St John Fisher Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 December 2025

This is a school where friendship and happiness shine through. Everyone has a friend to help them when needed. The school's vision of promoting a 'love of others' is evident in the way pupils enjoy spending time with their friends. In social times, there is plenty of laughter and fun. Older pupils keep a keen eye out to make sure they include younger pupils in games and activities. Pupils' attendance has improved over time, meaning most attend regularly. This is because leaders have taken highly effective steps to enable pupils to come to school as often as possible. They know pupils and their families well, providing well-tailored guidance for pupils. This deep knowledge of pupils' needs also encompasses those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, or those who face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing. The well-tailored pastoral provision helps these pupils to overcome the challenges they may face. A culture of mutual respect permeates the school. This, in turn, leads to pupils behaving very well in class and around the school. They listen carefully to staff and try their best with their learning. Historically, pupils did not achieve as well as they could have. Too many left school at the end of Year 6 not ready for secondary school. Similarly, too many children left Reception Year without the knowledge they needed to be successful in Year 1. Although pupils' achievement is improving, there remains more to do to ensure pupils consistently gain the knowledge they need to prepare them for their next stages. Pupils benefit from a range of rich opportunities to help them become well rounded citizens of the future. For example, pupils regularly meet visitors from a wide range of careers, including those working for the emergency services, scientists and artificial intelligence developers, to broaden their horizons and champion ambition.

What the school should improve

• Leaders must ensure that staff use assessment effectively to target gaps in pupils' learning and provide activities that focus on their needs, including basic skills such as handwriting and spelling.
• Leaders should ensure that teaching in the early years continues to help children learn, apply and practise the important skills they need to be ready for Year 1.
• Leaders should ensure that staff consistently sequence pupils' learning carefully and precisely so that pupils build secure knowledge across the curriculum and are prepared well for their next stages of education.
• Leaders should continue their work to further improve the attendance of a small number of pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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