Saint Clare's Primary School A Catholic Voluntary Academy, Coalville, Leicestershire

Inspection of Saint Clare’s Primary School A Catholic Voluntary Academy, Coalville, Leicestershire Convent Drive, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3SF

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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 Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Judy Beer. The school is part of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which means that other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Neil Lockyer, and is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sarah Noon. Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The four pillars of the school’s motto, ‘faithfulness, gentleness, tolerance and service’, guide pupils in their actions. The house system embeds these values; each house represents one of the values for the pupils to exemplify. Pupils talk knowledgeably about their meaning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure its pupils understand their own community of Coalville. Pupils visit the local colliery museum and take part in the Armistice Day parade. This provides the start point to explore diversity in the wider world. One parent stated: ‘The sense of community and faith in this school is wonderful.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations for pupils to do well are high, especially for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is also particularly evident in the early years foundation stage. Children respond to these high expectations. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are positive. Throughout the school they are attentive in lessons and work well with each other. Pupils are ambitious to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk positively about the many opportunities to hold positions of responsibility. School councillors share with pride the improvements they make to the school, such as renovating the benches. The pupil chaplains lead liturgy, write the scripts and share responsibilities. Sports ambassadors organise charity walks. The eco team promotes ways of looking after the planet.

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better?

The school ensures that staff are experts at teaching pupils to read. Staff apply a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. No time is wasted to provide pupils with the support they need. Books match the stage that each pupil is at. When pupils fall behind, they receive the help they need to help them catch up. Pupils share the book titles, and names of authors, they would like to find out about with the school’s librarians. The school ensures that these books go into the library. Whole-class reading is a fun time. Pupils enjoy reading.

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better?

When standards in mathematics declined recently, the school moved swiftly to make improvements. Expert advice was sought. This support ensured that staff understand how to deliver the ambitious mathematics curriculum. However, at times, misconceptions are not always identified quickly in some lessons. This means that not all pupils do as well as they could over time. However, pupils talk positively about mathematics. Pupils commonly say they ‘love maths!’

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better?

There is a clear vision for all curriculum subjects. For instance, in physical education, safety, maximum participation, inclusion, enjoyment and success are driving principles. The school makes clear the key knowledge it wants pupils to learn in all subjects. This knowledge builds progressively over time. However, there are inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught. Strong connections are not always Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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made with prior learning. Therefore, not all pupils recall all that they have learned. Where strong links are made across the curriculum, pupils apply what they know in different contexts. For example, in design and technology, pupils use what they have learned about axles in Year 2 to make more complex designs in Year 5.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Well-designed activities skilfully challenge children’s thinking. Children work well together to solve problems. They share their work with pride, explaining enthusiastically what they have done. Children try hard and never want to give up. The environment, inside and out, develops children’s independence. Children link their learning. One child explained, while watering the plants in the sensory area, that: ‘Plants need water just like we do.’ Staff expertly guide children’s learning. Ambitious vocabulary expands children’s spoken and written communication. Staff regularly check that children have learned all they should. Children do well in the early years.

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The school ensures that pupils with SEND do well. Rigorous systems identify pupils’ individual needs. Staff receive training to know how to help pupils with SEND. Regular checks find out if more help is needed. Subsequent support encourages independence and helps these pupils to do well.

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The school is a calm and friendly place. Staff care for the well-being of pupils. There is a strong sense of unity and purpose. Pupils get along together during lunchtime and at breaktimes. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly.

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The school is ambitious to ensure that all pupils have rich and exciting experiences at school. Visits from the police and fire service help pupils to know how to keep themselves safe. Trips to a university botanical garden develop an understanding of habitats. Pupils are keen to be good citizens. They raise money for charities. Eco- representatives encourage other pupils to look after the environment.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has made significant improvements to the curriculum but has not yet evaluated thoroughly the effectiveness of all subjects. There are inconsistencies in how some subjects are taught. Strong connections are not always made with prior learning. Therefore, not all pupils recall all that they have learned. The school should check that all subjects are being implemented in the way the school intended so that all pupils remember more of the curriculum over time.  In a few subjects, misconceptions are not always picked up in lessons for some pupils. This means that not all pupils are doing as well as they could over time. The school should make sure that all teachers have the expertise to identify Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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misconceptions and adapt teaching to ensure that all pupils make progress over time.

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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 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). Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a part of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which it joined in January 2015.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school was last inspected under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in May 2022.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2020.  There is a before- and after-school club managed by the school.

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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. Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and design and technology. To do this, they met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils. They also looked at curriculum documentation for reading, geography, history and personal, social, health and economic education.  The lead inspector met with four members of the local governing body, including the chair. He also met with the chair of trustees.  The lead inspector met with leaders from the multi-academy trust, including the

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chief executive.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including free-text responses, and Ofsted’s survey for school staff. An inspector spoke informally to parents at the beginning of the school day.  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 considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime. They scrutinised the school’s records for attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Mark Anderson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Halil Tamgumus Ofsted Inspector Coalville, Leicestershire, 26 and 27 June 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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