St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Berwick

Overview

St Cuthberts Catholic First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at its previous inspection. Pupils thrive in a welcoming environment where they behave extremely well and are eager to learn. The school delivers a joyful and effective curriculum, particularly in the early years, with strong support for reading and personal development.

Strengths

• Pupils are welcomed by ‘friendly and caring staff’ and behave ‘extremely well’ in lessons and at breaktimes.
• Children build ‘deep foundations for future learning’ in the early years, with staff being ‘particularly adept at developing children’s speaking and listening skills’.
• Staff deliver the phonics programme with ‘expertise and flair’, ensuring pupils become ‘confident readers from an early age’.
• The school makes full use of the local area, including visits to museums and beaches, to enhance the curriculum.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well, with staff trained to adapt teaching effectively.

Areas to improve

• The school should review the curriculum to ensure ‘core content and the links between core content are explicit and delivered with clarity by staff’, as these are not currently identified consistently well in all subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.