St Leo's and Southmead Catholic Primary School Serving the Community

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 March 2023

Pupils, and children in the early years, live up to the leaders' vision to create happy, resilient and successful learners. Pupils welcome visitors warmly and engage with them confidently. They are eager to show off their school. They are kind to each other. Older pupils act as positive role models for younger children. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have designed and implemented an aspirational curriculum that is delivered well by staff. This enables all pupils to achieve well. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying effectively. They have clearly outlined the high standards of behaviour that are expected, and pupils respond well to these high expectations. All pupils follow the established school routines. Leaders have created a calm and orderly environment, where pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils describe their school as 'friendly' and 'inclusive'. Parents speak highly of the school. Pupils benefit from a range of clubs and educational visits. Pupils of all ages are encouraged to adopt positions of responsibility, such as tidying the construction site in the Nursery and being members of the pupil leadership team.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that some pupils are not accessing the full range of opportunities on offer, and this slows their learning. Leaders should ensure that they continue to support these pupils to increase their rates of attendance.
• Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme. A small number of pupils are unable to blend sounds to make words. These pupils are not reading as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the guidance that they need to help these pupils to catch up quickly.
• In some subjects, teachers do not check well enough what pupils have learned and remembered over time. Therefore, opportunities to embed prior learning and address some pupils' misconceptions are missed. This hinders pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies are used effectively by teachers in all subjects to check on pupils' learning so that any gaps or misconceptions can be identified and addressed. Community 3

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