St Catherine's CofE Primary School

St Catherine's CofE Primary School

Address: Greenstone Avenue, Horwich, Bolton, Lancashire, BL6 5SJ Unique reference number (URN): 144045

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils are ready for the next stage of their education. By the time they leave the school, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is close to national averages. Pupils achieve particularly well in grammar, punctuation and spelling, where outcomes have remained consistently high over time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most pupils develop secure knowledge and skills across the curriculum. They can usually recall prior learning and talk confidently about what they have learned. The school's focus on reading is having a positive impact. Most pupils learn phonics knowledge successfully and develop into confident readers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Most disadvantaged pupils make suitable progress from their starting points. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are improving over time. However, some higher-attaining pupils are not consistently challenged to achieve as highly as they could. As a result, too few pupils develop deeper knowledge across the curriculum.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend school regularly and on time. Leaders have high expectations. Over time, they have built close relationships with families to understand individual pupils' circumstances. This has helped leaders to take timely action to remove any barriers to positive attendance. As a result, attendance exceeds national averages for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have found it difficult to attend school in the past. Rates of persistent absence are below national averages. This reflects leaders' determination to create a school where pupils feel they belong.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils are courteous and respectful. This begins in the early years where children cooperate and play well together, follow familiar routines with confidence and show kindness to each other. Pupils typically behave well in lessons and around the school. Positive relationships between staff and pupils help to create a calm and welcoming environment. While a small number of pupils sometimes find it more difficult to manage their behaviour, staff know these pupils well and match support to their needs. This has led to improvements for pupils who are at risk of suspension. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that staff deal with it quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching across the school. The curriculum is ambitious and broad. Teachers build pupils' knowledge step by step, starting with the basics such as handwriting and early reading. This prepares them for the next stage of their learning. Pupils benefit from a range of wider experiences that enhance the curriculum, including learning a musical instrument, studying Latin and visiting places of cultural interest. The curriculum is organised so that pupils build their knowledge securely over time. Teachers typically have a secure understanding of what pupils need to know and remember. Links between subjects help pupils make connections between different areas of learning. Teachers use knowledge organisers and quizzes in many subjects to help pupils remember important content and vocabulary. However, opportunities for pupils to apply and deepen

