St John Vianney Catholic Primary School, West Denton

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 April 2024

St John Vianney Primary School prepares pupils to be confident, lifelong learners. It effectively supports pupils' social and emotional well-being, which ensures pupils are ready to learn. The school teaches pupils its behaviour expectations through the 'ready, respectful, safe' mantra. Adults use the same script when they speak to pupils who have not made the right choice. The school 'positively praises and private sanctions' pupils. This ensures that there is a consistent and fair approach to behaviour management. Pupils understand the significance of the 'board of recognition'. Each half term, pupils focus on displaying a character trait. For example, at the time of the inspection, it was to be respectful to others. Pupils confidently demonstrate this trait by holding doors open and being kind to each other. Pupils have great respect for the adults that support them. They trust these adults to keep them safe. The school has made changes to their curriculum in recent years. The staff who lead curriculum improvements are passionate, knowledgeable and equipped to develop their subjects further. The school provides leadership opportunities to pupils, such as school councillors, eco-warriors and subject ambassadors. These roles promote responsibility. Pupils have opportunities to show their Catholic faith in action. They actively seek to do good for others, for example supporting the local soup kitchen and food bank.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, some pupils do not use the subject-specific vocabulary, identified by the school, to talk about their previous learning. This means that pupils are not using the right language to discuss what they know. The school should ensure that the subject-specific vocabulary is appropriately emphasised so it builds over time.
• In some subjects, some pupils are less able to recall and make connections between aspects of their learning than they are in others. The school should provide opportunities for pupils to revisit learning consistently well across all subjects so that it is better embedded in pupils' long-term memory.
• The school has not ensured that some activities in the early years areas of provision have meaningful learning intentions. This means that some skills do not build progressively from Nursery to Reception. The school should ensure that all activities are purposefully chosen to build children's knowledge and skills over time.

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