St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Moorthorpe Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning further by:
  • making sure that teachers challenge the most able pupils consistently, particularly in reading and writing in key stage 1
  • extending writing opportunities for all pupils, especially non-fiction.
• Improve attendance for the small group of pupils who do not attend regularly enough.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are ambitious for the school and work effectively as a team to ensure that the school continues to improve. They have been successful in creating a culture of high expectations where good teaching, learning and assessment can flourish.
• Leaders and managers have an accurate view of the school’s performance because of their rigorous and accurate monitoring procedures. They are quick to identify those areas of the school’s work that need further work and improvement planning focuses on the correct priorities.
• The headteacher is very clear about taking robust action when it is needed, to make sure all pupils get a ‘first-class education’. Improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ outcomes demonstrate this effectively.
• Senior leaders support and challenge staff to improve their practice, rigorously. Staff have challenging targets for their own professional development, linked to the school’s priorities. Staff performance is managed and led effectively.
• All staff are given high-quality training and support to help further develop the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Staff recognise the benefit of this and as one newly qualified teacher stated, ‘I feel very lucky to be completing my NQT year at this school. I have been greatly supported since day one.’
• Middle leaders are effective and are making a big impact on raising standards across the school. They are closely involved in checking the amount of progress pupils make. Middle leaders observe teaching, review pupils’ work and analyse pupils’ outcomes regularly. As a result, leaders have identified writing as an area to develop further. They have taken pupils on exciting and interesting visits to inspire and motivate pupils to write.
• Leaders and managers make sure that pupils’ progress is carefully monitored. Staff meet regularly with leaders to check that all pupils are making the best progress that they can. Where pupils are not doing as well as they should, appropriate additional support and teaching is put in place to help.
• Leaders, including governors, make sure that the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. One-to-one support, help for groups of pupils and booster groups are all used to help pupils make better progress. There is a specific member of staff who is responsible for making sure disadvantaged pupils are cared for and supported in school. Leaders and managers in school are very focused on supporting pupils in all aspects of life, both inside and outside the school day.
• All staff within school promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. It is a strength of the school. The school’s key values are shown in the ‘Statements to Live By’ which are modelled by staff and pupils alike.
• All leaders and managers, including governors, see promoting British values as an essential part of the school’s work. Pupils are involved in democracy debates, looking at different countries and civilisations to understand their law systems, exploring local and general elections and visiting local councillors.
• The school benefits from good support from the Catholic Diocese, the school improvement adviser employed by the Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi-Academy Trust and members of the trust itself. They have assisted leaders through regular monitoring visits, supported the governing body to challenge the school and its actions and provided additional training for staff when appropriate. They have also given leaders at all levels the opportunity to support other schools in the area.
• Physical education and sport funding is used effectively to raise staff expertise in teaching this subject area. Specialist coaches work alongside school staff and the school has provided many additional opportunities to enhance pupils’ sporting skills. These include taking part in a range of sporting competitions with other schools and opportunities to become involved in after-school clubs. Pupils run the school’s Sports Council where they help staff decide on how the funding should be spent.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Each year, staff review the curriculum being offered and adapt it to include current pupils’ interests, for example working with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, general elections and the 2016 Olympics. This contributes to the good progress pupils make. Pupils also benefit from a wide variety of clubs and activities, which, again, respond to pupils’ requests and enhance their learning outside the classroom.
• Parents are very positive about the work of the school. Of those who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and free-text service, the overwhelming majority would recommend the school to another parent. One parent stated, ‘I could not ask for a better school or staff.’