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

their learning are not consistent across all subjects. As a result, some pupils are not consistently challenged to build on their learning and achieve highly across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers typically have secure subject knowledge and use questioning to check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions. Teachers adapt the curriculum so that pupils with with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn alongside their peers.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the early years curriculum and what they want children to learn by the end of the Reception Year. Despite some staffing changes, leaders have maintained a welcoming and nurturing environment where children feel safe and secure. Children are happy, settled and enjoy positive relationships with staff and one another. They share resources, take turns and follow routines well. Staff support children to develop confidence and independence from an early age.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that supports children's learning across all areas of development. There is a focus on language. Staff encourage children to talk about their ideas and experiences. Staff use questioning to extend children's thinking and develop their understanding. They identify children's needs early and provide appropriate support for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading is prioritised from the start. Children enjoy stories, rhymes and phonics activities. Staff teach early reading skills effectively. They check children's learning regularly and provide extra help when needed. For example, phonics catch-up sessions and regular fine motor activities help children develop important skills. Children typically make secure progress from their starting points and are well prepared for Year 1.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Typically, leaders have a generally accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. They have identified clear priorities and taken appropriate action to improve the quality of education. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of support for some pupils with sufficient precision.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Local governors have a secure understanding of the school's work, meet their statutory duties, and provide an appropriate balance of support and challenge. They do not rely solely on leaders' reports. Instead, they gather first-hand evidence through visits, conversations with pupils and checks on the school's work. The trust board is well informed about key priorities, including safeguarding, attendance and the achievement of different groups of pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders prioritise professional development. Staff value these opportunities and say that they help them develop their practice. This includes teachers, teaching assistants and other support staff. Staff appreciate the support they receive to develop their practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school's Christian ethos and values are visible in the way that leaders support and engage with pupils, staff, families and the community. Leaders consider staff wellbeing carefully. They have taken practical steps to reduce workload and support a healthy work-life balance. Parents and carers are typically positive about the school and value the approachability of staff and leaders. Leaders work constructively with families and are responsive to feedback from the wider school community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for pupils' personal development. The school's Christian values underpin many aspects of school life and help pupils develop as caring and responsible members of the community. Pupils talk confidently about these values and understand how they relate to daily life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad range of opportunities that give pupils the chance to try something new and discover what they enjoy. Enrichment beyond the classroom broadens pupils' experiences and helps them develop new interests. Pupils take part in trips linked to the curriculum. Visits to different places of worship broaden pupils' understanding of the world. Pupils value residential experiences, which help them to develop their independence away from home.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's emphasis on the arts helps pupils develop cultural awareness and creative skills. Pupils learn a musical instrument, learn how to cook a meal and benefit from visits to places of cultural interest. Leaders ensure that all pupils can participate in these opportunities, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work proactively to remove any barriers to participation. As a result, all pupils benefit from a rich programme of personal development.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils take on meaningful positions of responsibility, including as prefects and members of the eco-committee. Older pupils contribute to fundraising and community projects, including the school's 'We Will Care' initiative. These opportunities help pupils develop confidence, responsibility and a sense of service to others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils feel safe in school and know who to talk to if they have concerns. They understand healthy relationships and how to stay safe online. Pupils can explain the steps they would take if something worried them. Leaders help pupils develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. However, pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is less secure. Some do not recall this learning as well as other aspects of the personal development programme.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders know pupils well and understand the barriers to learning that some may face. However, leaders do not assess pupils' needs, plan support or review its impact with sufficient precision. Leaders have implemented learning plans to support pupils. However, the targets in these plans are often too broad and are not reviewed regularly enough. As a result, leaders do not identify quickly enough when support needs to be adapted. Consequently, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and pupils facing additional challenges, do not make the progress they should.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Despite these weaknesses, leaders have taken appropriate steps to improve provision for pupils with SEND. They work closely with external agencies and provide resources, such as sensory equipment and assistive devices, to help pupils access learning. Leaders have provided outreach support and reasonable adjustments to teaching so that pupils can continue to access learning while they wait for external assessments.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use pupil premium funding thoughtfully to support disadvantaged pupils. As a result, outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are improving over time, including in reading and writing. Staff work well with the virtual school and other agencies to support pupils known to social care and their families.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

St Catherine's CE Primary School is a welcoming and caring church school at the heart of its local community. Pupils benefit from positive relationships with staff. The school's Christian vision, 'life in all its fullness', is woven through daily life. Pupils speak confidently about the school's values and understand how these help them to be kind and respectful.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is high. Pupils feel included and valued. Routines are calm and well established. Pupils move sensibly around the school, hold doors open for one another and settle quickly to learning. Pupils feel safe and know who to turn to if they have a concern. They understand how to keep themselves safe online and know what to do if they have any worries.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a broad range of opportunities beyond the classroom. They enjoy educational visits, residential experiences, music and leadership roles. Older pupils value opportunities to contribute to school life through responsibilities, such as prefect roles and community projects.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. They are polite, respectful and contribute to the calm atmosphere around the school. Pupils understand the school's expectations and typically respond well to staff's guidance. A small number of pupils find it more difficult to manage their behaviour, particularly in some older year groups. When this happens, it can occasionally affect the learning and wellbeing of others. Bullying is rare and staff deal with any concerns quickly. Pupils are generally well prepared for the next stage of their education. By the time they leave the school, their attainment is broadly in line with national averages, with strengths in grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and some higher-attaining pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could from their starting points.

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Next steps

Leaders should make sure that assessment, target-setting and review processes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are precise and reliable so that they can identify pupils' needs accurately and evaluate the impact of support. Leaders should ensure that learning is consistently matched to pupils' needs and prior attainment, including through providing appropriate challenge for higher-attaining pupils, to enable more pupils to deepen their understanding and achieve highly across the curriculum.

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About this inspection

This school is part of The Bishop Fraser Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Tuesday Humby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lesley Durosomo.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders during the inspection. They also met with trustees, including the chair of the trust, members of the local governing committee, a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Manchester. Its last section 48 inspection was in October 2025.

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About this inspection

The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Lead inspector:

Dianne Holcroft, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Gary Bevin, Ofsted Inspector Sarah Barraclough, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 7 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 62% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 66% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 69% 75% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 74% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 76% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (final) 69% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 57% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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