St Austin's Catholic Primary School

Overview

St Austin’s Catholic Primary School is described as a “calm and purposeful place” where pupils are “proud to belong” and behave well. The report highlights a “broad and well-ordered curriculum” that supports high achievement, with staff who are “supported well” and feel “valued by leaders.”

Strengths

• Pupils are “happy at school,” showing “respect towards each other and adults” and enjoying extracurricular activities like sports and arts.
• Leaders have “high aspirations for pupils,” ensuring most achieve well through a curriculum that is “ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
• Reading is a “high priority,” with “well-structured and logically ordered phonics and reading curriculums” helping pupils become “confident readers.”
• Staff are “caring” and “mindful of their well-being,” while governors work closely with leaders to ensure staff receive “essential training.”
• Pupils develop strong personal skills, learning to “maintain their physical and mental well-being” and acting as mentors to younger peers.

Areas to improve

• In a “small number of subjects,” teachers do not check regularly enough for gaps in pupils’ knowledge, hindering the design of learning that builds on what pupils already know.
• Teachers should “check effectively how well pupils are learning the curriculum” in these subjects to address gaps in long-term memory.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with “comprehensive policies and procedures” in place and staff trained to a “high standard” to spot signs of neglect or abuse.