St Teresa's Catholic (A) Primary School

Overview

St Teresa’s Catholic (A) Primary School continues to be a good school, where leaders aspire for all pupils to ‘be the best they can be’. Pupils rise to high expectations, are happy, and feel safe, with a strong commitment from parents and staff to their well-being and progress. The school’s values underpin nearly all work, fostering a lifelong love of learning and encouraging pupils to develop leadership skills through various roles.

Strengths

• The curriculum is ‘suitably ambitious for all pupils’, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who follow the same curriculum and achieve well.
• Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to plan new learning, and subject leaders support staff to deliver curriculums well, ensuring pupils build on prior learning.
• Reading is a priority, with the ‘vast majority of pupils’ becoming ‘fluent and confident readers’ through a broad range of appropriate texts and peer support.
• Provision for personal development is a strength, offering wide opportunities for engagement through visits, artefacts, and responsibilities such as house captains.
• Children in the early years settle well, with additional support swiftly identified and learning carefully planned based on what children already know.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure all staff are well trained in the new phonics curriculum, as some have not had sufficient training, meaning a minority of pupils do not develop reading fluency as well as they could.
• In a minority of recently revised subjects, pupils’ learning does not always build logically on prior knowledge; leaders should ensure prior knowledge is considered before moving to new learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders, staff, and governors working together to keep children safe, including regular training and swift reporting of concerns.