St Paul's and St Timothy's Catholic Infant School

Overview

This ungraded inspection confirms that St Paul’s and St Timothy’s Catholic Infant School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The school is described as a “warm and welcoming” environment where pupils are “happy, safe and friendly,” with strong parental engagement and high expectations for behaviour and achievement.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “ambitious” with “precisely” identified knowledge, enabling pupils to “build their understanding step by step and achieve well.”
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “well supported” through effective identification and close collaboration with external agencies.
• Staff promote positive mental health through a “sensitive approach,” including a ‘cosy club’ room to help pupils settle.
• Governors provide “strong support and challenge,” ensuring pupils are “front and centre” of decision-making.
• Pupils enjoy opportunities to contribute to the community, such as promoting “sustainable living” and raising funds through enterprise activities.

Areas to improve

• The early reading and phonics programme is not always delivered with the required “consistency and precision,” meaning some pupils do not learn all they could.
• Staff do not always uphold high expectations for writing; “inaccurate letter formation is not challenged and corrected routinely,” hindering pupils’ development as successful writers.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”