St Urban's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Overview

The report describes St Urban’s as a “warm, welcoming school community” where leaders embed Catholic ethos and values of “living, learning and growing together.” Inspectors found that pupils benefit from a “calm and highly positive environment” which fosters “exceptional attitudes and behaviours” and strong relationships between staff, pupils, and parents.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “exceptional” behaviour, creating a “happy, harmonious school” where they are “industrious and keen to learn.”
• The curriculum in subjects like mathematics, music, and PE is well-planned, ensuring learning “builds over time” with opportunities to recall knowledge.
• Assessment approaches prioritise what pupils have remembered, providing “swift advice” that helps them feel confident to improve.
• Staff are “proud to work” at the school and feel supported by leaders who value their well-being and professional development.
• Personal development is strong, with pupils developing a “strong sense of fairness” and understanding of diversity through the curriculum and community links.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should improve staff training to ensure the phonics programme is “delivered consistently well,” as inconsistent delivery means some pupils are not becoming fluent readers as quickly as they should.
• Leaders should train teachers on making appropriate adaptations to teaching for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as current inconsistencies limit what these pupils remember.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that leaders take “rapid action” on concerns and staff receive ongoing training on local risks.