St John's RC Primary School in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy, Manchester, was inspected from October 8 to 9, 2019, and received an overall effectiveness rating of good. The school has a positive atmosphere where pupils enjoy attending and demonstrate friendly interactions with one another. The school is recognized for its commitment to being a rights-respecting institution, promoting core values such as love, joy, respect, gratitude, kindness, and resilience. Pupils feel safe and supported, with staff fostering excellent relationships and effectively managing behavior, resulting in a respectful and purposeful learning environment.
The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, including various clubs that cater to diverse interests, such as comedy drama, violin, and sports. This variety helps nurture individual talents among pupils. Parents and carers express satisfaction with the school, noting positive changes in recent years. While leaders and governors maintain high expectations for pupils, they acknowledge the need for further improvements to achieve their ambitious vision.
The headteacher has focused on enhancing the quality of education, reinvigorating staff ambition, and refreshing the curriculum. Teachers are clear about the learning objectives in each subject and make meaningful connections between them, which aids pupils in retaining knowledge. Pupils demonstrate strong recall in subjects like science and computing. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in subjects like Spanish, where consistency in quality is needed due to many new subject leaders lacking experience in monitoring educational standards.
Reading is prioritized within the curriculum, with teachers selecting engaging books to foster a love of reading among pupils. The phonics teaching approach varies across year groups, leading to some less able pupils repeating previous learning unnecessarily. Despite this, pupils generally progress well in reading, achieving above-average results by the time they leave the school. In writing and mathematics, pupils develop their skills effectively, although younger pupils are not always held to high standards in handwriting and spelling. Leaders are aware of this issue and are taking steps to improve it.
In the early years, children quickly learn to write simple phrases and grasp number sequences, although some struggle with pencil control, resulting in untidy work. The well-resourced learning activities are met with enthusiasm, and children's achievements typically exceed national averages. The school provides an exceptional range of additional activities, including residential trips for key stage two pupils, and has received recognition for promoting physical education and sport.
The personal, social, health, and economic curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, fostering respectful behavior and encouraging debates on relevant topics. The safeguarding arrangements are effective, with a strong culture of safety established by leaders. Staff receive regular training to ensure they can identify and respond to signs of abuse, and pupils are educated on online safety.
To improve, the school must ensure consistency in the quality of education across all subjects and year groups. Subject leaders should regularly monitor educational standards, and there should be a more seamless transition in phonics instruction for lower-ability pupils. Additionally, early years teachers should focus on developing fine motor skills to enhance handwriting. Overall, St John's RC Primary School demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and the well-being of its pupils.
