Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Wellingborough Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • all staff have the highest expectations of what all pupils can achieve, providing them with challenging work and building effectively on their starting points, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics
  • the use and accuracy of assessment information about pupils’ progress are improved, so that teachers can quickly identify when pupils are falling behind and put in place actions to address any underachievement
  • teachers provide the most able pupils with more challenging work
  • teachers share and learn from the most effective practice seen in the school.
• Improve outcomes by:
  • accelerating the progress of pupils at key stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics
  • ensuring that more of the most able pupils in all classes, including those who are disadvantaged, are working at a greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Strengthen the leadership and management of the school by:
  • ensuring that the school’s assessment system is refined, with appropriate input and analysis by leaders and effective dissemination to staff, so that challenging targets are in place for all pupils to help them achieve to the best of their abilities
  • firmly establishing the new leadership team to ensure that the monitoring systems recently introduced are analysed effectively and make a positive impact on the achievement of all pupils in the school
  • ensuring that the governing body builds on the recent initiatives it has introduced to hold leaders stringently to account, particularly in relation to the performance of pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders and governors have not yet ensured that teachers consistently adapt and refine their practice to ensure that pupils make the best progress that they are capable of.
• Leaders do not ensure that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning are consistently accurate. Work in books and the learning in some lessons indicate that not all teachers have a secure knowledge of the national expectations, in English and mathematics, for the children that they teach. Hence, teachers do not always know how to help the most able pupils work at a greater depth.
• Middle leaders show a sound understanding of the demands of their specific subject areas. However, they do not yet consistently use assessment information effectively to help teaching staff target and improve pupils’ progress, especially in English and mathematics.
• There has been a lack of rigour in the way that senior and middle leaders have sometimes held teachers to account.
• Leaders at all levels are not yet using monitoring information effectively to address inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning. Leaders have not always recognised the evident strengths of some teaching staff and used these to help model their effective practice for others, alongside using quality external professional development.
• Leaders recognise the areas that the school needs to develop to improve further. Their self-evaluations are accurate, and they have introduced a number of initiatives to help accelerate the progress that pupils make. These include a focus on pupils learning more actively in lessons. They acknowledge that these initiatives are quite recent but show drive and determination to achieve their aims.
• The school uses the pupil premium funding effectively. A range of academic and social activities have been introduced to meet the specific needs of eligible pupils. This means that disadvantaged pupils are achieving in line with their peers by the end of Year 6. Leaders recognise that the most able disadvantaged pupils should have greater opportunities to work at a greater depth, similarly to other pupils.
• The local authority supports the school well. The appointed adviser is working closely with the school and provides an effective balance of support and challenge.
• Additional funding to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used well. Leaders have developed a caring and positive ethos to help these pupils succeed, socially and academically.
• The primary physical education and sport premium funding is spent well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting activities and initiatives to improve their physical and emotional well-being. They compete regularly in a variety of sports against other schools, and pupils and staff are committed to running daily around the school grounds.
• The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum for its pupils. Writing in pupils’ books shows that much value is placed on ensuring that pupils experience and understand a wide variety of subjects and activities. The curriculum is complemented by an extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities, which are accessed by all pupils.
• Initiatives introduced by school leaders to build pupils’ independence and sense of responsibility, such as the school parliament, help prepare pupils positively for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders take the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils very seriously. They are positive role models and help ensure that the school’s caring and inclusive ethos is upheld by all involved with the school.

Governance of the school

• Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. They recognise that historically they gave less emphasis to the achievement of pupils and are now addressing this, with much stronger levels of challenge evident recently.
• Governors acknowledge that the amalgamation of the two separate schools proved challenging and are now confident that the primary school is in a strong position to make further improvements.
• The governing body has been streamlined and strengthened by ensuring that members have a sound range of relevant skills to enable them to help support the school to improve.
• Governors have a good understanding of school finances and ensure that all additional funding is being spent effectively.
• Governors understand their statutory responsibilities and make sure that safeguarding procedures are adhered to. This helps ensure that pupils’ safety and well-being are given paramount importance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The single central record is compliant and staff recruitment checks are thorough.
• The school’s designated safeguarding leads are experienced and knowledgeable. They ensure that all staff receive frequent training and advice on how to keep vigilant to any forms of distress from pupils, and how to act appropriately if necessary.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They know what to do, and who to speak to, if they have any concerns. This view is supported by the parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is not consistently effective across all subjects and year groups. Teachers do not always have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve, particularly in some English and mathematics lessons. This has contributed to low outcomes over time.
