St William's Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in the early years and key stage 1, by making sure that:
  • teachers’ assessments of what pupils already know and can do are used well to match work precisely to pupils’ varying needs and abilities
  • expectations of what pupils can achieve are consistently high, particularly of the most able
  • precise plans and challenging targets are established to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language
  • pupils’ skills in the spoken English language are further developed so that they can achieve well, particularly in writing
  • pupils are given good opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills to solve problems
  • the quality of support from teaching assistants is consistently good
  • children in the early years engage in purposeful learning activities during the times when they choose what they play and learn for themselves.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by making sure that:
  • the skills of middle leaders are further developed in order to increase their impact on improving the quality of teaching and learning
  • the curriculum is broad and balanced and provides interesting and motivating themes which capture pupils’ interest and imagination
  • governors further develop their understanding of how teaching, provision and use of funding impact on pupils’ outcomes and progress.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • improving pupils’ attendance so that it is at least in line with national averages and the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school reduces
  • making sure that work in lessons is consistently challenging, interesting and motivates pupils so that they maintain concentration, are attentive and behave well. An external review of the use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Over time, leaders have not secured effective teaching. Pupils have not made good progress as a result.
• The curriculum is not broad and balanced. Themes and activities presented do not extend interest or challenge pupils. Leaders know this. The curriculum is being revised to provide more interesting and motivating themes for pupils which are designed to capture their interest and imagination.
• Over the past year, there have been considerable changes to the school’s leadership and staffing. Following the appointment of the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the pace of improvement has increased considerably. Senior leaders now have a good understanding of what needs to improve and have moved swiftly to ensure that the quality of provision improves.
• The headteacher has put in place a strong system for gathering information about the progress of all pupils. This information is accurate and correctly identifies what pupils can do from their starting points. However, it is not used effectively by staff to plan work to meet pupils’ varying needs.
• The headteacher has won the confidence of staff, pupils and most parents. He has wasted no time in creating a culture where effective teaching and good behaviour are the expectation. He has established a well-targeted programme for improvement which is being carried out systematically.
• Some middle leaders are relatively new to their roles and are in the early stages of developing their skills. They have yet to introduce effective strategies to improve teaching in their areas of responsibility. So far, they have been given insufficient time to work alongside colleagues to improve their practice or to check the school’s work.
• A new system is now in place to regularly and accurately check the quality of teaching in the school and its impact on pupils’ achievement. This is now helping leaders to pinpoint and address remaining weaknesses in teaching more effectively.
• Recent changes to improve the quality of teaching in writing and mathematics are making a difference. Progress is increasing and greater numbers of pupils are now reaching the expected standard by the end of key stage 2. This strengthening picture, together with a rising trend in pupils’ achievements in phonics, indicate that the school has the capacity for further improvement.
• Leaders are now making better use of additional funding to support pupils. Funding for those who have special educational needs, for example, is now used to target teaching and interventions more precisely. Similarly, the pupil premium is used to provide support for disadvantaged pupils and is meeting their particular needs increasingly well. However, the achievement of these pupils is not yet consistently good. This is because the quality of teaching remains variable.
• Leaders ensure that the primary school physical education (PE) and sport funding is used well. Pupils have opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities such as gymnastics, dance and cricket. Staff work with other schools in the Catholic partnership to increase their skills in order to sustain developments.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils learn how to be responsible citizens through their personal, social and health education and through reflective collective worship. Different cultures and faiths are celebrated and pupils say that it helps them understand the similarities between different faiths and cultures rather than the differences between people. Several pupils commented on how much they enjoyed the Slovakian day, when they experienced the food and culture.
• Leaders have worked hard to maintain the confidence of parents during the period of change. Most parents are supportive of the school and appreciate that the new leadership team is trying to bring about improvement.
• Support from the local authority adviser has helped leaders increase their effectiveness. He has an accurate view of the school’s work and is helping the new leadership plan the next steps for improvement. Information from this work is helping governors to have a more accurate picture of the progress of all groups of pupils in the school.

