St Gregory's Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning and raise levels of achievement across key stages 1 and 2 by:
  • ensuring that teachers’ feedback supports pupils’ learning
  • routinely sharing the best practice in assessing pupils work, in order to ‘boost’ pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics
  • providing as many opportunities as possible for pupils to write for different purposes and practise and develop their writing skills across all subjects
  • helping pupils to achieve to the very best of their ability and making sure that work is always set at the correct level of challenge for all pupils, including the least and most able pupils.
• Improve the quality of leadership and management by rapidly enhancing the skills of the small minority of governors who are still developing in their roles, in order for them to robustly challenge senior leaders.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors have a clear view of the school’s strengths, and what it needs to do to improve further. They are steering senior leaders well through a period of rapid change.
• Governors know that the quality of teaching has improved. They have a precise understanding of the quality of teaching because they come into school regularly to listen to pupils read, talk to teachers and look at work in pupils’ books. Governors are keen to reward teachers for their good work, but only authorise pay awards if they are satisfied that targets are met.
• Governors know that outcomes are improving, particularly in reading. They are fully aware that pupil premium funding is effectively accelerating the progress of disadvantaged pupils.
• Governors are trained well and take advantage of courses offered through the local authority, diocese and partner school. However, due to the rapidly changing nature of the school and changes to the composition of the governing body, a small minority of governors are yet to refine their skills in order to precisely challenge senior leaders on all aspects of pupils’ achievement. The need for development in this area is well understood by senior leaders and is being tackled.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school leaves nothing to chance when it comes to safeguarding. Child protection policies and procedures are up to date and fully understood by staff, all of whom, including those new to the school, know how to identify signs of neglect or abuse.
• Safeguarding training is comprehensive and record keeping is of a high quality. Staff are familiar with the latest government legislation on keeping pupils safe in school. They know precisely what they should do if they have a concern about a pupil’s safety or welfare. All staff and governors have completed the online ‘Prevent’ training.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are highly positive, they want to learn, enjoy finding out new things and are eager to participate in classroom activities. As a result of such studiousness, pupils’ learning is accelerating.
• Pupils wear the St Gregory’s school uniform with pride. Pupils are encouraged to take care with the presentation of their work and do so routinely. Much work in pupils’ books is carefully laid out, with good-quality illustrations in science and religious education books.
• The school’s Christian values foster a calm and respectful ethos. This helps to promote and develop pupils’ appreciation of other faiths and cultures. It also encourages pupils to be considerate, kind and charitable.
• Pupils share excellent relationships with each other and adults. They regularly participate in activities during breakfast and after-school clubs and enjoy inter-school ‘cluster competitions’.
• Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they feel safe at all times, because their teachers and friends take care of them.
• Pupils are clear that they can raise a concern with any member of staff. They are confident that any worries will be dealt with immediately.
• Pupils know how to surf the internet safely and are fully aware that cyber bullying can take place online. They say that ‘you should never respond to nasty messages’ or ‘message a stranger’. Pupils know to check with parents, or an adult in school, if they are unsure of the safety, or appropriateness, of a social networking site.
• Pupils learn about the harmful effects of drugs and the importance of healthy eating through the personal, social and health aspects of the curriculum.
• Pupils enjoy their lunches and talks with local police and community support officers and learn about dangers and risks through regular visits from fire service officers.
• Pupils learn about the importance of road safety and how to ride their bicycles with due care and attention.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders have devised clear policies and procedures which are fully understood by all pupils. These help pupils make the right choices and manage their own behaviour well. All pupils, and children in the early years, are focused on performing well in class and accumulating as many reward points as they can for their efforts.
• Pupils are courteous and considerate. They like welcoming visitors into the school and talking about their learning. Pupils rarely arrive to school late and their attendance is average. This contributes to the good progress they are currently making.
• Pupils are highly appreciative of the school’s ‘face lift’ and treat school buildings, grounds and property with respect. This ensures the maintenance of an attractive and well-kept learning environment.
• Pupils move around the school with a minimum of fuss and behave sensibly and safely during playtimes. Pupils’ behaviour is good during lunchtimes, which are calm and well organised.
• Pupils say that behaviour is usually good. They know exactly what bullying is and say that it very rarely, if ever, happens in school. Pupils are well versed in the consequences of any such inappropriate behaviour, which they say would be dealt with severely.
• Pupils have a good understanding of most forms of prejudice-based bullying such as racism, which they agree is ‘when someone with a different colour skin is picked on’. They say that such treatment is unfair and insist that discrimination does not happen in school. Their knowledge and understanding of other forms of prejudice, such as homophobic bullying, is less well developed.
• Pupils’ behaviour during collective worship is impeccable. Characteristically, pupils enter the hall in silence, listen intently and are alert to any questions asked. This was demonstrated in a key stage 2 assembly, where pupils showed their good knowledge of the scriptures and the meaning of the story of the Good Samaritan. Throughout the assembly they were encouraged to reflect on the story and carry its message within them throughout the day.
• The overwhelming majority of teachers, all parents who spoke with inspectors, as well as those who completed the school’s own survey of parents’ views, are of the view that behaviour is good. The school’s own records of pupils’ behaviour indicate that pupils rarely break school rules and show that behaviour is typically good over time.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

Early years provision Good

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 112339 Cumbria 10019808 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 Number of pupils on the school roll Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed 252 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair

Kevin Greenhow

Executive Headteacher Jacqueline Hampson Telephone number 01900 606050 Website Email address www.stgregorys.cumbria.sch.uk admin@stgregorys.cumbria.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 October 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The senior leadership team has been reorganised and includes an executive head teacher, who has been in post since February 2016, a newly appointed deputy headteacher and an inclusion manager, an existing staff member newly appointed to this post. The executive headteacher is also the headteacher of a local school, Our Lady and St Patrick’s.
• Since the previous inspection the governing body has been reorganised to include a new chair of the governing body, foundation governor and parent governor.
• Major refurbishments to classrooms, the library and reception area have taken place this year.
• A large proportion of staff are new to the school, including several teachers. Two are newly qualitied teachers.
• The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school, with a well above average proportion of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average, as is the proportion with education, health and care plans or statements of special educational needs.
• Children in the early years are taught on a full-time basis in the Reception class and a part-time basis in the Nursery class. A large proportion of children attend additional nursery provision in the afternoon. This is provided by Educare, which is based on the school site. This provision is subject to a separate inspection.
• The school runs a breakfast club, which was evaluated as part of this inspection.
• The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A very small minority speak English as an additional language.
• The school does not meet the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Emma Gregory Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector