St Oliver Plunkett's Primary School

Overview

The report describes a school that is “successful in living out its core values and achieving its vision for education.” It highlights a “nurturing atmosphere for learning” where staff have “high expectations” and children are “happy and engaged.” The inspection confirms that the school provides an “inclusive child-centred education” with “powerful collaboration” with parents and the community.

Strengths

• The school has a “shared focus and strategic direction” with a vision to provide a “caring, secure, inclusive and happy learning environment.”
• Teaching is of a “high standard,” with staff using strategies that foster “curiosity, independence, and critical thinking.”
• Governors are “highly committed,” “well-informed,” and provide effective “strategic oversight” and challenge.
• Children make “appropriate progress relative to their starting points,” with positive impacts on literacy and confidence.
• A “highly effective community of learning” exists, supported by strong links with external partners and active pupil voice initiatives.

Areas to improve

• The school should “re-introduce the practice of gathering first-hand evidence to inform further the school’s process of self-evaluation.”
• Work is underway to “review and strengthen planning for play-based learning to support better progression across the key stages.”
• The school aims to improve the “consistency of the quality of written feedback” across all year groups.

Safeguarding

The evidence provided demonstrates that “arrangements for child protection align to the current statutory guidance.”