Governance of the school

• Over time, governors have not checked the school’s performance with enough rigour to hold the school effectively to account. They have not been clear enough that the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have not been consistently good.
• This is now changing. Governors regularly visit school to look at pupils’ books along with staff, talk to pupils, and check the school’s finances and arrangements for safeguarding. They receive accurate information about how the performance of staff is managed and ensure that any rewards given reflect effective teaching practice.
• Although governors’ knowledge of the school’s work has improved, their understanding of the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement is still developing. They do not yet asking searching and challenging questions about why teaching and pupils’ achievement are not better.
• Governors do not check carefully enough that the impact of support provided from pupil premium funding is improving outcomes for these pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There are clear and robust systems and procedures in place which are understood by all staff. Leaders keep detailed records to inform effective and timely work with outside agencies. Staff and governors receive relevant training and updates including on radicalisation, extremism, sexual exploitation and forced marriage.
• The culture of safeguarding is evident in the school, in that pupils feel safe, and parents are confident that their children are safe and the school cares for them well. One parent said, `This is a great school. The staff value all the children.’
• Pupils confidently explain ways in which the school helps them learn to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils told inspectors that they learn about internet safety, including how to block people on the internet.
• Case studies and records show that vulnerable children and their families are well supported. Governors and school leaders recognise the need to support the welfare of all pupils. Leaders are quick to follow up on any concerns and put in place appropriate interventions. The safeguarding team builds effective relationships with families and outside agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Over time, teaching, learning and assessment have not been good enough to enable pupils to achieve well, especially in the early years and key stage 1. Current teaching is variable in quality. In upper key stage 2, teaching is consistently good. However, in other year groups, including in the early years, it requires improvement.
• Teachers do not use their assessments of what pupils already know and can do to plan and tailor work that meets pupils’ varying abilities. Sometimes, work lacks challenge, while at other times, it is too difficult. When this happens, some pupils lose interest in their work.
• Expectations of what pupils can achieve are sometimes too low. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils. These pupils do not do as well as they should. Too few achieve the higher standards as a result.
• Teachers’ plans to support pupils who have additional needs, such as those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language, lack precision. Targets for their learning are sometimes too vague and lack challenge.
• Pupils’ speaking skills, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, are not always developed well enough. Teachers miss opportunities to encourage pupils to speak in full sentences or to listen to and build on each other’s answers. Inaccuracies in pupils’ spoken language prevent pupils from achieving well in writing.
• Teaching in mathematics is improving, particularly in key stage 2 and, as a result, standards are rising. This is because teachers demonstrate a secure knowledge of the subject. Older pupils are provided with good opportunities to use and apply their skills to solve problems. However, in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2, pupils’ progress in mathematics continues to be held back because the work provided lacks challenge. Opportunities to extend pupils’ thinking and understanding of mathematical concepts are overlooked.
• Following a review of the way reading is taught, most teachers now develop pupils’ comprehension skills effectively through well-focused teaching in small groups. This approach, together with a stronger emphasis on developing phonic skills, are helping to accelerate pupils’ progress in reading.
• The quality of support from teaching assistants is variable. A few have well-developed questioning skills and a good understanding of how pupils learn and develop. However, for some, their subject knowledge requires improvement.
• Teaching in upper key stage 2 is consistently good. Pupils are able to explain and build on their ideas because teachers’ good questioning allows them to explore concepts and build on each other’s ideas. As a result, pupils’ work is of a high standard in mathematics and writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attitudes about their school are largely positive. They say that they enjoy coming to school. They enjoy the variety of trips and activities that the school organises for them, particularly a trip to the wildlife park and the themed cultural days.
• Typically, pupils’ conduct is good. They move around the school site safely and respectfully. At lunchtime and breaks, pupils play together and help each other. The school provides good sports equipment and pupils organise games. They are curious and interested in talking to visitors, asking questions and listening attentively. Pupils were particularly proud of the work of the school council, which has improved the school dinner options with the introduction of a salad bar.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. They know that their teachers and other adults will listen to any problems or concerns that they might have. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and know what to do if they encounter a problem.
• Pupils have a clear understanding of what constitutes bullying and the forms it can take, such as racist name-calling. They say that it is important to help new children in the school, especially those who do not speak English. One pupil said: `It’s good to be different.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Some pupils are inattentive when the learning is not matched well enough to their ability. They sometimes lose concentration and do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• The school’s behaviour records show a few incidents of poor behaviour. The very few pupils who show poor behaviour are benefiting from carefully planned support. This is helping to promote acceptable behaviour and reduce the need for exclusion.
• Pupils’ behaviour has rapidly improved since the new headteacher took up his post. Incidents of poor behaviour are reducing quickly.
• Attendance is below average. Leaders have strengthened their approach and systems to ensure that pupils attend school more regularly. For example, newsletters to parents promoting good attendance and punctuality are written in dual languages so that all parents understand why their child needs to attend school. However, attendance is not improving quickly enough, particular for pupils who are disadvantaged or who speak English as an additional language.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Across the classes and key stages, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is too variable and not consistently good. Outcomes, therefore, require improvement.
