St Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, Woking

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Dunstan’s Catholic Primary School, Woking Onslow Crescent, Woking, Surrey GU22 7AX

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an exceptional education here. This is demonstrated in the strong published outcomes in nationally assessed subjects. The school is highly ambitious for pupils’ academic achievements. Typically, pupils meet the school’s high expectations. The school places equally high importance on pupils’ personal development. The school provides many valuable opportunities for pupils to play, self-reflect and explore their interests. For example, at breaktimes, pupils may choose to enjoy active team games together. Alternatively, they may decide to relax with a book from the reading shed or sit quietly in the calm reflection areas provided.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school creates a shared understanding of how everyone is expected to treat each other. Wholeheartedly, pupils champion each other’s achievements and enthusiastically encourage each other to do their best. Pupil leaders and ambassadors act as responsible role models and supporters for younger pupils. This helps younger pupils and those new to the school settle quickly. Pupils behave maturely and considerately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy school. There is a strong community ethos. School staff and pupils care genuinely about each other. For example, staff and pupils greet each other with sincere warmth and kindness when pupils arrive at school in the morning. Relentlessly, the school does all it can to ensure pupils are kept safe. Pupils feel safe.

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

The curriculum is organised very carefully using pertinent educational research about the best ways pupils learn. The school uses this information to decide clearly what pupils 23 and 24 April 2025

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should be taught and when. From the early years onwards, the school organises subject knowledge highly effectively. Pupils learn the curriculum exceptionally well and so develop a deep understanding of how knowledge links between subjects. For example, in the early years, children count objects in different ways repeatedly and learn to recognise odd and even numbers. This helps them to spot pairs and recognise multiples of two when they learn times tables in Year 1 and Year 2.

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The school ensures the curriculum is delivered skilfully. Teachers check that pupils know and remember important information systematically. As a result, they quickly spot if any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions arise. Focused adjustments to subsequent teaching address pupils’ misunderstanding effectively.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive purposeful support to learn the curriculum. The school draws on the expertise of external specialists and the knowledge of parents and carers to identify pupils with SEND promptly. The school adapts teaching and resources expertly to enable pupils with SEND to learn effectively, alongside their peers.

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The school rightly gives reading the highest priority. It fosters a love of reading from an early age. For example, it encourages pupils to read books at breaktimes and to borrow books from the library. The engaging story-time sessions from the early years onwards further deepen pupils’ enthusiasm and passion for reading. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive strong phonics teaching daily. The school ensures teaching and reading books are securely matched to the letter sounds pupils know. If pupils struggle, the school provides targeted support to ensure they can catch up quickly. Pupils rapidly become confident and fluent readers.

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The school makes its expectations of behaviour clear. In lessons, pupils are attentive and enthusiastic about learning. Lessons take place uninterrupted by low-level disruption. Pupils attend school consistently. The school’s work with pupils and their families to support them to attend school regularly and on time is highly effective.

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The school prepares pupils for life beyond the school exceptionally well. It organises carefully thought-through opportunities to support pupils’ character development. For example, through the many inter-school sports competitions, the school teaches pupils about teamwork and what it means to win or lose with honour. The school provides pupils with useful and highly valued opportunities to take part in residential stays and educational visits. It uses these opportunities to help pupils develop independence and resilience. The school ensures pupils have equal access to these experiences, encouraging pupils to respect others. The school teaches pupils to recognise their own emotions and consider how this may impact others. This supports pupils to develop self-control and compassion for each other. Pupils learn about how to stay safe when online, and know what to do if they come across concerning content online.

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Leaders and the governing body lead the school expertly. Reflective and considered decision-making ensures the school remains highly effective. Leaders engage with staff on matters that may impact their workload regularly and purposefully. 23 and 24 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 outstanding 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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, 23 and 24 April 2025

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Roman Catholic primary school under the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. The previous section 48 inspection of the school took place in June 2020. The next inspection is due to take place in 2026.  The headteacher took up the position in April 2024. Some other senior leaders also took up their posts after the previous inspection.  The school does not use 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.  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. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 The inspectors spoke with a representative of the diocese and of the local authority. They held meetings with members of the governing body, the headteacher and other senior leaders.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Greco Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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