St Anthony's Catholic Primary School

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School

Address: Fordbridge Road, Kingshurst, Birmingham, West Midlands, B37 6LW Unique reference number (URN): 148090

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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 Strong standard

All pupils achieve very well across the curriculum, meaning that they are ready for the next stage of learning. Pupils can talk with detail and interest about the things they have learned, such as the Great Fire of London and how to stay safe online. They remember what they have learned because, over time, lessons bring an opportunity for discussion, reflection and thinking. Pupils have solid foundations in English and mathematics, which sets them up for learning across the curriculum subjects. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, consistently attain well in national tests in English and mathematics. Leaders spot any signs of a gap in pupils' knowledge and act quickly to close it. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well from their starting points. Leaders value every achievement, and pupils celebrate their friends' successes. Pupils know that some of their peers are challenged by some tasks and are proactive in helping them to feel confident.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils' behaviour in every class is excellent. Leaders have created a culture of calmness and respect. They have taught pupils the value of education, so pupils are keen to attend and keen to learn. Pupils embrace diversity and understand it well, showing tolerance to everyone. They treat others with kindness and consideration and help their friends to aim to be the best that they can be. Older pupils support the younger children, acting as excellent role models as they learn and grow. Bullying rarely happens, but if it does, leaders act quickly. They listen to pupils and plan a way to help them individually and together. This means bullying stops. Pupils are resilient, and they know how to resolve issues themselves where possible.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders encourage all pupils to attend school every day. They talk to pupils and understand why coming to school might be difficult and the reason for the barriers to high attendance. Leaders break these barriers down, and this has had a positive impact, with pupils understanding the importance of attending school regularly. Leaders' high expectations contribute to the culture of trust and positive relationships with pupils and families. Leaders work closely with families who need extra support to improve their child's attendance.

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Early years Strong standard

Pupils in the early years benefit from a sense of belonging. Children feel safe in this setting. Leaders and staff make relationships a priority, building children's confidence as they grow. They quickly learn about children and spot any difficulties that they might have. Leaders make sure that they help children to thrive by removing these barriers to learning as quickly as possible. Interactions with adults help children to develop their learning more quickly. Over time, children develop their language and communication skills, using new and exciting words that link to learning. The curriculum is varied and interesting, and children are encouraged to ask questions about the world around them. They learn to read using their phonics skills. Children are confident and welcoming. They talk about staying safe in the sun and about insects they have found outside. Routines underpin day-to-day life in the early

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Early years Strong standard

years. Pupils have secure attachments with the adults who help them, which helps them to thrive. Communication with parents and families is valued by leaders and benefits pupils.

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Early years Strong standard

By the end of Reception, children celebrate excellent achievement and are well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Strong standard

At the heart of this school is a culture of inclusion. All children are valued by staff, and there is a sense of belonging here. Pupils value each other too. They acknowledge and celebrate their uniqueness and support each other to do their best. Leaders have very high expectations for every child regardless of their barriers to learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, pupils who are disadvantaged and those with other barriers to learning. Pupils benefit from early and accurate identification of need so that leaders can overcome these barriers. Teachers adapt their lessons so that all pupils can fully access learning. Leaders seek specialist support for children who need extra help to help them to achieve well. This includes pupils who are known, or previously known, to social care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use additional funding effectively to enable adults to support disadvantaged pupils in all lessons. These pupils attain very well at St Anthony's, and this can be seen in their published outcomes, which are consistently high. Pupils benefit from the strong relationships built between leaders, parents and carers. Parents appreciate the partnership approach, which helps them to support their children. Leaders make sure that staff develop the expertise that they need to meet pupils' needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and have a clear vision for the school. They are committed to the community that they serve and uphold the strong ethos of the school with everything they do. Leaders understand the disadvantage that some pupils face. They work relentlessly to give all pupils the opportunities that they deserve and that will make a positive difference to their lives. Leaders teach pupils to think deeply, to reason and to care. This helps pupils to develop as thoughtful, kind and articulate individuals.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The culture that leaders have created allows pupils to believe that they are capable of achieving well. Pupils feel secure and safe here, and they are unafraid of failure. Leaders prioritise their staff development. They know the difference they make to the academic and personal outcomes for pupils. Early career teachers thrive and are given the support that they need to develop professionally. Leaders provide high-quality professional development, which supports consistency of staff's subject knowledge across the curriculum subjects. Staff say that leaders take care of their wellbeing and workload. Staff are highly appreciative of any help that is offered by leaders.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Trust leaders and governors support and challenge school leaders well. They ensure that leaders' actions are making a positive difference to how well the school performs. Leaders

