A Carisbrooke primary school, St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, was last week rated as Inadquate by Ofsted in its first inspection since 2012.
The school has been placed in Special Measures by the inspector.
This is a school that requires special measures.
- Leaders have not clearly identified the key issues affecting the inadequate progress pupils have made, particularly in mathematics. They do not hold teachers to account for this.
- The school’s self-evaluation is not accurate. Plans for improvement are not sharply focused. Middle leaders are not effective in making sure improvements happen consistently.
- Governors have too readily accepted the optimistic views of senior leaders about how well the school is performing, without challenging enough.
- The achievement of most groups of pupils is inadequate, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Pupils attain less well than they should by the time they leave the school, particularly in mathematics.
- Disadvantaged pupils make slower progress and attain markedly less well than other pupils in the school, particularly in mathematics.
- Teaching does not provide pupils with the work they need to learn well. Teachers’ expect too little of pupils and do not check in lessons how well pupils have understood. Teachers do not ensure pupils persevere with difficult tasks or complete enough work in the time available.
- Teaching assistants do not make a strong enough contribution in lessons to raising standards. They are not always clear what is expected of them.
- Marking of pupils’ work does not help them to knowprecisely enough what they need to do to improve. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to make the necessary improvements.
- Behaviour requires improvement because pupils do not always try to produce their best work. Pupils’ safety requires improvement because incidents of poor behaviour and bullying are not recorded and addressed systematically enough.
- The early years provision requires improvement. Teaching does not meet children’s needs well.
Strengths of the school
The inspector was able to highlight some of the strengths of the school within the report.
- Pupils’ progress accelerates in Year 6; pupils often make good progress in that year group.
- Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted.
- Pupils find the topics they study interesting.
- Leadership across the federation is helping to bring about some improvement, notably in physical education.
Full details can be found in the document below, click on the full screen icon to see larger version.
Image: Angus Fraser under CC BY 2.0
