St Bernard's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School Station Road, Shirehampton, Bristol BS11 9TU

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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Outcome

St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Richard Jordan. This school is part of The Cardinal Newman Catholic Educational Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Dr Daniel Doyle, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Izuka.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils are happy and feel a strong sense of belonging. They are kind and show care towards each other. Pupils demonstrate this through their leadership roles, where they show compassion. They help each other in school as well as people within their wider community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils. It makes sure pupils get the support they need to learn the curriculum. Pupils work hard. They join in with enthusiasm and engage well with their work. As a result, most pupils achieve well and are ready for their next stage of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and follow the rules of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. They know that staff view their safety as the highest priority. They trust staff to look after them if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly and polite. They move around the school site in an orderly manner. Playtimes are calm. Pupils play well together across year groups. Through the school’s buddy system, older pupils build a sense of responsibility. They support younger pupils to take part in activities. This helps children from the start of the Reception Year to learn to cooperate and build relationships. 14 and 15 January 2025

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

The school curriculum is ambitious and well structured. Its sequence supports pupils to build and secure their knowledge over time. The school checks pupils’ learning to identify any gaps. It uses this information to provide pupils with extra support to secure their knowledge. As a result, pupils can recall what they have learned before. This helps them to build new knowledge.

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

The phonics curriculum is delivered well. From the start of the Reception Year, children become familiar with the learning routines, which help them to take part in activities and build their knowledge of sounds. Teachers check for understanding. They make sure pupils have opportunities to practise and secure their understanding. The school ensures that pupils who are at risk of falling behind with reading get extra help to practise. Pupils read often to staff. This helps them to build reading fluency and confidence.

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

The school has an accurate understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It identifies these needs early. This ensures pupils get effective and timely support. In classrooms, guidance from staff and adaptations to resources mean that pupils with SEND get the support they need to learn the curriculum alongside their peers. The interventions that pupils receive help them to achieve the targets identified for them.

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

In some subjects, the work that pupils complete helps them to further deepen their understanding. For example, in mathematics, pupils complete tasks by applying their knowledge to problem-solving and reasoning activities. In some other curriculum subjects, pupils have fewer opportunities to apply what they have learned. This prevents pupils from reaching a deeper understanding in these subjects.

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

The personal, social and health education curriculum supports pupils to be responsible and active citizens. Pupils learn about the world beyond the school. They reflect on the lives of others. Pupils learn about migration and start to understand the experiences of refugees.

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

Through their leadership roles, pupils build character by helping others. For example, the ‘safe and happy committee’ has reviewed the anti-bullying policy. This has supported pupils to understand what bullying is and how the school community can be aware of it. Chaplains lead worship and reflection. They write prayers for people who are dealing with illness. They hold coffee mornings to raise money for national charities. Pupils contribute to the local community by collecting items for a local food bank and making care packages for the homeless.

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

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Staff apply these expectations consistently, both inside and outside the classroom. Pupils respond well to instructions. They focus well during lessons and there is no disruption to learning.

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

Governors, trustees and representatives from the diocese have an accurate understanding of the school, its strengths and next steps. They work in partnership to check the 14 and 15 January 2025

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effectiveness of the school’s work. They use their expertise and skills to support the school to continue to improve.

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Staff value the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload and well- being. This includes time given to carry out additional responsibilities. They value the professional development they receive from the school and the trust to support their development.

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The vast majority of parents are positive about the school. They value the support and guidance their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On some occasions, in some subjects, the work that pupils complete does not support them to extend their learning. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could in these subjects. The trust should support teachers to provide learning opportunities that match the high ambition of the curriculum to enable pupils to produce the highest quality of work they are capable of across all curriculum subjects.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2012.

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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’ 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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Cardinal Newman Catholic Educational Trust.  St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in March 2022. When its predecessor school, St Bernard’s Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school does not use any providers of alternative provision.  The school is a Catholic school in the Diocese of Clifton. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in January 2018. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.  The school provides a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the principal, vice-principal, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with the CEO, trustees and members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative from the diocese.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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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Inspection team

Caroline Musty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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