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Expected standard

take swift action to resolve any issues that arise and the impact of this action is evident in pupils' achievement and attainment over time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development of all pupils is a strength of this school. Leaders have sequenced and enhanced the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum, which includes a suitable relationships education and health education curriculum. Leaders have carefully woven learning about the challenges that pupils might face through the PSHE curriculum.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils learn about equality and how some groups of people are protected in law from discrimination and unfair treatment. Pupils have a firm understanding of all the fundamental British values. Pupils benefit from a wide range of educational visits and visitors that bring learning to life. Pupils access character-building experiences such as learning about finance from bankers or debating on sustainability on a global and local scale. They raise funds for a range of charities and specific organisations that they care about. They are aware of, and understand, national issues such as immigration. Pupils can debate different viewpoints and understand different perspectives with maturity.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils are empowered to be ambitious and know how they will achieve their goals. Leaders place emphasis on the personal development programme. Contributing to pupils' readiness for life beyond the school is an important focus of this programme. This contributes to pupils becoming resilient, respectful and confident young people. They understand their roles and responsibilities as young leaders and advocates of the future world.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the same level of opportunity as their peers. All disadvantaged pupils take part in the full range of activities on offer. The pastoral care that pupils receive is bespoke and highly impactful. Pupils know how to resolve conflict with others and are well supported to do so. Leaders take time to listen to their views. Pupils have a comprehensive knowledge about how to stay safe online.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Across the school, pupils typically benefit from a curriculum that is coherently designed and covers a range of curriculum subjects. Typically, lessons are taught well and pupils enjoy learning new and interesting things.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders monitor the quality of what is taught in every curriculum subject. They prioritise improving writing skills so that pupils secure the basic knowledge in spelling and handwriting. Over time, this is improving. Leaders make sure that staff, including those who have recently joined the school, receive professional development training so that their curriculum subject knowledge is secure. Staff teach phonics and early reading well. Pupils quickly become fluent and confident readers. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, staff do not make it clear enough to pupils how to make pertinent connections in curriculum content. This sometimes limits the depth of pupils' learning. Teachers adapt lessons in all curriculum subjects, providing suitable support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged and pupils with other barriers to learning. Staff help pupils to improve their own work, in small steps. Pupils know how to ask for help

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

when they need it. Teachers adapt lessons in all curriculum subjects so that everyone can participate.

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

Pupils are proud to attend St Anthony's and are grateful for the opportunities that it gives them. Pupils welcome and include everyone, valuing individuality. Pupils feel safe and value the trusted adults who help them to learn.

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

By the end of Year 6, pupils' attainment is above their peers nationally. Across the school, pupils achieve well across the different curriculum subjects. Leaders get to know pupils well, and they identify any barriers to learning that pupils might have. Pupils feel well supported to overcome these barriers. Right from the start in early years, there is a strong sense of belonging. Pupils support one another and help each other to learn. Pupils who are disadvantaged, or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, thrive academically and personally. All pupils attend clubs, sports or a wide range of other activities. Pupils are aspirational for their futures when they leave St Anthony's.

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

Pupils' behaviour is highly positive. They want to attend school and know why this is important for their future careers and lives in the wider world. Bullying is rare, but pupils know that trusted adults will listen to any concerns that they have about this. Pupils are also confident that if bullying did occur, staff would deal with any incidents effectively.

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

Enrichment opportunities give all pupils a chance to discover or develop their talents and interests, or to try something new. Activities such as 'art week' allow pupils' creativity to grow. School council members are effective at using the views and ideas of the pupils across the school to contribute to school improvement. For example, their views were considered, and used, to improve the lunchtime arrangements for pupils. Pupils learn about the importance of developing their citizenship roles both locally and in the wider world.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that in some foundation curriculum subjects they refine their approach to helping pupils to make explicit connections between important knowledge, so that pupils make deeper links within, and between, curriculum subjects and they develop their knowledge further.

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Team inspectors:

Gill Turner, Ofsted Inspector Russell Hinton, Ofsted Inspector

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Our Lady and All Saints Multi Academy Company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the Catholic Senior Executive Leader, Peter Davis, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Paul Bentley.

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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 school leaders during the inspection. Inspectors met with the trust Chief Executive Officer, members of the trust board and local governors. They held meetings with the headteacher, school leaders, teachers and pupils. They looked at pupils' work and books. They also talked to pupils, parents and staff to gather information about school life.

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About this inspection

To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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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About this inspection

Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View and free-text comments.

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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 Roman Catholic religious character. It is in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Its last section 48 inspection was in March 2022.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Cieran Flaherty 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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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 23 June 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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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

2024/25 (final) 73% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 76% 72% Close to average

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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) 80% 74% 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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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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average

2024/25 (final) 60% 59% Close to average

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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

2024/25 (final) 67% 61% Close to average

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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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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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.3% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.0% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 11.6% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.9% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 17.9% 16.2% Close to average

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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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