St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Butlers Road, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands B20 2NY

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Outcome

St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School 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?

The school is a warm, welcoming community that nurtures all pupils as individuals. Its virtues underpin all aspects of school life, and this means that pupils are happy and safe. They are proud of their school and take pride in caring for each other and the environment. Everyone belongs to the ‘St. Teresa’s family’. The school is ambitious for the pupils, and they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour and conduct are exemplary. This is because the school supports them to develop strong moral values. Pupils are kind and caring to each other because they know it is the right thing to do. They are proud of their school’s diversity and celebrate how they learn from each other. As one pupil said, ‘All children are different, but we are one school.’ Pupils have a strong sense of fairness and understand the importance of listening to others. This means that the school is a harmonious community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on a wide range of responsibilities, including as members of the school council or sports council, play leaders, and looking after younger children around school. This supports their development as thoughtful citizens. Pupils are especially proud of their musical and sporting successes. The school ensures there is something for everyone, including flute, boccia, Zumba, curling and football.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum which is centred on Catholic social justice principles. The curriculum is well sequenced and enables pupils to gain knowledge and skills over time. Pupils apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts. For example, they craft skilful letters to Parliament on the topic of child labour, reflect on changes in society as Viking invaders converted to Christianity and discuss the impact on the poor of 13 and 14 May 2025

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social structures in the Roman Empire. In mathematics, pupils’ oracy skills are promoted well through the use of technical vocabulary, and this enables them to sharpen their reasoning skills. These opportunities also mean that pupils learn and remember more over time.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. Staff establish strong routines and relationships so children settle quickly into school. Learning to read is the highest priority. Staff are well trained and deliver the school’s early reading programme well. Teachers make sure that pupils get help to catch up quickly when needed so they do not fall behind. A range of texts are used well to develop pupils’ writing skills. However, the school’s approach to reading for pleasure is not consistent enough. Consequently, pupils have limited knowledge of authors, which impacts the range of books that they choose to read for themselves.

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The school has invested well in staff’s professional development. Staff have strong subject knowledge and confidently reshape tasks and correct any misconceptions effectively. Teachers carefully deepen pupils’ understanding and check what they have learned through a range of strategies which build pupils’ confidence and fluency across the curriculum.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive carefully tailored support to ensure their access to education and well-being is a priority. Staff know pupils’ needs well and so they fully join in with the life of the school. The school checks the impact of any support and adapts provision swiftly. It works closely with external agencies to provide effective support to pupils and their families.

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Pupils rarely miss a day of school because they love learning. Their attendance is high. The school liaises with families to ensure that, when needed, they receive every support to help get their children to school. Leaders swiftly escalate any concerns they have to keep pupils safe and well.

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The personal development offer is very well considered. Pupils are resilient and not afraid to have a go, whether tackling new challenges in writing or leading a retreat for the whole school. They reflect on those less fortunate than themselves and embrace purposeful fundraising events. For example, to raise funds for the homeless, pupils slept outdoors overnight and wrote messages of hope to promote a non-judgemental approach to those in need. Pupils fully embrace the spiritual ethos of the school. They are kind and positive citizens.

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Fundamental British values are promoted through a deep understanding and appreciation of other faiths and cultures as well as the school’s Catholic faith. This is enhanced through trips to places of worship, such as the Central Mosque and Hindu temple.

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There is a strong shared vision at the heart of this school. Governors know the school well and provide effective support and challenge. Staff are cared for as individuals and appreciate the investment in their well-being. They are proud to be members of St. Teresa’s School. 13 and 14 May 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not have a consistent enough approach to promoting a love of reading. This means that sometimes pupils have a limited knowledge of the range of authors available to choose from for themselves. The school should promote a rich and diverse reading environment in which a love of reading for pleasure can flourish.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good 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. 13 and 14 May 2025

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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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast club managed by the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a voluntary-aided school. The school received its last section 48 inspection in January 2024. The next section 48 inspection is due in January 2029.

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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.  The inspector met with the headteacher and both assistant headteachers.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 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.  The inspector spoke with the chair of the governing body and other governors.  The inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of the diocese and an adviser from the Birmingham School Improvement Advisory Service.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. The inspector spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as informally in lessons and around school.  The inspector talked with pupils and staff to gather information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and parents.

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 The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Johanne Clifton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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