Following the previous inspection report back in September 2015, the latest report for St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in Carisbrooke, Newport was released today (Monday).
The inspector found the overall effectiveness of the provision ‘Requires Improvement’.
“A happy and supportive atmosphere”
The following strengths were highlighted in the report
- Children make a good start in Reception and are provided with an interesting range of experiences to develop their skills, knowledge and personal development.
- Links with parents are good.
- Pupils are friendly, open and interesting to talk to. They behave well during worship and breaks, and get along well together.
- Pupils’ well-being is nurtured well and they learn in a happy and supportive atmosphere.
Areas that require improvement
Also highlighted in the report are areas where the school should make improvements.
- Senior leaders’ efforts have focused sharply on improving the school quickly. Past weaknesses in teaching have been tackled successfully but there is more to do to provide pupils with a good education.
- Pupils make steady progress in reading, writing and mathematics between Years 1 and 6. Attainment is average by the time pupils leave but should be higher.
- Pupils’ progress is not good in Key Stage 1. Standards at Year 2 dipped in 2015, leaving the current pupils in Year 3 with ground to make up.
- Pupils do not benefit consistently from teaching that has drive, energy and depth. Most-able pupils should be making swifter progress.
- The curriculum is not as broad and balanced as it should be. Arts subjects receive little emphasis and not all classes in Key Stage 2 have regular French lessons.
- Not all teachers monitor learning astutely during lessons to check how well their plans are working. They do not adapt their teaching promptly enough to take account of the ebb and flow in pupils’ learning.
- Middle leaders are involved in improving the school as members of the leadership team. They have developed their skills as leaders but do not yet have a strong enough influence and impact on improving the school’s effectiveness.
- A small group of governors have taken a lead role in overseeing the school’s improvement. They provide appropriate challenge and have a general awareness about the quality of teaching and how teachers’ performance is managed and supported. Not all governors are as proactive in this respect.
The report
Full details can be found in the report below. Click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
Image: happy-accidents-productions under CC BY 2.0
