St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex SS4 1RF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 2 and 3 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Teresa’s is a happy, welcoming place to learn. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They build strong relationships with the kind and caring staff. This develops as pupils go through the school. Pupils understand that they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset. Bullying rarely happens. When it does, staff deal with any incidents quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly. They have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils work hard in lessons because teachers usually set activities that are well matched to pupils’ stages of learning. Younger children enjoy learning. However, staff do not always teach children in Reception what they need to know and understand in a well-ordered way. This means they are not as ready for learning in Year 1 as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to ‘be kind, be safe, be responsible.’ Pupils are proud to carry out extra responsibilities around the school including being play leaders and lunchtime leaders. Pupils learn the importance of being kind and helping others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school trips and have a range of clubs including running club and outdoor learning. They learn a range of sports and attend competitions regularly. This helps to develop their talents and interests.

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that sets out what pupils should learn and when. In most classes, pupils are taught in logical steps so that they can build on previous knowledge and skills. However, this is not always the case in Reception. Subject leaders are passionate about their subject and support teachers to develop strong subject knowledge. This means that staff typically explain things clearly for pupils and they ensure that pupils have work that helps them to achieve well.

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better?

Teaching staff ask questions to gauge what pupils have understood. In some subjects, staff do not effectively check what pupils have learned and remembered. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge over time. Subject leaders do not check that the curriculum is being taught as intended from the early years. This means that pupils do not understand some important knowledge when entering Year 1.

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better?

Staff encourage pupils to develop a love of reading. Children in the early years learn phonics from the start. Leaders spot when pupils are falling behind with reading and provide support to ensure that younger pupils catch up and keep up. Older pupils are supported to catch up by the end of Year 6, ensuring that they are ready for secondary school. Pupils read books that are closely matched to their reading stage which enables them to become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy reading and confidently talk about books they like and dislike. 2 and 3 March 2023

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Leaders have processes in place for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that most pupils with SEND learn the full range of subjects. Most staff help pupils with SEND to learn effectively. Occasionally, staff do not have all of the information from leaders to adapt their teaching successfully for pupils with SEND.

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Staff in the early years know children well. They establish positive relationships. Leaders have planned a broad curriculum, but this is not always taught effectively. Children are not taught some important knowledge and vocabulary that subject leaders have decided needs to be learned. This means that children have some gaps in their learning and are not as ready for Year 1 as they should be.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Older pupils are great role models for the younger pupils. Children in the early years learn how to be a good friend and how to be kind. Pupils are proud to be part of their school family. They value the rewards that they are given. Pupils enjoy celebrating together in the awards assembly.

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Pupils have a variety of extra-curricular clubs to attend. They enjoy school trips that develop learning further; for example, the trip to Colchester castle linked to history. Pupils learn about other cultures and beliefs. They learn about democracy and tolerance. This helps pupils to be well-rounded individuals. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff are proud to work at St Teresa’s. They value the support they get from leaders. Leaders think about staff’s workload and well-being when making decisions. Governors know the school well but do not always hold leaders to account as well as they could for the provision in early years. Governors are keen to work with school leaders to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have robust procedures in place to ensure that staff identify and report concerns quickly. Leaders act promptly on concerns to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need. There is a school wide culture of ‘it could happen here’.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training so that they can spot early concerns. Leaders carry out the necessary checks when recruiting staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe online. They learn about online dangers and what to do if they are concerned or worried about something. Leaders ensure that pastoral support is available for all pupils. 2 and 3 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum subjects, teachers are not checking on what pupils have learned and remembered. As a result, teachers do not spot when pupils are not secure in their understanding. Pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that teachers check regularly what pupils can do and remember in all subjects.  Teaching staff do not always have the information from leaders to support pupils with SEND effectively. This means that some pupils are not well supported with their learning. Leaders need to ensure that staff are well informed about the appropriate strategies to meet pupils needs so that all pupils with SEND achieve well.  The curriculum in the early years is not being taught as set out by leaders. This means that children are not as well prepared for future learning as they should be. Leaders including governors, need to ensure that they check that the early

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

years curriculum is being taught as leaders intend.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 2 and 3 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255141 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.  This is a Roman Catholic primary school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinators. 2 and 3 March 2023

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 The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors spoke to staff to discuss workload, well-being and safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and history. For each deep dive the inspector discussed the curriculum with the subject leader, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at other curriculum plans including for science, physical education and geography.  The inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning, safety and behaviour.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors took account of the 48 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the

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48 free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of the 14 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 50 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Breckenridge Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 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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