St Ambrose Catholic Primary

Overview

This is a “friendly, supportive place in which to work and learn” where staff expect pupils to be “kind, polite and hard working.” The report describes a school with “calm, caring leadership” and a “supportive school ethos,” noting that pupils are happy and the environment is orderly and safe.

Strengths

• The approach to teaching reading “works very well,” with staff using “good quality materials” and providing many opportunities for pupils to read aloud and build confidence.
• Behaviour is managed effectively; rules are “simple, fair and consistent,” and bullying is “uncommon.”
• Staff provide “tailored support” for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring all access the same curriculum.
• There are “many extra opportunities” for pupils to learn everyday life skills and take on leadership roles, such as the pupil safety squad.
• Staff and parents report “high levels of satisfaction,” with parents praising the attention to academic and pastoral matters.

Areas to improve

• The mathematics curriculum is “well designed but, at times, is not implemented as well as it could be,” with staff sometimes failing to check prior knowledge or using mismatched resources.
• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is “better developed than others,” meaning pupils do not always build subject-specific knowledge in the “most logical progression.”
• Some pupils “miss much school too often,” hindering their learning, requiring continued work with families to improve attendance.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with leaders and staff knowing how to spot signs of risk and following correct policies when concerns arise.