St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Pontefract

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 April 2024

Pupils enjoy learning in this vibrant and caring school. They are deeply respectful, unfailingly polite and are kind and caring towards each other. Pupils have excellent relationships with adults. Pupils feel and are safe. They know who they can talk to if they have any worries. The approach of the staff and attitudes of the pupils reflect the Catholic ethos of the school. The carefully planned curriculum reflects the clear ambition that leaders have for pupils, who thrive in the care that they are given. Pupils enjoy learning to read and understand that reading is an important life skill. They concentrate and, mostly, work hard in lessons. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well met in this highly inclusive school. Expectations for behaviour are very clear. Pupils move around school in an exemplary way and behave well almost all of the time. Bullying is rare and pupils state that it does not happen. They are confident that, if it did, it would be sorted out straight away. They are proud of the leadership roles that they have and their contributions to school life. Pupils also appreciate the range of sporting opportunities and after-school clubs that are available to them.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, it is not clear what specific knowledge, skills and vocabulary the school intends pupils to learn by the end of each year group. This prevents pupils' learning from building fully effectively over time. The school should ensure that the specific knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils are to learn by the end of each year is clearly mapped out so that teachers plan learning that builds effectively through the school in all curriculum subjects.
• In some subjects, assessment at the end of a sequence of learning is not as used effectively as it is in others. Therefore, teachers are not fully aware of what pupils have learned over time or the exact detail of any gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that summative assessment is used effectively to support teachers when planning learning to meet the differing needs of pupils.
• The school has not ensured that the curriculum enables pupils to deepen aspects of their cultural knowledge effectively over time. Pupils' knowledge and understanding of faiths and cultures beyond their own, for example, is limited. The school should ensure that pupils' cultural development is developed effectively so that they deepen their knowledge and remember more over time.

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