St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Lowton

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 March 2023

Pupils are curious and keen learners. They share their thoughts and ideas articulately. Pupils enjoy taking part in discussions and learning about the world around them. They are especially interested in the impact of climate change and the steps that they can take to protect the environment. Leaders set the bar high for pupils' academic success. In turn, pupils try their best, work hard and achieve well. They are ready for the next steps in their education. Most pupils relish and value their time in school. They appreciate the care that they receive from staff, especially when they are worried or anxious. Pupils know the importance of sharing their concerns, either by alerting a member of staff or by using the worry boxes. Many pupils follow the high expectations that leaders set for conduct around the school. Pupils typically treat adults and each other with consideration and respect. When bullying or other harmful behaviour is reported, leaders deal with it effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils enthusiastically take responsibility for leading different aspects of school life. For example, the Aspire leaders work with teams of staff and pupils to support their nominated charities. The school council has helped to set up games equipment on the playground and the eco-warriors remind everyone to take care of the natural world.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, leaders have not identified the key knowledge that pupils should acquire. Sometimes, the purity of the subject content is lost to other areas of the curriculum. As a result, key concepts are not emphasised or recapped sufficiently well to ensure that they stay in pupils' memories. Leaders should refine their curriculum design further so that teachers are in no doubt about the essential concepts that pupils must know for future success.
• The new approaches to tackling the behaviour of some pupils are having variable impact. This means that some pupils have their learning interrupted. Occasionally, some pupils also feel anxious about the behaviour of others, especially in the playground. Leaders should ensure that the new ways to tackle poor behaviour are known and understood by all in the school community. This is so that everyone is aware of their role in promoting positive behaviour.

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