St Gerard's Catholic Primary School

Overview

St Gerard’s RC Junior and Infant School is described as a “happy and harmonious community” where pupils are “thoughtful, polite and considerate.” The report confirms that the school continues to be good, noting that leaders have maintained progress during a period of leadership change. While pupils achieve well in subjects like mathematics, the curriculum in other areas is still being refined to ensure consistent quality across all subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils’ behaviour is “exemplary in lessons and around school,” fostering a respectful environment.
• The mathematics curriculum is well-structured, with knowledge building “lesson by lesson” and effective checks ensuring pupils are ready for new learning.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring they access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Phonics teaching in the early years is skilled, with careful monitoring helping most pupils who fall behind to catch up.
• Staff well-being is prioritised, with leaders actively helping staff manage workload and fostering a supportive team culture.

Areas to improve

• Subject leaders must develop their expertise to ensure the curriculum in a small number of subjects is delivered effectively, so pupils gain a “secure understanding of some important content.”
• Leaders should refine their approach to supporting a small number of pupils in the early stages of learning to read, ensuring they receive sufficient teaching and practice to catch up quickly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving regular training, reporting concerns promptly, and providing timely safety education to pupils.