Schools & FE · Report card

St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School

Inspected 6 May 2026 · published 17 Jun 2026 · URN 124373

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Rob Matthews (lead), Donna OToole, Stephanie Peters

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Needs attention
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
6 May 2026
Inspectors verified
Donna OToole, Rob Matthews, Stephanie Peters
Postcode verified
B77 2LF
Name on report verified
St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
124373

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

mixed

A welcoming Catholic primary where pupils feel safe, but writing skills and some subjects need stronger teaching.

The school is safe and welcoming, with good attendance, positive behaviour and caring relationships between staff and pupils. Reception children generally learn to read well and progress well from their starting points. Pupils have gaps in spelling, punctuation and handwriting, and some teaching does not check and correct errors consistently enough.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Attendance is typically above national averages
Behaviour is positive and pupils trust staff to help them
Children in early years generally progress well and learn to read

To improve

Fill gaps in pupils' spelling, punctuation and handwriting skills
Use checks on learning consistently to correct common errors
Strengthen the teaching of some curriculum subjects
Use assessment strategies consistently to address gaps in knowledge

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+57Positivemore positive than 27% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisepositiveeffectiveeffectivelyproudfeel safecaringthriveconfidently

Criticismgapsnot secureconcernsconcernpersistent absencelowabsenceerrors

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1371w+54
Leadership208w+74
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve53w+47

Strengths

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Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

When absence is a concern, leaders intervene at an early stage. p.2

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,680; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 50, typical 43
Average sentence: 15 words
Next steps: 3; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 15%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 49%Leadership 7%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 40%

Full report text

St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School

Address: Wilnecote Lane, Belgrave, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 2LF Unique reference number (URN): 124373

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school is a welcoming place for pupils. Leaders and staff act to ensure that all pupils attend school often. Attendance is typically above national averages, including for many of the pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing disadvantage. Leaders generally analyse attendance information to spot trends and patterns, including any causes of low or persistent absence. When absence is a concern, leaders intervene at an early stage. Leaders have sought external support to ensure that the school can offer help and guidance to families to support pupils' attendance.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the care they provide for all pupils. Behaviour is positive across the school. Pupils usually behave well and follow the school rules. Most pupils around the school are polite and well mannered, for example holding open doors for others. Pupils understand the school values well and have a sense of fairness and respect. Bullying and discrimination are not tolerated at the school, and pupils say any issues are swiftly dealt with. Pupils trust staff to help them with behaviour issues, if needed. Pupils who need extra help to control their emotions get the support they need.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

The school's early years curriculum clearly outlines what staff should teach children and when. Staff check children's knowledge carefully. Staff have a thorough understanding of children's starting points. The school prioritises support for children who need extra help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Children typically progress well and by the end of Reception most are ready to continue their education in Year 1.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Staff teach children early reading from the outset. In the Reception Year, phonics is generally taught well and helps children to learn letter sounds and develop a positive view of reading. Interactions between staff and children are plentiful and caring. Much of this back- and-forth talk is effective at moving children's learning forward. Children learn the foundations of early mathematics, such as through counting and shape activities. Where it is most effective, the school's teaching is language-rich and designed to help close any communication and language gaps that children may have. Children get the support they need to thrive academically and personally.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Leaders build positive partnerships with parents and external agencies so that children are supported at home as well as at school.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

