A school children are 'proud to attend'

AN INSPECTOR has praised an "inclusive and welcoming" Fishponds primary school that pupils are proud to attend.

Education watchdog Ofsted visited St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Chatsworth Road in December.

Inspector Ben Jordan's report, published in February, found that the school continued to be good in all areas - the third time in a row it has achieved the rating since 2012.

The inspector said: "Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive and welcoming school.

"They are polite and courteous. Pupils treat everyone equally and with respect.

"They talk confidently about the school’s values and Catholic ethos. Pupils understand how these values help them to be kind, caring and understanding of others."

The inspector said school leaders and staff have "high expectations", both for pupils' behaviour and their educational achievement, particularly children with special educational needs or disabilities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Mr Jordan's report said there was a "calm and purposeful environment" at the school, which has 198 pupils aged from four to 11 on its roll.

He said children are eager to learn and have good relationships with staff.Outside the classroom, the school's range of clubs and opportunities to be members of the school council or chaplaincy team were highlighted, with pupils saying those roles "make the school a better place".

The "well planned and carefully sequenced" maths curriculum was praised, with clear explanations and routine practise of important knowledge.

Teaching of phonics and support for pupils who fall behind helped build a shared love of reading, with pupils reading a wide range of texts, including books that help "build their knowledge of diversity and inclusion".

The inspector said pupils learn well in "most of the wider curriculum subjects", highlighting work in geography to identify the important knowledge pupils need to learn and making accurate checks to help children develop a strong understanding.

But he said the school needed to ensure the implementation of the curriculum was consistently strong across all subjects, and assessment used more effectively to ascertain what pupils know and establish gaps in children's knowledge.

Head teacher Jocelyn Baker said she was pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the tireless efforts of staff in providing a good-quality education for the pupils.

She said: "We all get caught up in the daily routines of school and caring for our pupils.

"It is great to have the hard work of the team and their commitment to all of our pupils recognised by Ofsted."