St Joseph's Catholic Primary Academy

Overview

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school, where pupils are proud and feel safe. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well and develop values to ‘live wisely, think deeply and love generously’. Parents speak highly of the inclusive, welcoming environment.

Strengths

• The school has designed an ‘ambitious curriculum’ for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), with effective training ensuring teachers know precisely what to teach.
• Reading is a high priority, with all staff trained in phonics and regular assessments ensuring pupils who might fall behind are ‘swiftly identified’ and supported.
• Pupils are ‘fully included in all learning’, with swift identification of needs and skilful personalised support ensuring those with SEND can succeed.
• A ‘carefully planned programme for personal development’ prepares pupils for life beyond school, incorporating values, multi-faith weeks, and links with overseas schools.
• Staff feel ‘very well supported’ and know leaders are mindful of their well-being, while initiatives like the ‘Joseph pound’ have improved attendance.

Areas to improve

• In-lesson assessment should be used more effectively to check if pupils have remembered previous key learning, preventing misconceptions from persisting.
• The behaviour policy must be consistently applied and understood by all to address low-level disruption that detracts from learning and takes time away from teaching.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.