St Edmund's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School

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Radley Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3PP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. Their secure understanding of equality demonstrates the inclusive nature of St Edmund’s. Pupils know that they should be respectful of others, and they are. As one pupil said, ‘It’s one of our school rules.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and have taken effective steps to improve the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, current pupils achieve well across the curriculum, with outcomes that are stronger than those reflected in the 2024 national test results.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on meaningful responsibilities that develop their confidence and support school life. For example, they can become library monitors and mental health ambassadors. Older pupils are especially proud of the clubs they run for their younger peers, such as sketch club. The school also encourages pupils to think about how they can make an impact beyond the school gates. For example, the ‘Mini-Vinnies’ group helps at a parish lunch and raises funds to support local charities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to the school’s clear expectations of behaviour. This is seen in the playground at lunchtimes, when pupils from Nursery to Year 6 enjoy a wide range of activities together. Pupils can also take part in a range of popular lunchtime clubs.

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

The school has refined its curriculum in recent years. In all subjects, there is clear progression in learning from the early years to Year 6. Pupils regularly revisit previously taught knowledge. This helps them to build on what they already know. Throughout the school, staff have secure subject knowledge. They design tasks that allow pupils to practise new skills. In some curriculum areas, staff routinely check pupils’ understanding and adapt their teaching accordingly. This supports pupils to make progress through the curriculum. In other subjects, this is less consistent, which means that gaps in knowledge go unnoticed and limit pupils’ achievement over time.

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

Outcomes of the key stage 2 national tests were lower in 2024, compared to previous years. The school has taken effective action in response. For example, they have strengthened the approach to the teaching of writing and mathematics to ensure that pupils master basic skills so that they become more fluent. Work in current pupils’ books reflects secure learning across the curriculum. The school is working to provide further opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to deeply explain their thinking in writing. In some subjects, tasks are carefully designed to encourage pupils to explain their thinking. This is not consistent across the curriculum.

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

Children get off to a strong start with reading as soon as they join Reception. Phonics is taught by well-trained staff, who follow a clear and consistent programme. When pupils fall behind, the school acts quickly to provide targeted support, helping them to catch up and build fluency. The school promotes a love of reading in its pupils. They enjoy visits from authors and read very regularly both in and out of school. 14 and 15 May 2025

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The number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has increased in recent years. The school has made changes to the spaces in the school and adapted the curriculum to provide better support. Staff are well trained and make sure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. Those with the highest needs benefit from highly personalised support, particularly within the school’s specially created Tigers class.

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Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm and routines are well established. This helps pupils to stay focused on their learning. Even the youngest pupils in the school in the school’s nursery are polite as they talk to each other. A small number of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour or emotions. The school provides appropriate support for them, working with external agencies when necessary. Leaders track attendance carefully. When concerns arise, they act swiftly to provide families with effective support.

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The school’s work to promote personal development is designed thoughtfully. Pupils apply their understanding of British values, such as democracy, when they help leaders make decisions about school life. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and regulating their own feelings. As well as learning to support their mental health, pupils also learn to take care of their physical and mental health. Pupils develop their understanding of the importance of diversity and equality through carefully chosen curriculum content. All pupils feel welcome and respected at the school. Community partnerships enhance the school’s cultural provision. For example, a local musician leads a lunchtime choir.

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Leaders have high ambitions for all pupils at the school. Their work to strengthen the curriculum reflects this. The school’s inclusive approach is exemplified in its bespoke provision for pupils with the highest levels of SEND. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel well supported by leaders. Overall, parents and carers are supportive of the school.

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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, assessment is not used sharply enough to check pupils’ understanding of important content. This means that gaps in pupils’ understanding are not successfully addressed. The school should strengthen assessment across the curriculum to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions so that pupils learn well.  In some subjects, pupils do not have enough opportunities to explain their thinking in writing. This means that pupils are not encouraged to demonstrate the full breadth of their knowledge and understanding. The school should provide purposeful tasks which enable pupils to demonstrate their thinking and writing across the wider curriculum. 14 and 15 May 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). 14 and 15 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in September 2022.  This school is a Catholic school in the Diocese of Portsmouth. The school last received a section 48 inspection in March 2020.  The school currently uses one alternative provision.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 May 2025

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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, the special educational needs coordinator and subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with five members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocese on the telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and design technology. For each deep dive, the 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.

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 Inspectors looked at curriculum information for a range of other subjects, including pupils’ work. They reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and priorities for improvement. They also looked at information relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lunchtimes.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions. Staff also completed an Ofsted survey.  The views of parents were gathered through the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. A team inspector also spoke to parents during the inspection.  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

Katie Hancock, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nneoma Thomas Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-

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