St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, South Shields

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 January 2025

Pupils at St Oswald's are welcoming, proud and happy members of the school community. Pupils of all ages are excellent ambassadors for the school. They exemplify the school's vision of recognising and developing the dignity of each pupil. Their behaviours and attitudes towards each other are highly positive. As a result, pupils work and play together in harmony. There is a real sense of family at St Oswald's. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils persevere in lessons and produce high-quality work. They have impressive recall of their recent learning. Pupils of all abilities get the support they need to succeed. Pupils embody the school's high expectations for behaviour and conduct. Where a small number of pupils have occasional difficulties with their behaviour, the school puts sensitive support in place. Well-trained staff ensure that pupils are safe. Across the school, pupils develop a keen understanding of personal safety. Pupils love to come to school. They talk enthusiastically about 'teachers always helping' and everyone being 'treated equally'. Parents and carers are positive about the school. They talk about staff who demonstrate 'care and compassion', the school being 'such a positive experience' and of children who 'feel valued'.

What the school should improve

• In some areas, checks on pupils' retention of knowledge do not identify where pupils' knowledge is insecure. As a result, gaps in pupils' understanding are not addressed and pupils do not securely retain knowledge in their long-term memory. The school should ensure that checks on pupils' knowledge are consistent over time so that any gaps can be addressed, and pupils can recall more of their prior learning.

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