St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Crook

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 June 2025

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. Warm and caring relationships with staff help pupils to feel safe. Staff get to know pupils well. They support pupils to succeed by ensuring that they start the day ready to learn. The school is ambitious for pupils' achievement. This begins in the early years, where children develop an interest in learning. Pupils study a curriculum that engages and supports them to develop their knowledge. Pupils typically achieve well. Pupils behave well. They are kind and polite to each other and to visitors. When pupils do find it hard to manage their behaviour they are supported thoughtfully to learn the strategies they need to succeed. When pupils, including some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), find it hard to manage their behaviour, staff support them well. For example, approaches such as planned movement breaks help to equip pupils with the strategies they need to succeed. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities through roles such as the 'sports squad' and 'reading squad'. They make valued contributions to their local community through work with a local foodbank and charity work. This prepares pupils to become active citizens. Pupils benefit from extra-curricular activities which develop their wider interests. These include various sports clubs, puzzles and games.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, staff do not consistently check whether pupils have remembered what they have been taught before moving them on to new learning. This leads to some pupils developing gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that the assessment approach in each subject provides information about pupils' learning so that the curriculum can be adapted to meet their needs.
• Aspects of the personal development programme are not as well established as they could be. This limits how well some pupils contribute more widely to the school and develop skills such as leadership. It also limits their understanding of some aspects of life in modern Britain including knowledge of fundamental British values. The school should ensure that it further develops pupils' contributions to the wider life of the school and also strengthen pupils' knowledge of the diverse world of modern Britain, including the relevance of fundamental British values.

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