St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School Tomlinscote Way, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey GU16 8PY

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Inspection dates: 28 to 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Alison Walsh. This school is part of the Xavier Catholic Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, James Kibble, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter O’Brien. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel truly cared for in this highly inclusive school. There is a strong sense of community. Everyone helps each other to live the school motto and, ‘Be the best they can be’. Staff notice and celebrate pupils’ unique talents and qualities. Expectations are high and pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values permeate all areas of school life. The values drive the school rules, which are clear and fair. Staff are kind to pupils and act on what they say. This kindness reflects in the way pupils behave in class and towards one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the extensive opportunities they receive at the school. They are all encouraged to take on leadership roles. These include being peer mediators on the playground and school council members. This helps pupils show initiative and make decisions for themselves, while also considering other people’s views. Staff celebrate pupils’ achievements in many distinct aspects of school life. These include sports competitions and projects about how to succeed in business.

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better?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. The school identifies the important knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to know from Reception through to Year 6. In most subjects, the curriculum requires pupils to re-visit and re-use knowledge that they have learned previously. This means all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know and remember more over time.

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better?

Across the school, vocabulary development is prioritised. Teachers ensure that pupils have understood key words before teaching new knowledge. For example, in science pupils were learning about the digestive system. They could confidently use vocabulary such as ‘oesophagus’ to describe it.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers use assessment to inform future teaching and deepen pupils’ learning. In a small number of subjects, pupils learn less well. Assessment is not used to analyse gaps in pupils’ knowledge over time and adapt teaching accordingly. As a result, children do not learn as well as they could in these subjects.

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better?

Throughout the early years and key stage 1, informed and efficient teaching builds pupils’ knowledge of letter sounds and words. By the time pupils move into key stage 2, most read well for their age. Those who need further practise receive regular support to help them catch up. In addition to reading lessons, staff regularly read aloud to pupils. The school has thought carefully about the range of books that they read to pupils and how staff can make connections between books and other areas of the curriculum. For example, one book was used to help pupils learn more about equality in both history and English lessons. This helps pupils strengthen their understanding across the curriculum. 28 and 29 November 2023

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The school provides exceptional opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Pupils develop an understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen. For example, pupils work with local charities to raise money and use money to create and sell their own products. This helps them develop their empathy. The school ensure that all pupils have the chance to benefit from the wide range of clubs and opportunities on offer, such as chess, football, and choir. All pupils get the chance to develop their leadership skills. All pupils vote to decide who will be on the school council and a peer mediator. This helps pupils to understand what democracy is and the impact their vote can have.

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Exceptional relationships develop between staff and pupils. Pupils feel very safe and able to tell staff when something is worrying them. Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. If anyone misses too much school without good reason, leaders provide appropriate support. The school also provides effective support for pupils with SEND. Staff swiftly identify and address pupils needs and then check on the impact actions have had on pupils’ progress and welfare. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The school fosters strong relationships with parents. There are opportunities for parents to come into school, so that children can share their learning with them. This means that parents know what is taught. Staff have regular training and share practice with other schools in the trust. Leaders treat staff fairly and workload expectations are reasonable. As a result, staff are motivated and focused on improving further. Governors know the school well and use this knowledge to challenge and support leaders. Consequently, the school continues to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, assessment is not used effectively to identify and close gaps in pupils’ learning. Consequently, not all pupils remember the important knowledge that they need to be ready for the next stage in their learning. The school needs to ensure that teachers in all subjects use information about what pupils remember over time to adapt future teaching. 28 and 29 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 28 and 29 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Xavier Catholic Trust, a multi-academy trust.  This school is a voluntary aided Catholic school in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.  The school does not make use of alterative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 the evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with the representatives of the local governing board and the chair of trustees. Inspectors also met with various leaders of the trust, including the deputy chief executive officer.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, music and geography. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire,

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including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of both staff and pupils throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed and scrutinised a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of local governing board meetings and records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mrs Fisher-Pink Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 November 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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