Governance of the school

• Governors have an accurate view of the school because they are regular visitors and work with the headteacher and senior leaders to check pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. They ensure that finances are used appropriately and effectively.
• The minutes of governor meetings show a good level of challenge is given to school leaders. The headteacher and senior leaders provide governors with a good range of high-quality information on different aspects of the school’s work, including targets set for teachers.
• Governors, with help from the Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, have worked hard to make sure that there is a good range of skills and experiences within the overall governing body.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• A clear culture of high-quality practice exists across the school. All staff are regularly trained on all necessary aspects of safeguarding. The school knows its pupils very well and detailed records are kept about all safeguarding issues.
• The role of the safeguarding, attendance, behaviour and pastoral officer is very well developed and is very proactive in making sure pupils understand clearly how to keep safe, whether in school or out in the community.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders, including governors, have been successful in improving the quality of teaching, and this enables pupils to make good progress in their learning.
• The teaching of phonics is carefully developed across the school and particularly in the early years. Leaders and teachers make sure that for pupils who speak English as an additional language, additional support and guidance is in place. For example, the school employs a Polish speaking teaching assistant.
• Pupils enjoy reading and are given many opportunities to experience good-quality texts that extend their skills. This is reflected in the good progress they make in reading throughout the school, and especially in key stage 2.
• Teaching assistants and teachers work closely together to make sure that extra guidance and support is provided for pupils as soon as it is needed. Both teachers and teaching assistants have a good knowledge about the pupils being taught and plan learning that is interesting and helps pupils to make good progress.
• Teachers provide pupils with clear guidance as to how to improve their work. Pupils respond to the comments in books and check their work to make sure it is the best it can be.
• Teachers use questions effectively to check pupils’ understanding in lessons. This also provides pupils with the opportunity to express their opinions and respond to the views of others. Pupils are continuously asked ‘why’ or ‘how’ they have reached an answer and asked to provide evidence to back this up. For example, Year 4 pupils could explain what evidence in the information about the book ‘Stig of the Dump’ helped them predict what would happen next.
• Teachers and other adults have high aspirations for pupils and are very clear as to what is expected from everyone. As a result, pupils make good progress across the curriculum. For example, Year 5 pupils were given clear success criteria for writing diary entries after watching a moving animated film about an elderly man. By the end of the lesson, pupils could produce effective entries for a diary that included high-quality language, sentences and punctuation.
• Teachers share good practice and take opportunities to learn from one another and from other schools. They continuously check pupils’ learning carefully and identify what pupils need to know next. However, teachers do not always challenge the most able pupils enough to make sure they are making the best progress possible, particularly in reading and writing in key stage 1.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Most pupils are self-motivated and have positive attitudes in lessons. They are keen to share and celebrate their achievements. For example, in a Year 3 science lesson, pupils received stickers for working hard and concentrating.
• Pupils have a distinct pride in their school. They show this, for example, through presenting work using their best handwriting, making sure the school environment looks good and using every opportunity to tell visitors how good they feel about St Joseph’s.
• Pupils show respect for each other and other adults. The school community is proud of the different groups that it is made of and celebrate that difference on a regular basis.
• Pupils feel safe in school and very well looked after by all adults. They are confident they can talk to any member of staff for help if there was a concern. Pupils know how to keep safe in a variety of situations, including when online. Pupils know that if there is any small instance of poor behaviour then it would be dealt with quickly by staff.
• Every parent who responded to the free-text service agreed that their child is happy and that pupils are kept safe in school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons and interruptions are very rare, so pupils’ progress is good.
• Pupils behave well at lunchtime and other breaktimes. Lunchtime supervision is supportive and effective.
• Pupils in the breakfast club are well behaved and can take part in a variety of activities and socialise with their friends.
• In lessons, pupils listen to each other and appreciate the views and opinions expressed by their classmates. For example, Year 4 pupils, unprompted, immediately praised a shyer classmate for their work as a ‘Progress Monitor’. Pupils are confident to ‘have a go’ and understand that they learn by making mistakes and correcting them.
• Pupils are very happy to come to school and they appreciate the opportunities that school provides for them. Pupils understand the need to be in school so that they can learn. However, there are a small number of families who are having a negative impact on attendance rates, mainly due to term-time holidays. Leaders, and governors, are very aware of this. They work continuously to make sure everyone understands the importance of attending school through introducing a range of strategies, including meetings with parents, termly newsletters and rewards for good attendance. Despite the work of leaders, attendance is still below average for this small group of pupils.
• Pupils say they enjoy their learning across the curriculum. A Year 6 pupil stated, ‘I can see the difference in St Joseph’s over the last two years.’

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils are making better progress throughout the school in a range of different subjects across the curriculum. This is due to better teaching. Observations of learning across different year groups and looking at pupils’ books confirm that all groups of pupils make good, and sometimes rapid, progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards are rising as a result.
• Results in the Year 1 phonics screening check are improving steadily and are close to national average results. Pupils across the school make good progress in reading, particularly in the early years and in key stage 2.
• In writing, pupils achieve well. Pupils practise and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding regularly, particularly fictional writing. Opportunities to practise skills of non-fiction writing, however, are more limited.
• Across all key stages, pupils make good progress in mathematics. A whole-school approach to ensure that pupils are able to use and apply their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills is paying off.
• Although there are only a small number in each year group, disadvantaged pupils are making similar progress to other pupils in the school. They benefit from well-planned support and extra help from teachers and other adults.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Staff take quick and effective action to make sure that these pupils are given appropriate extra guidance and support and that activities are at the right level.
• The most able pupils achieve well overall. However, sometimes opportunities are missed to ensure that they make the best progress possible, especially in reading and writing and in key stage 1. Work sometimes lacks challenge.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language are making good progress from their starting points. They are well supported because a high level of additional guidance and help is provided, both inside and outside the classroom.
• By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for their move into secondary education. They have very positive attitudes towards learning and have high expectations of achieving well.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years are making good progress from their starting points, including those children who enter with limited or no spoken English.
• The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the time they leave Reception is improving and over the last three years has increased by 20%.
• Teachers, children and parents have highly positive relationships and this helps children to become confident learners quickly and enjoy the opportunities provided for them.
• All adults know the children well and show a high level of care for them. Actions to make sure all children are safe are of a good quality. Teachers regularly support children in their own understanding of how to keep safe, both in and outside the classroom.
• Leaders regularly and carefully check children’s learning and take actions to make sure children are making the progress they should. Adults quickly identify those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and make sure the right support is put in place to help them learn.
• Adults work hard to make sure children’s spoken language and listening skills are developed appropriately as soon as children enter the early years by providing good-quality models of spoken language. Continuous opportunities are taken to support children’s language development. For example, in phonics sessions, adults focus on careful pronunciation of letters and sounds.
• The leadership and management of the early years is strong. Staff are continuously refining their practice to make sure that children receive the best teaching possible.
• Leaders accurately measure what children know and can do and have well-thought-out plans to further increase children’s learning. They are aware that an increasing number of children have the potential to exceed a good level of development and are currently not being challenged enough.
• Children in the early years work and socialise well together and there is a very harmonious and supportive atmosphere. Adults manage children’s behaviour very well and set out high expectations as to how children should behave when learning independently and with others.
• Teaching in the early years provision is typically good. Adults use praise effectively to motivate children to try their best. Adults skilfully intervene while children are learning and help develop their speech and language skills.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140558 Wakefield 10023803 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 Academy 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 211 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Academy trust Mike Withers Lesley Darren 01977 651755 www.st-josephs-moorthorpe.wakefield.sch.uk ldarren@sjm.bkcat.co.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is a one-form entry voluntary aided school, serving the Catholic Parish of St Joseph’s Moorthorpe and Sacred Heart Hemsworth. It is part of the Catholic Diocese of Leeds within Wakefield local authority. It is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school converted to become an academy, sponsored by Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, on 1 February 2014 and a Sponsor Intervention Board was established to govern the school. When its predecessor school, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.
• On 16 September 2016, in agreement with the Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi-Academy Trust and Diocese of Leeds, the school’s sponsored academy status was removed.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average at 40%, which is unique against other settings in the local authority.
• The school provides a breakfast club for pupils each day.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 10 lessons, of which four were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The inspectors also heard pupils read and looked at pupils’ work in their books jointly with the headteacher.
• Meetings and discussions were held with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, middle leaders, members of the governing body, representatives from the Bishop Konstant Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, the Diocese of Leeds and the trust-appointed school improvement adviser.
• The inspectors met with pupils, observed breaktime and lunchtime and talked with pupils and staff around the school.
• The inspectors examined a range of school documents, including information on pupils’ progress across the school, minutes of governing body meetings, school self-evaluation plans and checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined the school’s records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance.
• The inspectors took account of five responses from parents on free-text. Parent View indicated four responses.

Inspection team

Anne Vernon, lead inspector Susan Twaits

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector