St Catherine Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Catherine Catholic Primary School Money Lane, West Drayton UB7 7NX

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Catherine is a welcoming school, where pupils feel a strong sense of belonging. Staff know pupils and their families well and help to ensure that the school’s values run through every aspect of school life. Pupils feel settled, happy and safe and think that adults are kind and respectful. One pupil summarised how everyone feels about attending this school: ‘I come to school with a smile on my face, and I leave with a smile on my face.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well. Staff expect pupils to work hard. Pupils know what is expected of them and are keen to do their best. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good, with pupils following the rules and routines consistently. Staff promote positive behaviour through the school’s reward system, and pupils strive to achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk positively about the range of clubs offered, such as Irish dancing, chess and professional netball coaching. These are exceptionally well attended. Leaders promote the school’s mission rigorously in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils have the opportunity to attend the range of clubs offered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers recognise the work the school does to put their children’s needs and interests first. Leaders and staff work hard to create a strong community feel. This work is valued by parents and families.

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better?

The school sets high expectations of all pupils to thrive and ‘Live life to the full’. The curriculum is designed to be ambitious and meet the needs of all pupils in the school. This starts from the early years. The school has worked to ensure that key knowledge builds on what pupils have learned before. Clear expectations are in place for the vocabulary and knowledge that the school wants pupils to know and remember over time.

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better?

Teaching uses a variety of helpful methods to check how well pupils are learning, including how much of the curriculum pupils can remember. Pupils learn and achieve well, including in English and mathematics. However, in a few wider curriculum subjects, the curriculum is less successful in supporting them to develop a detailed body of knowledge. This is because, sometimes, teaching expertise is not strong enough to support pupils in deepening their understanding. Leaders are prioritising training and support for staff to strengthen teaching expertise further.

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better?

The school prioritises reading from early years up. Children learn phonics from the start of Reception. Leaders promote learning to read as being crucial for every pupil’s educational success. Through a well-planned approach to phonics, the school ensures that pupils become confident and fluent readers. Teachers’ enthusiasm for reading contributes to pupils’ overall enjoyment. Pupils at the early stages of reading are well supported to keep up with the expectations of the early reading curriculum. Effective support also helps those pupils who have fallen behind in their reading to 21 and 22 November 2023

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catch up swiftly. Staff work together with parents to show them how to support their children with reading at home. The books that pupils read are closely matched to the sounds that they know.

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The school is determined to make sure that all pupils develop academically as well as socially. Throughout the school, staff prioritise developing pupils’ language so they can readily express their views and talk about what they know. In early years, for example, children are supported to develop their language and listening skills through carefully chosen songs and rhymes, as well as through interactions with adults.

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Pupils with additional needs are identified early. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Teachers make effective adaptations to ensure that these pupils can successfully access the curriculum.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. This is woven through all aspects of the curriculum. The school works very closely with outside agencies to support pupils’ well-being. This includes securing additional guidance and support for vulnerable families. A wide range of enrichment activities is offered, including extra-curricular clubs. Most of these are free, and pupils are offered the choice of two different clubs each term in order to broaden their experiences. Pupils have many purposeful opportunities to learn about life in modern Britain. This includes learning about the important role that equality and diversity play in their school and wider society. Pupils spoke confidently about what they had learned about the importance of treating people with kindness.

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The school works in close partnership with families to improve attendance and punctuality. Pupils focus well on their learning. They understand that making mistakes is an important part of getting better at a subject. They are proud of their school and their achievements.

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The governing body asks pertinent questions to help the school to improve. It checks that any actions taken are supporting the school to build on its existing strengths.

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Staff are well supported. They are proud to be part of the school and value the input they receive as part of their professional development.

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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 foundation subjects, some teaching expertise is underdeveloped and does not support pupils to learn subject content in sufficient depth. This reduces 21 and 22 November 2023

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how well pupils achieve in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise they need to teach all subjects effectively so that pupils develop a detailed body of knowledge across the curriculum.

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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). 21 and 22 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Colette Acres (Executive Headteacher) and Peter Doherty (Head of School) Website www.stcatherineprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Catherine is an average-sized primary school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection of its religious character took place in May 2023.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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

 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 21 and 22 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other leaders. The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority. She met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. An inspector visited breakfast club.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff questionnaires. They also spoke informally with parents at the school.

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Rai Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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