St John's Catholic Primary School, Camborne

Overview

St John’s Catholic Primary School is described as a “highly inclusive school” where pupils “belong and thrive” in a “calm and purposeful environment.” The report states that leaders provide a “high-quality education” with strong pastoral support, resulting in pupils achieving well above national averages in key stage 2 tests.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, with attainment in reading, writing, and mathematics “above the national average,” including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff set “high expectations” for behaviour, creating a culture where pupils are “ready, respectful and safe” and bullying is rare.
• The curriculum is well-structured, with staff demonstrating “secure subject knowledge” and ensuring pupils build understanding over time.
• Leaders provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs, ensuring they learn the “same curriculum as their peers.”
• Attendance has improved due to leaders’ “tenacious approach” to understanding absence causes and removing barriers.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure early years staff engage children in activities that “develop and extend their knowledge and skills,” as current provision is not as effective as the rest of the school.
• The approach to teaching handwriting must be implemented “consistently well” to address persistent errors that hinder the quality of some pupils’ work.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns are actively managed.