St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, Gosforth

Overview

The report describes an ‘exceptional school community’ where pupils are ‘caring, resilient and eager to learn’. Leaders have established a culture of high expectations, resulting in ‘exemplary’ behaviour and outstanding personal development for all students.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate ‘exemplary’ behaviour inside and outside lessons, with bullying being ‘hardly ever seen’.
• Personal development is outstanding, with a high-quality curriculum that prepares pupils for ‘life in modern Britain’.
• Early years provision is outstanding, offering an ‘ambitious’ curriculum and ‘thoughtfully designed’ spaces that support learning.
• The curriculum is ‘broad and well balanced’, with teachers regularly checking knowledge to ensure pupils ‘remember much of what they have been taught’.
• Reading instruction is highly effective, with staff quickly identifying gaps in phonic knowledge to ensure most pupils read at an ‘age-appropriate standard’.

Areas to improve

• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is ‘too variable’, as formal plans often lack ‘specific targets that best match their needs’.
• Leaders should review and monitor SEND plans to ensure targets are ‘precise and match their needs’ so these pupils can access the curriculum effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, supported by a ‘strong culture’ where staff receive regular training and report concerns quickly to ensure no pupil is at risk.