• In some lessons, tasks are not matched well enough to the varying abilities of the pupils. This means that pupils do not make as much progress as they potentially could because they have to wait for others to catch up or repeat work that they can already do.
• Teachers do not always provide the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, with an appropriate level of challenge in lessons. This means that pupils are not always given opportunities to work at a greater depth in their learning, or to reach the standards of which they are capable. This is especially evident when pupils repeat an activity that they can already do or are not given a clear direction as to how they can improve their work further.
• Targets are provided so that pupils know what they need to do to improve. However, these are not consistently used and some pupils are unsure of what they should do next.
• Assessment information is not always used accurately to enable teachers to identify the next steps that pupils need to take to make the best possible progress. Specific analysis of the progress that different groups of pupils make also lacks rigour and a systematic approach.
• Some teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, especially in mathematics. They use questioning effectively to probe pupils’ thinking and to extend their understanding, particularly by developing pupils’ reasoning skills. This is not yet consistent across the school and in all subjects.
• Where teaching is effective, pupils engage well in their learning and work with enthusiasm. For example, in some science lessons pupils show particularly high levels of interest and make strong progress.
• Teaching assistants generally contribute effectively to pupils’ learning. They have positive relationships with pupils and encourage them to try and work things out for themselves.
• The support provided for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is generally effective. Interventions for pupils are well planned by staff in conjunction with the special educational needs coordinator. They show empathy and understanding for the complex needs of the pupils and can identify individual successes.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils are currently making appropriate progress from their starting points.
• Writing opportunities are often provided for pupils to extend their skills across the wider curriculum. Pupils take pride in the presentation of their writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff praise pupils for their work, their behaviour and the positive ways in which they work together. Pupils show a good awareness of how to be successful learners. Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are positive and they are keen to learn. Pupils take pride and care with their work.
• Pupils develop positive social skills from an early age because all staff work well to support children from their earliest days at school. Children are consistently encouraged to be patient, to share and to be tolerant and respectful of others.
• The school’s mission statement, ‘To love one another as I have loved you’, is known well by everyone in the school, and provides a positive framework for all school activities. Pupils speak of the statement with confidence and show a good knowledge of how the school’s ethos helps them through the day, at school and at home. The inclusive ethos is demonstrated in the school hall, where an impressive photographic display shows the countries around the world from where pupils originate.
• Pupils say that they feel very safe at school, and show good understanding of how to stay safe, including on the internet.
• Pupils are encouraged to take on additional responsibilities, such as being members of the school parliament. The parliament is highly valued by pupils, with the fundamental British values of democracy and mutual respect being particularly well embedded in their activities. A wide variety of extra-curricular activities, sporting, academic and cultural, are enjoyed by pupils and are helping to develop individuals’ well-being and self-esteem.
• Pupils understand that there are different forms of bullying, including racism. They say that any incidents of bullying are rare in school and that they trust staff to deal with any issues effectively.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils speak confidently about their school. They contribute very well to the positive ethos evident around their school and wear their uniforms with pride.
• In lessons, pupils generally work well and listen carefully to others, showing respect for their peers and adults. They are polite, confident and enthusiastic.
• At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils play and chat together harmoniously. They have a variety of play equipment to access, and play leaders work effectively to ensure that breaktimes are happy occasions for all.
• A small amount of low-level inattention or weaker behaviour was seen from a minority of pupils. This was not typical and was mainly because some pupils became a little unsettled when work was not well matched to their needs.
• Attendance levels have improved in recent years and are similar to other schools nationally. Rates of persistent absence have diminished and are lower than national averages. These improvements are due to the caring and tenacious approach taken by school leaders to ensure that pupils and their families value the education provided. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is lower than that of other pupils in the school, although it is improving. Leaders are continuing to work with parents to address this disparity. Initiatives include using pupil premium funding to offer supported places at breakfast and after-school clubs and activities.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes for pupils require improvement because some groups of pupils, particularly the most able, do not always make enough progress, historically and currently.
• By the end of key stage 2 in 2016 and 2017, the progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was well below that of other schools nationally.
• A lower number of key stage 2 pupils than that seen nationally attained greater depth in 2017, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• The achievement of key stage 2 pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below that of similar pupils nationally. However, this applies to very small numbers of pupils who have complex needs, so trends are less meaningful.
• In 2017, expected attainment at the end of key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics, and in the Year 1 phonics screening check, was below that seen nationally. However, the improvements made in 2016 were mostly sustained.
• Some discrepancies are evident with regard to the progress made across different year groups currently in the school. Senior leaders are aware of this disparity and are working with teaching staff to improve the accuracy of assessment information.
• The most able pupils in the school currently, including those who are disadvantaged, do not make consistently strong progress from their starting points. This is particularly apparent in writing.
• The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 2, in reading, writing and mathematics, showed considerable improvements in 2017. This was particularly so for disadvantaged pupils who generally reach expected levels in line with, or higher than, their peers. This indicates that the school’s focused support for these pupils through the use of the pupil premium funding is being effective.
• The attainment and progress of pupils, in key stages 1 and 2, who speak English as an additional language have been above those of other pupils in the school in recent years. This is apparent in all subjects, including reading, writing, mathematics and science.
• The progress of pupils currently in the school shows noticeable improvements in comparison to historical achievement data.
• Achievement in reading is improving across the school. Pupils respond with enthusiasm to reading texts and show empathy and understanding to book characters.
• Current pupils’ books show that achievement in writing is improving. It is apparent that pupils are provided with opportunities to develop and extend their writing across the curriculum.
• Current achievement in mathematics is showing improvements. New initiatives have been introduced to extend pupils’ learning, particularly their mathematical reasoning, which are proving to be successful.
• In 2017, the attainment of key stage 1 pupils who achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was above that of other pupils nationally.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children enter the early years provision with skills and knowledge that are typically below those for their age. Children settle quickly and make good progress against their starting points due to the stimulating and challenging environment. As a result, children are well prepared for moving on to Year 1.
• The leadership of the early years is good. Leaders are aspirational for the development of the children, and plan an effective balance of adult- and child-led activities to support learning.
• All adults in the early years team work closely together. They have established clear and effective routines which children understand well and which help to build their independence. All adults in the early years are involved in contributing to regular and insightful assessments on each child, which are used to extend children’s learning.
• The children are happy and kept safe, due to thorough and effective policies and procedures.
• Children clearly enjoy their learning and show good levels of engagement in all activities across the curriculum. In a phonics session, for instance, the children showed much excitement when a new letter to learn was brought out of the class box.
• The early years learning areas are spacious and well resourced. Children can access a wide variety of activities, indoors and outside. Many of the activities are planned to extend the children’s English and mathematical skills, and to build on children’s own experiences.
• Parents are kept well informed about how well their children are doing throughout the Reception Year. Strong relationships are developed before children start at the school and parents contribute regularly to the children’s learning journals.
• The children are very well behaved and are developing impressive collaborative skills when learning and playing with each other.
• Children in the early years spend time with older children in Year 1 during social activities. This helps prepare the children well for moving on to key stage 1.
• The school has particularly focused the pupil premium funding on developing children’s speaking and listening skills in the early years. This is proving effective in reducing the gaps in good levels of development between disadvantaged children, and those who speak English as an additional language, and other children in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number 122049 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 10036062 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 416 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Deacon Peter Griffin Clive Robinson 01933 224900 www.ourladyscatholic.northants.sch.uk head@ourladysprim.northants-ecl.gov.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The previous infant and junior schools, which were on the current split site, were amalgamated to become a primary school in January 2015. The primary school has not been previously inspected.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is higher than the national average.
• There is a larger than average number of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils supported by additional pupil premium funding is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below average.
• Children and pupils from Reception Year to Year 6 are taught in two parallel classes for each year group.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2016, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school runs a breakfast club for key stage 2 pupils. In addition, an external provider provides care for younger pupils before school, and two external providers run after-school provision for pupils in the two separate school buildings.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team comprised three inspectors.
• During the inspection, lessons were observed in every class. Some joint observations were carried out with members of the senior leadership team.
• Inspectors observed pupils before school, when moving around the school and at playtimes and lunchtimes.
• The inspectors spoke with pupils about how they feel about their school and their learning. They also considered the 52 responses to the online pupil survey.
• Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day, and took into consideration the 18 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View.
• Inspectors listened to pupils reading aloud and discussed reading with pupils.
• The inspection team looked at pupils’ books, in and out of lessons.
• Inspectors held meetings with members of the senior leadership team and middle leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of school documents, including: safeguarding records; behaviour records; attendance information; minutes of governing body meetings; records of governing body visits; local authority reports; the school’s self-evaluation records; the school improvement plan; and pupils’ assessment information.
• Inspectors considered the 29 responses to an online survey for staff.

Inspection team

Yvonne Watts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Becky Ellers Christine Lethbridge Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector