St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School

St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 8–9 February 2012 Inspection number 378461 Unique Reference Number 112310 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 378461 Inspection dates 8–9 February 2012 Lead inspector Sue Sharkey

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Educati on Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 124 Appropriate authority The governing body Acting Chair Fiona Paisley Acting Headteacher Greg Tognarelli Date of previous school inspection 23 October 2008 School address Eastend Wigton CA7 9HZ Telephone number 01697 343119 Fax number 01697 349894 Email address admin@stcuth-wig.cumbria.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. This inspection was carried out by one additional inspector. The inspector observed five teachers and visited five lessons. Discussions were held with the acting headteacher, school staff, groups of pupils, and members of the governing body. The inspector observed pupils’ work and looked at a wide range of documentation provided by the school including the school’s system for tracking their progress, documents regarding the safeguarding of pupils and key policies. Inspection questionnaires from 68 parents and carers were studied and those from school staff and pupils were also taken into account. No responses were available from the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).

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Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average-sized school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible to free school meals is in line with the national average. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds but a few speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is above the national average. Pupils are taught in five classes, Nursery and Reception, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4 with Years 5 and Year 6 in two single-age classes. An acting headteacher has been in post since January 2012.

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Information about the school

The school has the Healthy School and Activemark awards. The government’s current floor standard, which sets minimum expectations for attainment and progress, was met in 2011. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Pupils have positive attitudes and their enjoyment of learning is a key factor in their above-average attendance. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children make good progress from their starting points. As pupils continue through Key Stages 1 and 2, progress is satisfactory so that when they leave school at the end of Year 6 their attainment is broadly average in English and mathematics.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is regularly monitored but not all teaching is consistently better than satisfactory. All teachers promote positive relationships which support pupils’ good attitudes to learning. Sometimes the pace of lessons is too slow so that pupils are not constantly motivated and expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough to ensure that they are consistently challenged. Pupils work well together, particularly in pairs and also independently, but in Key Stage 1 there are not sufficient opportunities for small group work so that English and mathematics skills can be embedded.

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Key Findings

 The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development and this is reflected in the good behaviour, confidence and politeness shown by pupils. Pupils say they feel safe and parents and carers overwhelmingly support this view. Pupils show good levels of engagement, courtesy and cooperation and are very supportive of each other.

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Key Findings

 Senior leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and they are securing improvements. There is not enough rigour, however, in the tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress so that information and data can be used more effectively by senior leaders to inform their planning to accelerate pupils’ progress. The curriculum is broad and balanced but opportunities to develop pupils’ writing across other subjects are not planned sufficiently well. Consequently, attainment in writing is lower than in reading.

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Key Findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teaching to consistently good or better across the school by: - raising expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons ensuring that there is consistent challenge for all groups of pupils - ensuring there is rapid pace in lessons to motivate pupils at all times - ensuring that pupils in Key Stage 1 have more opportunities to work in small groups in order to embed basic skills in English and mathematics - further developing writing through the other subjects so that attainment is as high in writing as it is in reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the tracking and monitoring of pupils’ progress is more rigorous so that information and data on individuals and groups of pupils are used more effectively by senior leaders to accelerate pupils’ progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Overall, children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are usually below those expected for their age. They get off to a good start, settling quickly because of the welcoming atmosphere and the close links with parents and carers providing a boost to their learning at this early stage. As a result, children make good progress so that when they enter Year 1 most have skills in line with age expectations except in writing. A good range of exciting and imaginative activities makes good use of both the indoor and outdoor spaces so that children have extensive opportunities to explore and be creative.

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Achievement of pupils

As pupils continue through Key Stages 1 and 2, progress over time is satisfactory so that when they leave in Year 6 their attainment is broadly average. Since the previous inspection there has been a dip in the number of pupils making good progress. Recent assessments indicate that actions taken by the school to address this are proving to be successful and that more pupils are now beginning to make good progress in English, particularly in reading and mathematics. This is confirmed by lesson observations during the inspection and scrutiny of pupils’ work. Pupils with special educational needs and those known to be eligible for free school meals make the same progress as others. Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to the learning of pupils and especially those with special educational needs. The school has a range of support strategies available to ensure that there are no inconsistencies between girls and boys or any other groups of pupils. Pupils have positive

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Achievement of pupils

attitudes to learning and this is exemplified as they approach activities during lessons particularly those that are well planned and ‘real-life’ scenarios. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils worked well in pairs where they were happy to share ideas as well as findings in order to solve a cycle race problem. Pupils show enthusiasm for their work, talking confidently about why they enjoy lessons. This helps to promote their social and moral development.

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Achievement of pupils

In the Reception class, children have plenty of opportunities to look at and enjoy books and they start to acquire good skills to sound out letters in order to read words. As pupils move through school they retain their enjoyment of reading and begin to develop appropriate reading skills for their age. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 say they like different styles of books and are beginning to gain confidence in reading. They recognise both from the pictures as well as the words when there is humour in stories as well as sad moments. Pupils in Key Stage 2 read from a wide range of sources, which includes researching on computers to find information for projects. They enjoy being able to take books home to read as well as reading during the day in school. Pupils’ attainment in reading at the end of Year 2 and when they leave school in Year 6 is broadly average although more pupils are beginning to make good progress particularly in Key Stage 2. The school is aware that more pupils make

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Achievement of pupils

better progress in reading than they do in writing. Recent changes to the curriculum have resulted in writing being introduced into other subjects and this is beginning to have a positive impact on the quality of pupil’s writing. Most parents and carers indicate that their children make good progress.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is satisfactory. Parents and carers are positive about teaching and pupils say they learn a lot in lessons. There are examples of good and outstanding teaching on which the school can build, but these have not yet had sufficient impact on pupils’ overall attainment, nor is it sufficiently consistent to ensure pupils make at least good progress. Lesson objectives are clear so that pupils know what to do to be successful. Where teaching is at least good, the pace motivates and engages pupils well, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are high and discussions are lively. Teachers plan conscientiously, though there are occasions when planning lacks high enough expectation and all groups of pupils are not sufficiently challenged. The school is making effective use of group teaching involving teaching assistants in some years. However, there are not sufficient opportunities for pupils in Key Stage 1 to work in small groups so that the basic skills in English and

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Quality of teaching

mathematics can be well established. Teachers use interactive whiteboards well to enliven and illustrate learning and this is used particularly well in phonics (linking letters with the sounds they make) sessions to develop pupils’ reading skills.

