St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Paul’s Catholic Primary School Bradley Road, Wood Green, London N22 7SZ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Paul’s is a small community school where pupils feel safe and cared for. Leaders are committed to promoting the school’s values of mutual respect, and pupils can proudly discuss the school’s mission statement of ‘to respect ourselves, respect one another, respect the world around us’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can talk confidently about what a respectful friendship looks like and how they can stay safe, fit and healthy. Most pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and understand that mutual respect goes hand in hand with the school’s values. Children from the early years are taught to use their words and express themselves appropriately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported in becoming active members of the school community. Parents are often invited into the school to lead prayers in their home language, which fosters a true sense of inclusivity. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel well cared for, and as a result, achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities the school provides. Learning to play an instrument, playing chess or attending a sports club are some examples of the ways pupils can develop their talents and interests.

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

The school has successfully established an effective reading programme. Children start learning to read from their very first full day in Reception, where they learn the sounds they will later use to read words. Expert teachers ensure that any pupils who have fallen behind their peers can catch up and become fluent readers. In the Reception class, adults expertly model language which helps pupils learn to use new words with confidence. Their learning environment has many and varied opportunities for reading and writing. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they are passionate readers and can confidently discuss authorship.

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

In most subjects, pupils are taught from an ambitious curriculum. The school has reviewed its curriculum since the last inspection to strengthen what is taught. In a few subjects, work is still underway to ensure that the curriculum is taught to a high standard. As a result, some pupils have mixed experiences and do not build their knowledge of that subject as well as they could over time. In subjects where the curriculum is strong, pupils build their understanding cumulatively over time. For example, in mathematics in Year 5, pupils learn to multiply a fraction by an integer and by Year 6, they can successfully multiply a fraction by a fraction. The work that pupils produce is of a high quality. However, in some subjects, the curriculum does not set out clearly enough the important knowledge that pupils should learn. When this is the case, teachers are not able to provide pupils with work which is focused on the knowledge they will need for their next

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

steps. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for the next stages of their education in these subjects. 4 and 5 March 2025

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Well-trained staff know these pupils well. They adapt their lessons so that pupils with SEND receive the personalised support they need. As a result, pupils with SEND spend most of their time learning alongside their peers successfully. This inclusive approach is also evident in the early years, where adults get to know children exceptionally well. Adults help children to develop their language and communication skills quickly. Children in the Reception class know how to talk with friends, share and take turns with limited adult supervision.

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Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. They are respectful of adults and one another. In the Reception class, children follow clear routines. They listen carefully to one another and treat each other with kindness. This provides Reception children with an exceptionally strong foundation to behave and collaborate as they move into key stage 1. Pupils across the school can articulate their thoughts on consent and many said that ‘no means no; yes means yes’, which is a phrase they have learned from the curriculum.

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Pupils recognise the importance of community and participate in charity work such as hosting Bingo sessions for seniors at the local church. They have opportunities to develop their leadership skills when elected as school councillors or eco-councillors. Many see this as an opportunity to make a difference in their community. For example, the ‘junior travel ambassadors’ successfully raised funds for a charity by selling light-reflecting keychains, helping their fellow pupils stay visible to cars in the dark.

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The governing body provides strong support to leaders and the school community. Its members drive a vision and culture of high expectations. The school prioritises staff well- being and fosters a supportive environment, which staff members appreciate.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, there is variation in the delivery of how well the curriculum is taught. This means pupils have a mixed experience, and some do not build their knowledge as well as they could over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well over time.

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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. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provisions.  The school is part of a federation with one other primary school.  The acting head of school took up post in January 2025.  The acting head of school oversees two primary schools in the federation.  The school serves the parish of St Paul the Apostle, Wood Green. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in April 2022.  The school is also supported by the Cardinal Hume Academy Trust, which has been welcomed by governors and senior leaders.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 4 and 5 March 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and the executive headteacher and spoke with a representative from Haringey Education Partnership.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, history, music and science. 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. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. They also met with parents and carers before school.

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Inspection team

Lisa Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Martin Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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