The school ensures a careful focus on the wellbeing and learning of individual pupils. Leaders and staff use effective ways to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), pupils who are disadvantaged and those known to social care. Leaders ensure that additional support is in place for all pupils with high levels of need. Leaders collaborate effectively with a range of external agencies. Generally, pupils receive the right support at the right time.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Most teachers suitably adapt the support they provide so that pupils can learn effectively. The school's support plans for pupils are well matched to pupils' learning needs. Leaders regularly review pupils' learning and development in line with their individual targets. Generally, leaders act to make sure that pupils receive the help that they need. Mostly, the school provides staff with helpful professional learning to support their understanding of the different needs of pupils. This training improves the quality of support and teaching.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders spend extra funding for disadvantaged pupils, based on careful consideration of the barriers that pupils typically face. The school provides effective support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. This work enables pupils to feel calm and ready to learn. Where needed, leaders use alternative provision appropriately to support part of pupils' education.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders at St Gabriel's have a clear vision based around their values and ethos. They are accurate in their identification of what is working well and the areas to work on. Leaders have made recent and successful improvements to the school's curriculum. Their ambitions and actions also have a positive impact on improving pupils' behaviour and attendance. Leaders recognise that there are areas of pupils' learning that need further work, and they have appropriate actions in place to resolve these. Leaders' checks on their own impact are generally accurate. Sometimes, their analysis of the key issues facing the school are not as sharp and precise as they could be.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are well supported by the experienced and informed governors at the school. Governors use their expertise to support and challenge leaders effectively. Governors are aware of their statutory duties and carry these out diligently.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school provides all staff with professional learning that improves their work. Staff value and appreciate the support that leaders provide for their wellbeing and workload. They are proud to work at this school. Most parents and carers are supportive of the school and the leadership team. They commend the care and consideration shown towards their children and the approachability of leaders and staff.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have developed a well-considered personal development programme, rooted in their vision for pupils to build on the ethos and values of the school. Programme content is well ordered and age appropriate. The programme helps pupils to develop a range of personal and social skills, such as speaking confidently in groups.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have planned an effective relationships, sex education and health curriculum. Pupils confidently explain how to be healthy and the importance of eating well. They understand that keeping your mind active can help you to stay positive. Pupils are aware of where to get help when they need it, and they trust the adults around them. They understand how to stay safe online, for example by keeping their information private. Staff

p.3

Needs attention

adapt the personal, social and health education programme to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing disadvantage.

p.4

Needs attention

Pupils discuss fundamental British values, such as tolerance, and mostly build positive friendships. They understand why racism, sexism and discrimination are wrong. Staff engage the local community by including parents in a range of support. The school arranges a wide range of visits and visitors to enrich pupils' range of experiences. Pupils enthuse about their opportunities in music and sport at the school, such as the 'Rock Steady' band and various competitions. All pupils are included in these opportunities. Leaders check that pupils take part in the wider offer. Across the school, pupils are given the opportunity to develop their talents and interests.

p.4

Needs attention

Pupils take part in a range of charity and fundraising events to support others as part of the school's mission. Generally, pupils are ready for the next stages of their education, and look forward to the challenges of secondary school.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils across the school have gaps in their essential skills in spelling, punctuation and handwriting. These gaps hamper their ability to achieve highly. This experience contrasts with pupils' achievement in early years, where children generally secure the basic skills in reading and writing that they need. Most pupils throughout the school learn the number facts and mathematical knowledge that they need.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Despite the gaps in pupils' knowledge of the foundations of writing, most pupils attain outcomes in line with the national averages by the end of Year 6 in the phonics screening check in Year 1 and in the multiplication tables check in Year 4. Generally, pupils develop suitable knowledge in a range of curriculum subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and pupils with other vulnerabilities typically progress well from their starting points.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Sometimes, teachers do not use checks on learning to help pupils to correct their common errors, particularly when writing. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not secure the foundations of early writing, such as spelling and handwriting.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have worked diligently to revise the curriculum since the last inspection. The curriculum is now broad and thought through in a logical order. The school sets out the knowledge that pupils should learn year on year. However, in some subjects, the curriculum is not taught as well as it should be. Leaders are aware of this issue and work effectively to establish improvement. They check the quality of teaching carefully and provide professional learning that helps staff to improve their work. Teachers generally have secure subject knowledge and teach the curriculum well. For instance, in mathematics, staff ensure that pupils can rehearse and practise using their knowledge of important number facts, including multiplication tables. The teaching of reading is secure across the school. From the early years onwards, trained staff teach reading well. Staff help pupils to become increasingly competent readers. Staff make

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

carefully designed adaptations to their teaching to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or other vulnerabilities.

p.5