St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy

Overview: St Patrick's Catholic Primary Academy is a warm, welcoming and inclusive school where pupils are kind and tolerant towards each other. Leaders have ensured that pupils achieve well, and the curriculum is adapted well for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Strengths:

• The phonics scheme is well embedded, with staff leading phonics sessions effectively and pupils achieving in line with national averages.
• Mathematics is taught confidently across the school, with leaders adopting a mastery approach to maths teaching that has had a positive impact on pupils' outcomes.
• The early years environment effectively supports children's learning, with picture prompts and key vocabulary displays helping children to settle quickly.
• Leaders at all levels support the school well, including specialist teachers in the trust, governors, trustees and the Catholic Diocese of Leeds.

Areas to improve:

• There is a lack of clarity around school rules and expectations, with the behaviour policy applied inconsistently and pupils not always knowing what is expected of them.
• Pupils do not have a clear understanding of the different religions and cultures that exist within and beyond their community, and the school should ensure that pupils learn about other faiths and cultures to broaden their knowledge of the world.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.