St Augustine's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School Hollis Lane, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2JY

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Helen Williams. This school is part of Our Lady of the Magnificat Multi-Academy Company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Tom Leverage, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Yvonne Brennan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A strong sense of community runs through the school. Pupils benefit from the school’s nurturing environment and know that they are cared for. The school meets one of its important aims; ‘to provide children with a loving, safe and happy environment, in order for each child to achieve their most effective learning’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises building lasting respectful relationships. It makes every effort to get to know pupils when they join the school. From the very start in the early years, staff take time to support children and their families with this important transition. These positive relationships continue throughout school. Parents and carers are positive about the school, and pupils reflect that they are well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to school and they attend well. They behave very well in and out of lessons and try their best with their learning. Their hard work pays off. All pupils do well at this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has ensured that pupils’ personal development is well considered. Pupils have many opportunities, such as taking part in competitive sports or developing their musical talents. Older pupils practise their team-building skills on residential trips. 8 and 9 April 2025

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

Children get off to a good start in the early years. Staff know the children very well. They know how to deliver the early years curriculum effectively. Staff quickly establish rules and routines. Children respond well to these expectations. This helps them to develop their confidence to learn and play together. Children achieve well and are amply prepared for subject-specific learning in key stage 1.

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

Reading is prioritised in this school. Pupils are immersed in learning to read as soon as they arrive. An established phonics programme is in place across school. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are supported daily by experienced staff. They share books, identify sounds and help pupils to build their attention during lessons. As a result, pupils quickly learn to read and develop a love of books.

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

The school has effective systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where needed, support is carefully and sensitively put in place. The school has ensured that staff are given advice so they can best support these pupils in lessons. The school routinely provides extra help for those who need it. As a result, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum from their starting points.

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

The school is highly ambitious for its pupils. Since converting to an academy, the school has made significant changes to further improve its curriculum so that pupils are even better placed for the rigour of secondary education. It has identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject. There is a clear progression of learning from the early years to Year 6, so everyone knows what to aim for. Some subjects have new schemes of work that are at an earlier stage of implementation. At times, in these subjects, teachers do not explicitly break content down into manageable knowledge. Furthermore, they do not check consistently well where pupils have developed misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. As a result, pupils do not build on and retain some of the important knowledge that the school wants them to learn in these subjects.

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

Pupils’ personal development is strong and woven throughout the curriculum. Pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong and what healthy relationships look like. Staff teach pupils how to spot risks and stay safe. Pupils learn to take responsibility, such as being school councillors or classroom monitors. Older pupils take great pride in being buddies to children in the early years. They help them with reading practice and play with them at lunchtimes. There are a growing number of well-attended school clubs where pupils can try new things or build their expertise.

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

Trustees and school governors know the school well. The close working partnership between the school and the trust has enabled the school to maintain its performance. Staff morale is high. Teachers appreciate the professional development available to them. They recognise that the school considers their workload and well-being when implementing new strategies. 8 and 9 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum does not break down what pupils need to know and do into manageable components, so teachers are not clear about the key knowledge pupils need to learn. This means that pupils do not routinely know and remember more, or that they have gaps in understanding. The school should ensure that teachers are clear on the component knowledge that needs to be taught and have the subject knowledge to model and explain it successfully.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment well enough to check that pupils have understood what has been taught. This means that misconceptions are not always identified or addressed as quickly as they could be. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment consistently well to check pupils’ understanding and adapt their teaching so that all pupils can learn and retain new knowledge.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2014. 8 and 9 April 2025

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Our Lady of the Magnificat Multi-Academy Company.  St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2022. When its predecessor school, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school has a Christian religious character, which means it is subject to section 48 inspections. The school opened in September 2022 and has not yet had its first section 48 inspection, which should happen within eight years of the school opening.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 and 9 April 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 met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and the senior leader responsible for pupils with SEND in the school. The inspector also met with other members of staff.  The inspector had a telephone conversation with the chair of trustees. She also met with the CEO and the school improvement partner for primary education in the trust. The inspector met with representatives of the school governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single

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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.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering responses to Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jane Edgerton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 April 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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