‘Everyone belongs’: Hartlepool's St Joseph's Catholic Primary School celebrates ‘good’ Ofsted rating

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, in Musgrave Walk, Hartlepool, received a “good” rating – the second highest of four outcomes - following its inspection in November 2023.

In the newly-published report, Ofsted inspectors said: “Everyone belongs at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School. Pupils learn to celebrate diversity. They do this with great pride.

"Pupils are eager to show visitors their global map. This displays the heritage of pupils across the school.

"Pupils enjoy coming to their school. They are happy and safe in this caring environment.”

Inspectors noted how pupils engage with activities “beyond the academic curriculum” including sporting clubs and engaging with the wider community outside the classroom.

The report gave one such example, stating: “Pupils collect for a food bank and learn about local events such as the Tall Ships Races.”

Regarding the curriculum, inspectors said: “Leaders have reviewed and improved the curriculum at the school.

"Trust leaders have supported this well.

"The curriculum is broad and balanced.

"Leaders are ambitious about what pupils should learn.”

Debra Hargreaves, the school’s headteacher, said: “I am delighted that Ofsted also recognised that our pupils benefit from high expectations for their achievements in a safe and caring environment.

"This is a testament to the hard work of all the staff, our pupils and the support of our parents and carers.

"We look forward to continuing our journey to build on our successes to give the children the very best start to their education.”

Inspectors have also given the school a few areas to improve, noting how the school lacks a “clear understanding of how the curriculum is being implemented, including for pupils with SEND”.

Leaders are therefore encouraged to “sharpen the monitoring systems that underpin their action plans for improving the quality of education even further”.

The report also states that assessments are “not used consistently well” in the school, meaning “some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions”.

It states: “Leaders should ensure staff are supported to use effective assessment strategies that are carefully matched to the aims of the curriculum.”