St Matthew's Catholic Primary School, Prudhoe

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 October 2023

This is a welcoming school where pupils are nurtured and supported to be confident learners. The changes that the school has made to the curriculum are paying off. Pupils remember the important knowledge the school wants them to know well. Pupils achieve well. Pupils' behaviour is exceptional. From the start of school life, in early years, children are taught the vocabulary that they need to communicate effectively. Staff model positive relationships. This helps pupils to get along when they play together. The school encourages pupils to describe their feelings and talk about their worries. Pupils know who to talk to when they need help. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils value their school and the local community. They work with local charities to support fundraising and provide food for families. This is helping pupils to be caring citizens. Pupils celebrate difference through a range of approaches deliberately planned into the curriculum. For example, the school's series of assemblies, called 'Lifesong Legacies', helps pupils to learn about the lives of significant individuals, such as American slave abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Pupils demonstrate high levels of respect and tolerance. The school ensures that there is a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular experiences for all pupils. Sports clubs such as tag rugby, netball and archery are helping to build pupils' health and fitness.

What the school should improve

• The school has not implemented systems to assess pupils' knowledge in a small number of recently revised foundation subjects. In these subjects, gaps in pupils' knowledge are not identified and addressed. The school should ensure that systems are in place to check how well gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and addressed in all subjects of the curriculum.
• The school does not address younger pupils' misconceptions in writing well. This means that these pupils are not prepared well enough to write as they progress through the school. Leaders must ensure that staff check pupils' misconceptions in writing and provide timely and clear feedback.

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