St Anthony's Catholic Primary Academy

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils behave well, attend regularly, and are encouraged to “think of others” and show respect. Leaders have established a positive culture where bullying is uncommon and staff provide a “guiding hand” of support, ensuring pupils feel valued and safe.

Strengths

• Reading is a key priority, with a structured phonics curriculum that ensures pupils learn to read quickly and are well prepared for wider reading.
• Subjects such as mathematics and science are “very well structured,” with curriculum design that anticipates misconceptions and helps key knowledge stick in pupils’ minds.
• Leaders are quick to identify special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), providing additional support so these pupils can access the same curriculum as everyone else.
• Pupils learn to take responsibility through leadership roles, such as junior health and safety officers, and participate actively in after-school clubs and sports.
• Staff workload is managed effectively, and teachers report that leaders are supportive, contributing to a calm and respectful classroom environment.

Areas to improve

• The curriculum in a few foundation subjects, such as art and geography, is not as well developed, meaning pupils do not always revisit and use earlier learning effectively.
• Assessment records in some foundation subjects are not always helpful in informing future learning or helping pupils remember more over time.
• High-quality interactions in the early years could be strengthened, as staff occasionally do not prompt children to take their learning further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders maintaining routines to keep staff informed and ensuring robust online filtering is in place.