St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 July 2024

Pupils enjoy attending this vibrant and caring school. They benefit from a vast array of activities, which the school organises for them beyond the school day. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about everyone having a chance to perform for others, including in high- profile venues. They appreciate being able to choose between so many sports and regularly competing within and outside the school at their own level. The impeccable conduct of pupils and strong attitudes to learning throughout the school begin in the Nursery Year. Children learn to listen intently, follow instructions, share with others and discuss in pairs and groups. Pupils' very positive behaviour is underpinned by their understanding and demonstration of the school's values, including cooperation. Pupils spoke knowledgeably about showing respect for people who are different from themselves. Pupils benefit from staff knowing them very well as individuals. They are confident that if they have any worries, there is always an adult in the school who will listen and help. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), understand that staff expect them to work hard and produce work of high quality. They rise to these expectations and achieve well. They enjoy helping each other and learning from each other.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school's curriculum leaves too much for staff to decide individually. This results in some gaps in learning and some unnecessary repetition as pupils move up the school. It also makes it difficult for the school to review the impact of the intended curriculum on pupils' achievement. The school should review the curriculum information that it gives to teachers in each subject. This information should be sufficiently detailed to facilitate monitoring and to ensure that pupils can better build on prior learning.
• In key stage 1, some pupils do not learn well enough how to write accurately and legibly. In late key stage 1 and early key stage 2, this hinders the quality of their written communication in some subjects, such as geography and history. The school should review its approach to developing foundational skills in writing so that pupils communicate consistently well in writing across the curriculum.

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