Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames

Overview:

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Henley-on-Thames, is a well-performing school that provides a happy and inclusive environment for its pupils. The school has a strong focus on teaching and learning, and its staff are committed to helping pupils achieve their full potential. The school has made significant improvements since the previous inspection, particularly in attendance and behaviour.

Strengths:

• Pupils achieve well, with most reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• The school's curriculum is broad and well sequenced, and staff professional development is based on the school's aspiration to ensure that teaching is consistently effective and supports all learners.
• Leaders promote a school culture where diversity is celebrated, and every pupil is valued.
• Pupils behave well, with most having positive attitudes towards their learning and staff implementing the school's behaviour expectations and systems consistently well.
• The school provides suitable support for any pupils who need help to manage their emotions.

Areas to improve:

• Leaders should continue strengthening staff expertise, including in early years, to ensure teaching consistently closes gaps in foundational knowledge for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils, and pupils known or previously known to social care.
• Leaders should ensure that their attendance strategy continues to raise attendance rates for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged.

Safeguarding:

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfilling their specific responsibilities and having established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed.