St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to ensure that pupils make strong progress in all year groups and subjects by:
  • ensuring that key technical skills for writing are embedded more quickly in Reception and key stage 1, so that the most able writers can be supported to reach higher standards
  • developing the curriculum in the Reception class so that it provides more opportunities for children to improve their computing skills and to engage more fully in written activities that interest them
  • sharing the best practice that exists within school, and in other schools in the locality and further afield, so that staff can develop and improve their teaching to help pupils to make very rapid progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher and the head of school provide strong leadership. Since the previous inspection, standards in all areas have improved. The quality of teaching and learning has improved rapidly so that pupils are now making good progress in all areas.
• Teaching and learning have improved because of increased expectations from senior leaders and governors, combined with an accurate system of evaluating the quality of teaching. Teachers receive regular feedback on their teaching from a range of leaders who also ensure that an effective staff development programme is in place. The school has made good use of advice provided by the local authority to support its improvement plans.
• Leaders set challenging performance management targets for teachers, based on the needs of the school, staff and pupils. These targets are monitored closely and, where teaching is not as good as it should be, leaders are not afraid to intervene to ensure that the necessary improvements take place.
• The quality of middle leadership is good. Subject leaders spend time monitoring their subjects and develop action plans for improvement. English and mathematics leaders monitor the progress of every pupil each term using a range of assessments to judge how good progress has been. The assessment leader provides good-quality reports to middle leaders and has enabled class teachers to provide effective support and improve the progress that pupils make.
• The pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils is used well. All pupils have an individual learning programme, irrespective of their ability, and this maps out the challenges and support needed to ensure that progress is good. Support is provided through additional small-group work, and for other aspects of school life such as financial assistance for educational visits.
• Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum that has been well planned to ensure that there is appropriate breadth and balance across all subjects. Not only do pupils do well in reading, writing and mathematics, they also make good progress in other subjects. The standards achieved in modern foreign languages, physical education and music are high. Pupils learn French from Year 1 to Year 6 and have the opportunity to go on a residential visit to France in Year 6. The school has achieved an award for its French teaching.
• The sport premium is used well. A high priority is given to physical education and some notable results have been achieved. Despite being a relatively small school, St Joseph’s pupils have been county finalists in netball and athletics. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in competitive sports, and a wide range of clubs and class visits enhance the curriculum. The school has twice achieved a higher-level sports award.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are respectful of one another and have a good understanding of different cultures and faiths. Residential trips in Years 4, 5 and 6 help to develop confidence and independence. In discussions, pupils showed considerable concern for the quality of life in their local community and the wider world. The teaching of philosophy across the school supports the development of pupils’ ability to think clearly and to challenge different viewpoints so that pupils are confident to think for themselves.
• Support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. The leader for this area ensures that additional funding for these pupils is targeted to support their different needs. Learning plans include careful monitoring of the progress that pupils make and the impact that support programmes are having.
• Key values, including fundamental British values, are taught well. Pupils have a good understanding of the democratic process and a respect for law and order. They value the contribution that different communities make to British life and understand about the different lives that people live in the city and the countryside.
• The curriculum in the early years needs further development so that it provides greater support for children to learn about computing. In addition, pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are not being provided with enough opportunities to extend their writing so that they can reach the higher levels more quickly.

Governance of the school

• Arrangements for governance are strong and effective. Governors are ambitious for the school to improve continually. They work closely with leaders to ensure that high expectations are supported by a clear strategy for how the school will develop. Governors know the school well. They visit the school regularly and have set up good systems to monitor progress in the different school improvement plans.
• Governors are keen to develop their skills through training and there is a clear desire to evaluate their own practice effectively. A recent self-review challenged governors to spend more time in school than they do in meetings. An effective response has led to a more detailed plan for governors’ visits, with several taking place each half term. These visits have a clearly defined purpose.
• Governors play an important role in ensuring that safeguarding is effective. They visit the school regularly to audit arrangements and check that appropriate support is in place to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has robust systems in place to safeguard pupils. Pupils’ safety is at the heart of school life. Leaders have created a culture where safeguarding is seen as everyone’s responsibility, and this ensures that all staff know what to do if they have concerns about any pupil.
• Pre-employment checks on new staff are thorough, and training records are kept up to date. Staff are given regular training in child protection matters and have undertaken ‘Prevent’ duty training.
• Absences are followed up quickly. The school supports vulnerable pupils well through close working relationships with a wide range of external support agencies.
• Parents are extremely positive about how safe and happy their children feel at school. All the pupils who spoke with the inspector agreed that they feel safe at school. A particular strength of the school is the concern that older pupils show for the younger ones. One older pupil said: ‘All the older ones look after the little ones. If we see a problem on the playground, we will go and sort it out.’

