Catshill First School & Nursery
Parent Survey Analysis – April 25
Thank you for your feedback in our recent parent survey. We are delighted that so many of you feel your children are happy, safe, and making good progress at Catshill First School. We also recognise your suggestions for how we can improve further.
Our strengths
Pupil Happiness and Safety
- 94.1% agree/strongly agree their child is happy at school
- 95.3% agree/strongly agree their child feels safe
Communication
- 97.6% feel communication is effective
- 98.8% feel well informed about what their child will learn
- 94.1% feel informed about how their child is doing
Academic and Personal Development
- 91.8% feel their child does well at the school
- 85.8% feel the school has high expectations for their child
- 89.3% feel there is a good range of trips and visits
- 94.1% feel there is a good range of subjects
- 82.1% feel there are enough clubs/activities
- 76.5% feel the school supports wider personal development
Behaviour
- 85.5% agree pupils are well behaved
EYFS Provision
- 100% positive feedback for EYFS
Reputation
- 91.8% would recommend the school
Areas we’d like to improve
Bullying Responses
- 76% (of those reporting bullying) felt it was dealt with effectively
- 11.7% were unsure, 11.7% disagreed/strongly disagreed
- While the majority of the responses are positive, we are aware that the negative or ‘don’t know’ responses mean that we must review our communications to parents around our anti-bullying procedures.
SEND Support
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- Of the 17 parents who said their child has SEND, 31.3% of SEND parents agreed their child receives the support they need, 37.5% were unsure and 31.3% disagreed/strongly disagreed,
- We are disappointed that some parents feel their child doesn’t receive the support they need or don’t know. Some of the support is out of our control as waiting lists to be seen by external professionals are long. We will share more information about our in school support. We have already planned SEND drop in sessions with Mrs Ludlow and are pleased to tell you that a new Deputy SENDCo has been recruited to support across the Federation.
Dealing with Concerns
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- 74.7% feel concerns are dealt with properly
- Whilst this response is positive, we are already considering ways to improve responsiveness and clarity around how concerns are handled and feedback is given.
Clubs/Activities & Parental Involvement
- 82.1% positive about clubs/activities
- 81.2% feel there are enough opportunities for parental involvement
These are still positive figures however, we are always considering ways that we can add to or better publicise opportunities.
| You said … | We do, we did, we will … |
| You’d like more information about what your child is learning, especially in Early Years | We already share half termly curriculum newsletters so that parents can see what their child is learning and, for our Early Years pupils, information on Tapestry. Each year we hold 2 appointment based parents evenings where individual progress can be discussed and there will be a drop in session before the summer. Our annual individual reports to parents will go out towards the end of the year.
Please look in our weekly newsletter for coverage of lots of our curriculum events. |
| Some of you want more opportunities to be involved in school life and events | We don’t currently have a PTA but we would always welcome regular parent volunteers to support events, Forest Fun, regular reading support and our trips and visits. Please ask at the School Office for a volunteer form if you’d be willing to support us further. |
| Some parents feel SEND support and referrals could be more consistent and timely. | We understand that waiting for referrals can be frustrating. The SEND Code of Practice encourages a graduated response, meaning schools must first assess, plan, do, and review support within school. This helps build a clear picture of your child’s needs before involving outside agencies. While it can take time, this approach ensures referrals are well-evidenced and more likely to result in the right support.
For those of you who have been referred to community paediatrics, the Umbrella Pathway or other outside agency diagnosis there are long waiting times and we know this can be frustrating. We are unable to bypass the long waiting list times. However, across the Federation we are lucky enough to be able to draw on other professional for support when required including:
We have also had recent parent workshops to support at home and Federation wide training on Autism to ensure staff are well equipped to support pupils in class. We continue to work closely with many outside agencies to add valuable support for pupils with or without diagnoses of SEND needs. . Mrs Ludlow is now SENDCo across the Federation and is able to support pupils as they move to Catshill Middle as well as while they are at Catshill First School, and Ms Fay has been appointed to Deputy SENDCo. |
| You’d like a greater range of after-school clubs and enrichment opportunities | Most of our clubs are run as a free opportunity or at very little cost. We rely on school staff running these and feel that there is a fair range. External providers often charge £5 or more for a session and we feel that this is prohibitive to many parents.
Please talk to Mrs Plant if you feel there is a club option that you’d like to see available. |
| You’d like to see more celebration of children’s work and achievements | We have plans to include more parent workshops and opportunities to join us to celebrate children’s achievements, progress and successes. Our recent ‘proud parent’ stickers to add to books at Parents Evening were seen as a positive step. |
| Some of you feel our attendance policy is overly strict | As a school, we are monitored closely for attendance and are given clear guidelines as to what absence can be authorised. Unfortunately, there are very few circumstances where we can allow children to go on holiday in term time. We thank all parents who have supported us with this as our attendance levels have risen. |