St Richard's RC Primary School

Overview

Pupils are described as “happy and proud” of their school, displaying “impeccable” behaviour and “impressive self-control”. The inspection judges the school’s overall effectiveness as ‘Good’, with ‘Outstanding’ behaviour and attitudes, noting that pupils achieve well and enjoy “very positive relationships” with staff.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit “exceptional” kindness and conduct, behaving with “impeccable” self-control and focusing on learning without distractions.
• The curriculum is “carefully thought-out” and delivered well, with staff using assessment strategies “skilfully” to ensure pupils retain knowledge.
• Phonics teaching is rigorous, with staff providing effective support for weaker readers and linking reading to writing and vocabulary development.
• Attendance is high and celebrated, and pupils develop a “love for reading” through exposure to various authors and literary works.
• Safeguarding arrangements are “effective”, creating an open culture that puts pupils’ interests first.

Areas to improve

• In a few subjects, the curriculum is “less clear about the key information” to be taught, meaning some pupils learn less than intended; the school must ensure all subjects are “equally well considered”.
• Support for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is “not matched carefully enough” to individual needs, hindering their learning success.
• Leadership of some aspects of school work is “less secure”, which holds back staff development and, at times, affects pupil learning; leadership expertise must be developed across all areas.

Safeguarding

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