Schools & FE · Report card

The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John RC Primary

Inspected 11 Jun 2026 · published 9 Sept 2026 · URN 105964

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Neil Johnson (lead), Elliot Costas-Walker, Jo Costello

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
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
11 Jun 2026
Inspectors verified
Elliot Costas-Walker, Jo Costello, Neil Johnson
Postcode verified
M3 6LU
Name on report verified
The Cathedral School of St Peter and St John RC
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
105964

Page 1 of 15

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingStrong

Tone of the report

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

+73Very positivemore positive than 51% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseeffectivelypositivehigh expectationshighly effectiveambitiouseffectiveproudconfidently

Criticismgapsconcernstoo lownot alwayspersistently absentnot well prepared

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

Findings1572w+71
Leadership237w+87
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve65w+39

Strengths

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Concerns

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

This means that pupils have not always been as well prepared as they should be for the next stage of their learning. p.5

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.

Leadership & governance41
“Pupils consistently rise to leaders’ high expectations.” p.2
Curriculum9
“Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum.” p.3
Communication & language9
“Through a thoughtful programme of professional learning, leaders have ensured that staff make effective adaptations in lessons, for instance, through the use of another adult and by providing vocabulary lists.” p.4
Teaching & assessment7
“Teachers successfully help those pupils who need to catch up in a timely way.” p.3
Attendance6
“For instance, there are regular competitions and games that reward individuals and classes for positive attendance at school.” p.2
Parents & families6
“They have established very positive relationships with parents.” p.4
Progress & outcomes6
“Pupils’ attainment in writing has been too low.” p.5
SEND & inclusion4
“Typically, parents value the school’s inclusive and kind” p.4

Anatomy of the report

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

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,922; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Fairly hard; Flesch 54, typical 43
Average sentence: 13 words
Next steps: 2; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 4%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 54%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 34%

Full report text

Primary

Address: Mount Street, Salford, Greater Manchester, M3 6LU Unique reference number (URN): 105964

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

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a coherently structured and thoughtfully considered programme of personal development and wellbeing. The curriculum is enriched by additional learning opportunities, such as visiting speakers or celebrating cultural events at a particular point in the school year. The pastoral support in school is highly effective. Leaders pride themselves on knowing pupils well. They are proactive to try new things if a particular strategy does not get a pupil the help that they need.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils have a detailed understanding of the significance of important ideas such as democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. They are able to link these concepts to their experiences in and out of school. They appreciate their right to vote in the school council elections, for example. Throughout the school day, pupils treat each other with high levels of respect. They value highly the diversity of their school population.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils talk confidently about how they protect themselves when they use social media. Pupils know what constitutes a healthy relationship. They are thoroughly prepared for their futures.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils are empowered to use their voices to advocate for themselves. For example, some pupils requested a space to pray and leaders have created this. Furthermore, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part in sporting competitions, which allow them to showcase their skills and talents.

p.2

Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide a broad range of leadership opportunities for pupils. As a result, pupils show impressive levels of teamwork and communication and a sense of civic purpose. For example, ‘Busy Bee’ leaders make sure nobody is left out at social time and the eco-leaders pick up litter. Pupils feel a strong sense of responsibility to help others. For instance, they host coffee mornings to raise money for charity and collect items for the local foodbank.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders maintain a sharp focus on attendance. They have established consistent routines and systems to monitor patterns of attendance at school. On the whole, pupils attend school regularly. Leaders keep attendance at the forefront of everyone’s work with pupils and their families. For instance, there are regular competitions and games that reward individuals and classes for positive attendance at school. Through regular meetings with parents, leaders do all that they can to identify and reduce any barriers to attendance. As a result of this work, the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have established an environment of joy, kindness, purpose and calm. They have embedded consistent routines so that pupils know what is expected of them throughout the school day. Pupils consistently rise to leaders’ high expectations. They work hard in lessons so that all can flourish. Leaders have made talking about emotions part of each school day. As such, pupils are prepared well to manage their feelings. They ask for help if they need it. Leaders use therapeutic work positively to support any pupils who need additional help. Bullying and discrimination are very rare at this school. Pupils know that any incidents of unkindness will be dealt with quickly and effectively.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. It is ordered in a logical way so that learning builds new ideas over time.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Thanks to their secure methods for checking the quality of teaching and the curriculum, leaders know what is working well and where their attention is needed to make improvements. They have delivered training to ensure that staff can meet the needs of pupils who face barriers to their learning. As a result, on the whole, teachers make appropriate adaptations in lessons. This helps pupils to access new curriculum content well. For example, pictures and sentence starters help pupils to complete their work with increased independence.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

