Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Preston

Overview

The inspection describes a “happy, welcoming school” where pupils are “greeted warmly” and feel safe. Leaders demonstrate a “deep commitment to inclusion and pastoral care,” resulting in a “calm, organised and purposeful atmosphere.” The report highlights that pupils achieve outcomes “in line with, or above, national expectations” and are “well prepared for the next stage of their education.”

Strengths

• Attendance is maintained at high levels through a “proactive and deliberate approach,” with “high-profile rewards” and targeted support for families.
• Pupils behave very well, showing they are “courteous” and respectful, with bullying being “rare” and addressed “quickly and effectively.”
• The curriculum is “ambitious” with a “sharp focus on communication, language, reading and vocabulary,” supported by effective teaching and “high-quality questioning.”
• Inclusion is a “strong standard,” with “warm and positive relationships” and tailored strategies ensuring pupils with special educational needs are “fully included in whole-class learning.”
• Personal development is “impressive,” offering a “wide range of trips and visits” and clubs that nurture talents and broaden horizons for all pupils.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should “strengthen some of the school's assessment systems even further, particularly in the early years,” to identify learning gaps precisely.
• There is “scope to develop this assessment system further” in the early years to “accelerate the progress children make across the curriculum.”

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns are “actively identified, acted upon and managed.”