The school

St Joseph’s RC Primary School is a denominational school with a non-denominational nursery class. It serves the Roman Catholic community in part of the south-west of Edinburgh. The roll was 276, including 56 in the nursery class, when the inspection was carried out in March 2011. English is not the first language of around a third of children. The school is part of a joint campus with Broomhouse Primary School and includes a shared dining room. At the time of the inspection, The City of Edinburgh Council met to review accommodation arrangements because of the increasing roll at St Joseph’s RC Primary School which is putting pressures on space. Children’s attendance was below the national average in 2009/2010.

Particular strengths of the school

• The strong culture of inclusion and the school’s success in meeting the needs of the significant number of children with English as an additional language.
• Well behaved, enthusiastic children who engage positively with their learning.
• On-going commitment of staff to encouraging children’s achievements in a wide range of school and out-of-school activities.
• Children’s learning experiences in the nursery class.
• The commitment of senior staff to developing a culture where teachers are confident in leading projects.

The following areas for improvement with the school and education authority.

• Improve the leadership and direction of the curriculum in order to provide greater breadth, challenge and application in children’s learning.
• Continue to strengthen partnership with parents and encourage more parents to support the work of the school.
• Continue to improve the school’s approaches to developing the voice of children.