St Elizabeth's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School Claremont Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 8EN

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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 Good Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a calm, happy and welcoming learning community. The school’s values and mission statement, ‘we listen, learn and grow with Jesus’, are seen through all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Governors and staff want all pupils to do their best and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, pupils work hard and do well. They enjoy sharing their learning, ideas and viewpoints with others, and they are proud of being pupils at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils, parents and carers agree that the behaviour of pupils is a strength. They are absolutely right. On the rare occasions when there is poor behaviour, staff and leaders address it quickly. In lessons and at playtimes, pupils are confident and kind. Most pupils attend school regularly and are rarely late. However, some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not attend as regularly as their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school and know they can speak to school staff if they have any worries.

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better?

Leaders have ambition for all pupils to do well. They have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum, which meets the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

Leaders have carefully set out what pupils will learn in each year and in all subjects. They make checks to ensure that teachers deliver the curriculum as they have intended, although these checks are not always as rigorous as they could be. As a result, in a small number of subjects, leaders do not maintain sufficient oversight of how well the curriculum is taught. This means there is some inconsistency in the quality and sequence of the activities that children complete.

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better?

Children get off to a good start in the early years. The curriculum is carefully matched to children’s needs and interests. Teachers provide engaging activities, and children quickly become focused, engaged learners. Adults in the early years skilfully develop children’s speaking and listening skills. This means that children quickly become confident at communicating with others.

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better?

In the early years and key stage 1, developing pupils’ understanding of phonics is a priority. Leaders have ensured that the adults who teach phonics do so consistently. Teachers check pupils’ phonic knowledge regularly. They provide help quickly if pupils struggle or fall behind. Across the school, adults share books with pupils in English lessons and for pleasure at other times. Pupils enjoy the stories and books they hear. Most pupils become fluent, independent readers early on in key stage 2. Those who struggle receive support to catch up. Leaders and staff ensure that all 18 and 19 July 2023

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pupils access the full curriculum on offer. They are skilled at identifying pupils with SEND and work with parents effectively to put in place additional support when needed. Leaders and teachers assess the needs of pupils with SEND effectively and closely follow the progress they make. When necessary, leaders work with external agencies to gather expert advice about what is needed. Teachers implement this advice consistently well to the benefit of pupils.

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The curriculum extends beyond the academic. Leaders have designed a broad personal development curriculum, which aims to give pupils precisely what they need. It provides pupils with a variety of opportunities and experiences, which they enjoy and benefit from. They can become prayer leaders and school councillors or engage in charitable work both locally and in wider society. Pupils learn about other religions and ways of life and are respectful and tolerant of the beliefs of others.

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To enhance the curriculum, pupils attend exciting trips each year, such as the Year 5 residential trip.

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Governors and leaders know the school and their community well. They share in the vision and direction of the school, always having the best interests of pupils at heart. They put in place clear improvement plans and check regularly to ensure that they are working.

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Leaders and governors provide staff with valuable support and training, which they value. Governors also provide effective support for leaders within the school. Governors, leaders and staff are proud and happy to work at St Elizabeth’s Catholic Primary School.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders train staff regularly so that they understand their role in safeguarding pupils. Staff know how to recognise signs that pupils are at risk of harm and how to report their concerns.

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Safeguarding

Whenever staff report concerns, leaders act swiftly to safeguard pupils. They keep thorough records of their actions and involve other agencies when this is needed. Leaders ensure that adults who work at or visit the school are safe to do so, and they keep accurate records of the checks that they make.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are safe at school. Through the curriculum, they learn how to stay safe, including online.

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 Sometimes, teachers give pupils work that requires an understanding of concepts that they have not been taught or they do not remember. This means that they become confused, and their learning is limited. Leaders should ensure that teachers carefully select activities that are based on pupils’ secure understanding of what they have learned before so that pupils learn more and remember more.  In a small number of subjects, leaders do not make sufficient checks to assure themselves that the intended curriculum is implemented consistently well. This means that they do not always know how effectively the curriculum is being taught. Leaders should ensure that their assurance processes are effective so that they know exactly how effective the school curriculum is leading to pupils learning more and remembering more.

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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. 18 and 19 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268781 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham.  Leaders do not use any off-site alternative provision.  The school provides before- and after-school childcare.  The school was judged to be outstanding during its most recent inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 18 and 19 July 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders and representatives of the governing body.  The lead inspector held telephone conversations with representatives from the diocese and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at playtimes. They spoke to pupils to gain their opinions about behaviour at the school.  The lead inspector held a meeting with leaders responsible for safeguarding. He

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also reviewed safeguarding policies, records and the school’s single central record.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including improvement plans and the school’s website.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and the responses to the staff survey. An inspector also spoke to parents and carers at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Madden His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 July 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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