St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome

Inspection of a good school: St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome Welshmill Lane, Frome, Somerset BA11 3AP

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend St Louis Catholic Primary School. Leaders have created a caring and happy atmosphere where pupils feel safe. Pupils benefit from strong relationships with staff. Christian values are at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils strive to live up to the school’s motto, ‘to love, wonder and achieve together’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils are enthusiastic about learning but do not always achieve as well as they could. This is because, in some subjects, the curriculum is not clear enough about what pupils need to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to leaders’ high expectations for their behaviour. They work hard and follow the school rules. At breaktimes, they play happily together and enjoy the range of activities on offer. Pupils are well mannered towards each other and to adults. Bullying and poor behaviour are rare. Pupils are confident that staff deal with any bullying immediately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop as active citizens and are fully involved in school life. They proudly organise fundraising for local and international charities. Leaders organise trips, visits and clubs to broaden pupils’ interests. For example, pupils sing at the Young Voices event in Birmingham. Older pupils take up leadership roles as chaplains, playground ‘red hats’ and school councillors.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There have been changes in the school’s leadership in recent years. Leaders have prioritised the curriculum. In some subjects, leaders are clear about what pupils need to learn. Teachers teach the planned curriculum effectively. For example, in mathematics, pupils recall previous learning regularly, which helps them to remember important 7 and 8 February 2023

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concepts. Teachers check on pupils’ knowledge and adapt their teaching if pupils are unclear. This helps pupils to build their learning securely.

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However, the impact of leaders’ actions in some subjects is at an early stage. Where this is the case, the precise content that pupils need to learn from early years to Year 6 is not clear enough. As a result, pupils do not learn important knowledge in sufficient depth.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Children start to learn the sounds that letters represent as soon as they join Reception. Pupils read books that help them to practise the sounds they know. Teachers regularly check on pupils’ learning and identify pupils who need extra help. However, some pupils at the early stage of learning to read do not get the precise support they need in order to catch up. Staff do not use assessment well enough to identify what pupils find difficult. Therefore, some pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), struggle to read fluently.

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Leaders promote a love of reading. Story times and visits to the library help pupils to immerse themselves in books. Children in early years join in with great enthusiasm at these times of the day. Older pupils talk knowledgeably about their favourite books and authors. The reading curriculum helps older pupils to deepen their understanding of texts successfully.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. They take advice from external professionals to plan extra help for pupils when appropriate. For example, those pupils who need additional help with managing their behaviour get the support they need. However, teachers do not adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND sufficiently well. This means that pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum well enough in some subjects.

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Pupils are keen to receive positive recognition for learning and behaviour, especially through the ‘Gospel Value Star’ rewards for demonstrating the school’s values. Pupils behave sensibly around the school site. Staff deal with any incidents of poor behaviour swiftly and fairly.

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Leaders plan carefully for pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn how to be considerate towards others and to value diversity. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy both physically and mentally. They learn how to form healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way.

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Governors are ambitious for the school. Most staff feel supported by leaders to manage their workload successfully.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff receive appropriate training and know how to report concerns about pupils’ welfare. As a result, staff are vigilant to potential risks. They understand specific areas of concern, such as criminal exploitation. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Leaders respond swiftly to concerns. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and external agencies to support pupils. They show determination in ensuring that pupils get the help they need.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They learn about risks in school and in the wider community, including when they are online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified clearly the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This leads to inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is taught and hinders pupils’ future learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers know what pupils need to learn and when, so that pupils can build their knowledge securely over time.  Pupils at the early stages of learning to read do not catch up with their peers quickly. This is because teachers’ use of assessment is not precise enough. Leaders need to ensure that those who have fallen behind receive effective and timely support to become fluent, confident readers.  Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is well adapted to support pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum well enough in all subjects. Leaders must make sure that the needs of pupils with SEND are consistently met.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 7 and 8 February 2023

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

21 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher and special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) took up their posts in September 2022.  The chair of governors took up post in April 2021.  The school does not make use of alternative providers.  The school is part of the Diocese of Clifton. Its most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in November 2021.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ 7 and 8 February 2023

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work. The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning in other curriculum subjects and looked at samples of their work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to an adult.  The inspector met with school leaders, including the headteacher, the SENDCo, curriculum leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector reviewed documentation and spoke with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. The inspector reviewed attendance records and the school’s behaviour and bullying records.  The inspector met with a group of governors. They held a phone call with a representative from the local authority and with an independent school adviser.  The inspector considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also took into account the responses to the pupil survey and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Claire Mirams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 February 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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