St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Luckington Road, Monks Park, Bristol BS7 0UP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2023

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding 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 love to learn at this kind and welcoming school. Staff and pupils enjoy positive and warm relationships and a strong family ethos. The school values of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’ are deeply embedded throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, in some areas, this is not put into practice. For example, the early reading curriculum is not taught effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is not tolerated and is rare. Leaders take decisive action to deal with incidents when necessary. Pupils trust staff to help them solve friendship issues. Pupils know there is someone they can talk to if they have a worry or need help. Pupils feel safe and adults keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish taking on positions of responsibility. ‘Reading ambassadors’ arrive early at school to carry out their duties. ‘Playground buddies’ organise activities for younger pupils at breaktime and lunchtime. The student council makes a positive contribution to the life of the school. Pupils on the chaplaincy team tend the school prayer garden. Older pupils strive to be house captains and vice-captains. This teaches them vital character development and responsibility.

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

The curriculum is generally ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. In some subjects, such as mathematics and art, the detailed curriculum enables teachers to deliver lessons of a high quality. Subject leaders have strong subject knowledge. They are passionate for pupils to achieve their best outcomes in their subjects. The curriculum 21 and 22 February 2023

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skilfully breaks down learning into small parts. New knowledge builds on prior learning. Staff check pupils’ understanding of their work through regular assessment.

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Teachers mostly deliver the curriculum skilfully. They have strong subject knowledge. In lessons, pupils solve problems well. They learn to cherish challenge and build resilience. This helps pupils to not give up when they find learning tricky.

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Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported. Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are precisely identified. Pupils with SEND learn the curriculum alongside their peers. Staff make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum to meet individual pupils’ needs. This enables all pupils to achieve well.

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Children get off to a strong start in the early years. From the minute they join the school, they quickly develop mathematical fluency and speak confidently about their learning. Children behave well. They learn to cooperate and share equipment.

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Leaders want pupils to read well. Daily story time engages children in a range of diverse texts. The library is popular with pupils, and many older pupils enjoy reading. However, the teaching of early reading is not strong. Leaders have not ensured that all staff are experts in teaching the phonics curriculum. Too often, the books that pupils read are not closely matched to the phonic sounds that they know. Strategies to help the weakest readers catch up quickly are not effective. This means that pupils do not develop fluency and confidence in reading as well as they could.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Their conduct is strong. Pupils support each other’s learning by working together to solve problems. Older pupils learn to identify their own mistakes in mathematics. One pupil, reflecting the experience of many, told the inspector, ‘When I make a mistake, I am always eager to find out what I did wrong.’

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Pupils learn about personal, social and health education throughout the school. They learn how to be healthy and active. Everyone in key stage 2 participates in the daily mile. Through a range of different activities, pupils understand what it means to grow up in modern Britain. They celebrate diversity and learn about other faiths. Pupils learn the importance of tolerance and inclusion. There are a range of clubs that pupils participate in to develop their skills and talents. All pupils can learn to play a musical instrument. The prayer group and the school choir are very popular.

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Trustees and governors support and challenge leaders and staff. They are thoughtful in their approach, and know the school well. Staff enjoy working at the school. They say leaders listen to them and are considerate of their workload. Support staff have expertise and feel highly valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture of vigilance. Diligent checks ensure that all adults are safe to work with children. Leaders identify pupils who are at risk of harm. Staff receive 21 and 22 February 2023

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regular training. This ensures they know the signs to look out for that may be a cause for concern. Leaders ensure there is meticulous record-keeping that helps them to manage any concerns that they have. Leaders work closely with external agencies to secure help for pupils and their families.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They learn about online safety at an age- appropriate level.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of early reading is not effective. Many staff do not follow the programme precisely enough. Pupils do not learn to read as effectively as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all staff deliver the school’s phonics programme with complete fidelity.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in July 2016.

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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.

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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. 21 and 22 February 2023

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School details

Headteacher Samantha Land (Executive Principal) Jayne Rawlinson (Head of School) Website www.st-teresas.bristol.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 July 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the single-academy trust has grown to incorporate two other schools into the multi-academy trust.  In September 2022, the headteacher was appointed as executive principal of the multi- academy trust, and a new head of school was appointed to St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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 held meetings with senior leaders of the school, members of staff, pupils and parents. 21 and 22 February 2023

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 The inspector met with representatives of the trust and the governing body. She also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also heard pupils read.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector reviewed a wide range of safeguarding documents and records, including the school’s record of recruitment checks. The inspector also talked to a range of staff and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector spoke with staff, pupils and parents to gather their views. They considered 12 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 10 free-text comments. The inspector also took account of 21 responses to the staff

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survey and 29 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Linda Culling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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