St Edmund's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 April 2024

Pupils are safe and happy in this nurturing and friendly school. They enjoy warm and respectful relationships with staff. The school is ambitious for its pupils. It has made considerable improvements to many subject curriculums. Current pupils achieve better than they did in the past. Pupils work hard to meet the school's raised expectations of what they can achieve. Pupils behave well. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in lessons, which helps pupils to focus on their learning. Pupils listen carefully to adults and to each other. They are considerate of others' views and opinions. Pupils are enthusiastic about being part of this school. They told inspectors how their learning and other activities in school help them to have high aspirations for later life. Pupils are keen to be in school and spoke with animation about the rewards that they can receive for good attendance and punctuality. The school provides a range of clubs so that pupils can develop their interests and talents. These include arts and crafts and sports clubs. Pupils learn to improve their leadership skills through being members of the school council and supporting others as well-being champions. They make a positive contribution to their community by arranging fundraising events and helping to organise assemblies.

What the school should improve

• Pupils who are new to the school, or who have poor attendance, have gaps in their learning. This means they do not have the knowledge they need for later learning. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to identify and address these gaps rapidly to ensure pupils are ready for the next stage in their learning.
• In some subjects, chosen recording activities do not enable younger pupils, or pupils with SEND, to demonstrate their understanding accurately. This means that teachers do not have all the information they need to design future learning accurately. The school should consider alternative forms of recording for these pupils so that they can demonstrate their subject understanding well.
• Some pupils are persistently absent from school. As a result, they do not benefit from the ambitious curriculum and the nurturing environment the school provides. The school, with the full support of the governing body, should intensify its work with families to further promote the importance of pupils being in school every day.

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