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders’ high expectations are leading to improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that it is now consistently good in all areas. As a result, pupils are making good progress in all key stages and in all subjects.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this to plan lessons effectively. Questioning is used skilfully to check pupils’ understanding and to give them an opportunity to explain their answers. Teachers are good at using questions to make pupils think deeply about their learning. In one class, where pupils were learning how to multiply fractions, the teacher encouraged pupils to come to the front and asked suitable questions to prompt them to explain their strategies clearly. This helped them to clarify their thoughts and allowed other pupils to ask questions.
• Teaching assistants provide valuable support in all classes. They interact well with pupils, developing learning and supporting the progress of different groups within the class. They are skilled at ensuring that pupils are not overly reliant on the extra support being provided.
• The quality of presentation in pupils’ books is high. Pupils consistently take pride in their work and keep their books immaculate. The quality of handwriting is good, as is pupils’ ability to draw diagrams neatly.
• The teaching of reading is strong. Teachers and teaching assistants receive regular training in the use of phonics as part of a carefully planned staff development programme. Younger children develop a secure knowledge of the sounds that letters make in words. They read with increasing fluency as they progress through the Reception Year and key stage 1.
• Teachers ensure that the teaching of mathematics is planned well so that pupils develop a secure knowledge of skills such as multiplication and division. They also make sure that pupils get regular opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Good support is given to those pupils who fall behind and need to catch up. Teachers plan activities specifically to support these pupils, and additional support is provided both within class and as an extra intervention.
• Relationships between teachers and parents are good. Many parents commented on how approachable teachers are and how well they respond to any concerns raised. Parents said that they found the regular opportunities to meet with their child’s class teacher to be beneficial.
• Staff development programmes do not provide teachers and support staff with enough opportunities to explore outstanding teaching and learning in other settings or within the school to develop their practice further.
• Teaching in the younger classes does not support the most able pupils well enough to ensure that they make good progress in developing their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills. As a result, too much time has to be spent on learning and practising these skills in key stage 2. This limits the time available for pupils to develop their higher-order writing skills and the opportunities for them to make the rapid progress that they are capable of.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Leaders have created an environment where pupils can flourish. The atmosphere throughout the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils’ excellent attitudes in lessons mean that they try hard at all times and persevere when given work that is challenging.
• Older pupils take great responsibility for the smooth running of their school. They care about others and go out of their way to ensure that anyone feeling left out at break time is given good support. The respect shown for adults in school is excellent. Pupils have good manners, speak politely and respond enthusiastically to instructions.
• Pupils are passionate about making their local community, and the world, a better place. Pupils take an active interest in choosing charities to support. House captains take personal responsibility for planning and organising activities to raise money for charity. For example, one house captain organised a treasure hunt around school, while another organised an art competition.
• Pupils say that they feel very safe in school. They appreciate the kindness that teachers show to them. All 48 parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire stated that their children were happy at school, and this view was borne out by observation during the inspection.
• The strong emphasis on helping pupils to stay safe online has worked well. Discussions with pupils of different ages show that they have a good understanding of how to use the internet safely and what to do if they have any concerns. They receive regular training through lessons in the school curriculum, school assemblies and through presentations from visitors to the school. Pupils are concerned to ensure that no cyber bullying takes place. They know to act quickly if they experience it or hear about a friend who has been bullied online.
• Pupils are aware of other types of bullying. They recognise that bullying can take a range of forms and can often be quite subtle. Pupils have very high standards of how they expect others to behave in school and say that no bullying of any sort is acceptable.
• Pupils show immense pride in their school. They feel that they belong to somewhere special. This is shown in the way that classrooms are kept tidy, the school grounds are well cared for, and movement around school is calm and orderly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are polite, kind and considerate. Pupils strongly disapprove of any misbehaviour that they see in other pupils. Behaviour in lessons is excellent, and this is maintained as pupils move around school, sit in the dining room and play at break times.
• Leaders keep careful records of behavioural incidents, but these are few and far between. When there is an incident of poor behaviour, leaders respond quickly and effectively. The head of school is always ready to get involved in sorting out problems, when necessary. Parents on the playground commented that the school usually sorts out any concerns on the same day that they are raised.
• Leaders have made significant improvements to the level of pupils’ attendance this year so that it is now higher than average. Persistent absence has also been reduced considerably this year. Office staff report any absence issues to the leadership team quickly, which responds swiftly if there is a concern. Formal meetings to discuss concerns about a pupil’s attendance are held promptly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes since the last inspection have improved. Children start school in the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding which are broadly typical in all areas of learning. The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above the national average in 2016. A large majority of children made good or better progress during their time in early years.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the level of the phonics screening check in Year 1 has improved recently and was above the national average in 2016. This is a result of the effective teaching of phonics in the younger classes. A systematic approach has been adopted which, combined with good teaching, means that almost all pupils reach the expected level.
• Pupils continue to make good progress during key stage 1 so that, by the end of Year 2, national assessment results for reading, writing and mathematics are broadly in line with the national average.
• Progress throughout key stage 2 has improved steadily since the last inspection so that it is now in line with the national average. In 2016, the proportion of pupils that reached the higher level in Year 6 was average in reading and mathematics. No pupils reached the higher level in writing. This is because pupils have been entering key stage 2 without the command of grammar, punctuation and spelling skills necessary to enable them to move onto more complex writing quickly.
• Disadvantaged pupils do well in all areas and make the progress necessary to diminish the differences between their attainment and that of other pupils nationally. The additional funding provided to support the progress of these pupils is being used effectively, so that they are often achieving above the national average.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their differing starting points. Good systems are in place and the plans for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are detailed, and include challenging targets for progress.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, do well in reading and mathematics but not as well in writing. Reading is taught well to this group of pupils, with many being stretched to develop a deep understanding of a range of texts when taking into account their age. Pupils choose books that are challenging to read and they enjoy talking about them. Most-able mathematicians are also given good support to reach the higher levels through carefully planned activities that are designed to provide high levels of challenge.
• Work in pupils’ books, discussions with pupils and analysis of current school assessments show that the standards achieved in last year’s national tests are likely to be maintained or improved upon.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress from their starting points in all areas of their learning. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has increased so that it is now above the national average. This means that children are prepared well for the next stage of their education in Year 1.
• Staff in the Reception class ensure that there is a balanced approach to organising the curriculum. Children are given a variety of child-initiated and adult-led activities. These are supported by more formal lessons, which are helping the children to get ready for Year 1. Good planning often allows children to extend their learning. For example, one group of boys was seen designing a zoo. They worked well collaboratively, selecting animals, pairing them and putting them in enclosures. They talked confidently about the reasons they had for putting animals in different areas of the zoo.
• Leaders make effective use of the extra funding for disadvantaged children and children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The money is targeted at an individual level to ensure that any barriers to learning are addressed. Individual plans for both groups of children are effective in helping good learning to take place throughout the year.
• The early years leader has ensured that the good practice already established is maintained and developed. The school’s senior leaders have ensured that the early years leader is well supported through in-school advice and developing partnerships with other schools. The early years leader has ensured that relationships with parents are good and that assessment records are accurate.
• The teaching of phonics in the Reception class is effective. Children make good progress, and almost all leave the Reception class with the phonics skills needed to be successful in Year 1.
• The children benefit from an interesting classroom environment which is well resourced. Children are happy and well behaved, and show good levels of personal development. They play safely and take turns. On occasion, when activities are not carefully planned enough, particularly in writing, they lose attention and their progress slows. Children are not given enough opportunity to develop their computing skills.
• Arrangements for safeguarding are thorough, and parents appreciate that their children are safe. Risk assessments and staff training are kept up to date.

School details

Unique reference number 124763 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 10031372 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 138 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matt Spiller Executive Headteacher Maria Kemble Telephone number 01787 373365 Website www.st-josephs.suffolk.sch.uk Email address admin@st-josephs.suffolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 May 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in Year 6.
• The school is a member of the partnership of St Edmund’s and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary Schools, which has one executive headteacher and one governing body.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed pupils’ learning in 11 lessons or parts of lessons. All of these observations were undertaken with the executive headteacher and head of school.
• The inspector looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. He met with a group of pupils and spoke to pupils in each classroom. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at lunch and at break times, as well as in lessons.
• The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including assessments and records of pupils’ progress, the school’s checks and records relating to safeguarding, child protection and attendance, records of monitoring of teaching and the school improvement plans.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, head of school, subject leaders, governors and a representative of the local authority.
• The inspector took account of 42 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and considered the free-text responses from parents. The inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day. He considered the responses from the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector