.

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