In general, leaders have ensured that reading is taught effectively. Teachers successfully help those pupils who need to catch up in a timely way. Moreover, for the most part, teachers ensure pupils now learn basic multiplication knowledge well.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

On the whole, teachers use their subject knowledge effectively to present new curriculum information. They provide helpful resources to illustrate learning and give pupils time to plan their work. However, on occasion, teachers do not identify where pupils have gaps in their learning, particularly in relation to letter formation. This leads pupils to make mistakes in their written work that go unchecked.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders are as committed in their work in the early years as they are to the rest of the curriculum. They have prioritised children making a positive start to school. Leaders have emphasised routines effectively. As a result, children grow in independence quickly. They are ready for the next stage of their learning. Thanks to the positive relationships that staff have with pupils, the early years is typically filled with laughter and smiles.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders have considered carefully what children need to learn. They have prioritised vocabulary development. As a result of this, typically, children talk confidently using words such as ‘capsule’ and ‘meteor’ to talk about adventures in space. Furthermore, staff use rhymes and songs to help children to develop an awareness of their voices.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children develop their knowledge of phonics appropriately. On the whole, staff act promptly to provide effective targeted help to those children who need it, for example, through additional one-to-one support. As a result, children make positive progress from their starting points.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders support children well to move smoothly from Reception Year to Year 1. There are visits to their new classroom and playtime with their older peers. This helps to allay any worries and builds confidence at this important transition point.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify pupils’ learning and development needs promptly. When pupils join the school, leaders make it a priority to get to know them and their families well. As a result, for the most part, they work effectively to spot barriers to success and remove these in a timely manner. This means that pupils who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing are typically supported effectively.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Through a thoughtful programme of professional learning, leaders have ensured that staff make effective adaptations in lessons, for instance, through the use of another adult and by providing vocabulary lists. As a result, pupils who face challenges to learning generally access new information well alongside their peers.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make effective use of the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. For example, they provide targeted support for pupils who need this and help pay for the costs of educational visits. Consequently, these pupils are able to take part fully in school life.

p.4

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the growing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language are included fully. For instance, they use online translation tools to communicate with parents and carers and plan cultural celebrations.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of what is working well and where there is room for improvement. They take appropriate action to address any aspects of their work that fall short of their high expectations. For example, leaders have strengthened the curriculum across the school. As a result, the curriculum is now ambitious, broad and balanced.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance have the expertise, commitment and experience to fulfil their role well. They fulfil their statutory duties. Governors ensure that everyone is treated equally. They visit school regularly to check the progress of pupils and check that staff are well. Governors share leaders’ high ambitions for pupils. Generally, they offer appropriate support and challenge to school leaders.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel very well supported by leaders. They appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their workload, such as through shared planning time. Staff are thankful that leaders are approachable. They feel empowered to share their ideas for new initiatives. Staff are very happy and proud to work at the school.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff recognise the benefits of the professional learning opportunities that they receive in school. They know that the phonics training they have completed has improved their work. Leaders work effectively with external partners to broaden their professional learning and expertise.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are unrelenting in their efforts to get the best for pupils. They have established very positive relationships with parents. Typically, parents value the school’s inclusive and kind

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils’ attainment in writing has been too low. This has affected how well they are able to communicate effectively. As such, they have not been prepared as well as they should be for the next stage of their education. Some pupils in school now continue to have gaps in their spelling and handwriting knowledge. Leaders are aware of this. They are taking appropriate and timely actions to improve writing. However, it is too soon to see the enduring impact of this work.

p.5

Achievement Needs attention

Nevertheless, across other areas of the curriculum, pupils progress well through the curriculum. Leaders have ensured that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who are disadvantaged, generally read at an appropriate level. Similarly, they have ensured that pupils have the secure number skills that they need to prepare them for mathematical learning in the future.

p.5