St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School in Preston has been recognized for its good overall effectiveness following an inspection conducted in May 2019. The school has established a compassionate ethos that prioritizes the well-being of pupils, parents, carers, and staff. The headteacher demonstrates strong leadership with a clear vision for the school, fostering an environment where staff morale is high and teachers feel supported. The governing body is dedicated and effectively challenges school leaders, contributing to a culture of improvement.
The quality of teaching, learning, and assessment is also rated as good, with most pupils making good progress. Teachers exhibit strong subject knowledge and employ effective questioning techniques that challenge students. However, there are concerns regarding the progress of disadvantaged pupils, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics at key stage two. The curriculum is well-planned and offers a variety of engaging learning experiences that stimulate pupil interest. Attendance has improved and is now in line with national averages, thanks to the efforts of school leaders in working with families.
In the early years, children receive good care and make a positive start in Nursery and Reception classes, achieving good progress. The school environment is supportive, and pupils demonstrate good behavior, showing respect for one another and adults. Safeguarding measures are effective, ensuring that pupils feel safe and well-cared for. While attainment in reading and writing is on the rise, it is still not high enough due to previous underperformance. A focus on mathematics has led to improvements, but further work is needed to ensure consistent progress across all subjects.
Middle leaders are enthusiastic but require further development to fully support school improvement. The school has identified areas for further enhancement, including strengthening leadership and management by developing the skills of middle leaders and improving the quality of teaching and assessment. The school aims to diminish the achievement gap for disadvantaged pupils and build on recent positive initiatives in mathematics.
The inspection highlighted that while outcomes for pupils are improving, they still require improvement overall. The school has faced challenges in the past, particularly in mathematics, where progress has been weak. However, current assessment information indicates that progress is now improving, and leaders are taking steps to address previous weaknesses. Disadvantaged pupils' progress varies, and while they benefit from additional teaching, their outcomes are not consistently strong.
In summary, St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School is a good school with a positive ethos and effective leadership. The quality of teaching is good, and pupils are making progress, although there are areas that require further attention, particularly regarding the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and the consistency of teaching across all subjects. The school is committed to continuous improvement and has a clear plan to enhance the educational experience for all its pupils.