• As pupils start in Year 1, for many, their skills are lower than is typical for their age. However, from their starting points, progress is steady rather than good. By the end of Year 2, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard or a greater depth in learning is much lower than average. In Year 2 in 2016, standards were particularly low in mathematics.
• In Year 6 in 2016, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to the average. From their starting points, this represented good progress in reading and writing. Their progress in mathematics was slower.
• Stronger teaching in mathematics in key stage 2 is now helping to speed up pupils’ progress, and standards are rising quickly. Older pupils are now more proficient in their arithmetic skills. However, in key stage 1, pupils’ mathematical thinking is hindered by a lack of challenging tasks. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to use and apply their number skills, such as to solve problems.
• In 2016, less than half of the pupils in Year 1 achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check. This is very low compared to the national average. By the end of Year 2 in 2016, about one in five pupils had not reached the expected standard. Current pupils are making better progress in learning to read. A greater proportion of current Year 1 pupils are working at the expected standard. This is helping them to become more fluent in reading. Current achievement in reading across the school is improving.
• Achievement in writing is also improving, particularly for boys. Teachers are helping boys to understand the connection between good reading and writing. Boys demonstrated to inspectors how they used the structure of a science fiction book to write their own stories.
• Pupils of eastern European heritage do not achieve well. Their attainment is well below that of other pupils in the school. Expectations of what they can achieve are sometimes too low. Their spoken English language is underdeveloped and they do not have a good enough grasp of basic skills, such as sentence construction and vocabulary, to become good writers. This limits their ability to write effectively.
• The achievement of disadvantaged pupils is improving. They achieve as well as, and sometimes better than, others in school from similar starting points. The pupil premium funding provides extra help to improve their self-confidence as learners. While this is paying dividends, progress is still hampered by the inconsistencies that remain in the quality of teaching across the school.
• The most able do not achieve well. Progress is held back because teachers do not expect enough of these pupils. Lessons are not planned well enough to challenge and extend their learning.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leaders have not ensured that provision in early years is consistently good.
• Children’s skills, knowledge and understanding on entry to Reception are often much lower than those found typically for their age. An increasing proportion of children start school speaking English as an additional language. Although in 2016, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development increased, less than half reached this level. This is much lower than average. Too many children leave early years ill prepared for learning in Year 1.
• Teaching requires improvement. Children are not assessed carefully enough from their starting points. While staff assess what children know and can do, they do not have a clear understanding of children’s progress. Activities do not always enable children to effectively build on their skills. Tasks, both indoors and outside, sometimes do not have clear learning purpose and lack challenge. Expectations of what children can achieve are too low to enable them to make good progress. Most-able children, in particular, do not achieve well.
• Adult-led activities, such as in phonics, writing and number, engage children well in learning and so children make better progress. Working with their teacher, children were able to write the opening to a fairy story using their knowledge of letters and sounds. Children count with confidence and some can find a half of a given number using equipment to help them.
• Staff also plan and provide good opportunities for children to read, write and count during times when children can choose what they play and learn for themselves, such as those using the stimulus of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’. However, during these times, children are not effectively directed towards these purposeful activities. They move frequently from activity to activity and, as a result, learning slows.
• Children’s behaviour is good. They learn to play and work together happily. For example, children enjoyed writing a list of items to pack for a holiday, playing with construction kits and decorating pictures with coloured paper.
• Leaders ensure that safeguarding in the early years is effective. Children are happy, confident, safe and well cared for.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107330 Bradford 10031025 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 controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 173 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Pat Stockdale Paul Urry 01274 545743 www.stwilliamsbradford.org.uk office@stwilliams.bradford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 June 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school and the number on roll is falling. The school closed the Nursery provision in September 2016 due to low numbers.
• An interim headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2016.
• About one quarter of pupils are of Pakistani heritage. An increasing proportion of pupils are from other White ethnic backgrounds, from eastern European countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovakia. An above-average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is well above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is higher than that found nationally.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school, some in conjunction with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors made visits to classrooms, the dining hall and the playground.
• Meetings were held with pupils, governors and school leaders. The lead inspector also met with the local authority adviser and the Catholic director of schools from the Leeds Diocese.
• Inspectors took account of the 15 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and written comments as well as informal consultations with parents before the school day. There were no responses to the Ofsted staff or pupil questionnaires.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. They examined information on current pupils’ progress, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding procedures and the plans for use of the PE and sport funding.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, talked to them in classrooms and evaluated samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects in partnership with senior and middle leaders.

Inspection team

Jen Cave, lead inspector Simon Bissett

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector