St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School

Overview

St Gabriel’s Catholic Primary School is described as a welcoming place where pupils feel safe, happy, and well-supported. The report highlights strong attendance, positive behaviour, and effective support for vulnerable pupils, though it notes that gaps in foundational writing skills and inconsistent teaching in some subjects currently limit overall achievement.

Strengths

• Attendance is typically above national averages, with leaders intervening early to support families.
• Behaviour is positive, with pupils described as polite, well-mannered, and respectful of school values.
• Early years provision is effective, with children making good progress in reading, phonics, and mathematics.
• Inclusion is strong, with careful identification of needs and effective support for pupils with SEND and those facing disadvantage.
• Staff and governors work collaboratively, with leaders providing professional learning that staff value.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure consistent practice and precise modelling of writing skills to improve foundational knowledge in spelling, punctuation, and handwriting.
• Assessment strategies must be used consistently to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, particularly where teachers do not spot errors quickly enough.
• The teaching of some subjects is not as secure as others, requiring further improvement to ensure pupils achieve as well as they could.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture where concerns are actively identified, acted upon, and managed, ensuring pupils are made safer and feel safe.