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Quality of teaching

Sometimes teachers use different teaching styles within a lesson and this can often grab pupils’ attention in order to engage them. In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils listened attentively as the teacher dropped pebbles into a tin. The sound of each one alerted them to count, for some pupils it was forwards while others counted backwards in decimals, each time the pebble dropped. When checking the numbers pupils had arrived at the teacher also checked pupils’ understanding through questions to challenge their thinking and make them explain their ideas confidently. This ensured that pupils’ learning moved on at a rapid pace. These successful features are not seen consistently across the school.

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Quality of teaching

The curriculum supports teachers in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural activities effectively through a range of activities, visitors and extra-curricular clubs. It is woven through all lessons so, for example, pupils work well together, supporting each other and sharing ideas. Visits complement classroom work and Years 5 and 6 pupils take part in residential visits. Such activities help to raise pupils’ awareness of different people's needs and life experiences.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour and safety are good. Scrutiny of behavioural records and discussions show that behaviour is good over time. Parents and carers and pupils all agree. They do say that there are a few incidents of misbehaviour during lessons in some classes. The school has a ‘traffic light’ system for helping pupils to behave well. This is successful, helping pupils to understand the importance of behaving well in lessons and around school. From an early age children enjoy school and feel safe and happy. They learn to share and make friends and become aware of the needs and feelings of others. They learn right from wrong. Pupils learn how to play together and socialise quickly, establishing a politeness and courtesy that leads to purposeful relationships with adults and other children.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are confident in adults’ ability to promptly respond to any problems they have and they say that pupils are kind to each other. They agree that there is no bullying in school but are confident that should the need arise they would know how to deal with it. Pupils say they are taught about different forms of bullying through the curriculum, for example cyber bullying. Pupils are proud of their school and respond well to the wide range of opportunities to take on extra responsibilities. Their above-average attendance over several years reflects pupils’ positive attitudes to school and their learning.

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Leadership and management

Leaders have successfully created a harmonious community within the school, where everyone is included and well cared for. This is an inclusive school that works to promote equal opportunity and avoid discrimination. In practice equality is promoted satisfactorily as demonstrated by pupils’ rates of progress; discrimination in any form is not tolerated and contributes significantly to the harmonious community. The acting headteacher, senior leaders, staff and the governing body share a sense of purpose to bring about improvements. The monitoring and evaluation of teaching is regular and leaders acknowledge the need to hasten the dissemination of best practice in teaching. Effective use is made of professional development resulting in the school’s actions to initiate the indicated rise in pupils’ progress in English and mathematics. Systems for tracking and monitoring pupils’ progress are in place but are not rigorous enough to ensure that the information and

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Leadership and management

data are used effectively by senior leaders to improve progress.

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Leadership and management

The governing body challenges school leaders appropriately and is aware that pupils’ attainment and achievement are a high priority. It ensures that statutory requirements for safeguarding and child protection are met. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school’s work and would recommend it to other parents and carers.

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Leadership and management

Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have addressed the areas for improvement satisfactorily. Along with governors they have a clear strategy for school improvement giving the school at least satisfactory capacity to improve. Senior leaders have made changes to the curriculum ensuring that writing is threaded through different subjects. This is not yet fully embedded and impacting on attainment in writing so that it is as high as reading. The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils promoting good behaviour and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development securely. Pupils have many opportunities to enhance their imagination and creativity through art, dance and music of different cultures. The curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and is balanced between adult-led activities and ones that children choose for themselves.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were i ntroduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Wigton, CA7 9HZ

Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed talking with you, watching you learn in lessons and listening to some of you read. Your behaviour is good both in the classroom and outside and I was really impressed to see how well you play all together at break time. Overall, we found that your school provides you with a satisfactory education and that your acting headteacher and school staff are making changes to help you learn even more.

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Inspection of St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Wigton, CA7 9HZ

There are some things that I have asked the school to do to help to make it better. First, for teachers to always have high expectations of what you can do and consistently challenge you in lessons. Second, to make sure that you work quickly so that you are always busy. Third, that pupils in Years 1 and 2 work in small groups more often so that they can improve their skills in English and mathematics. Fourth, that you do even more writing in different subjects, like I saw on displays in the corridors, so that your writing is as good as your reading. Last, that the school looks even more closely at all the information it has from your assessments in reading, writing and mathematics to help you make even better progress in your work.

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Inspection of St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Wigton, CA7 9HZ

Congratulations on everything you do to help your school. I found out more and more during the two days as I talked with you! It was good to see how well you all get on with each other and work so sensibly during lessons. I was pleased to hear that when I asked you if you enjoyed reading you all said, ‘YES’.

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Inspection of St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Wigton, CA7 9HZ

I know your school are very proud of you. Your acting headteacher, staff and the governing body care for you well. Remember always to do your best and help your teachers. Thank you for helping me and for being so polite.

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Inspection of St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School, Wigton, CA7 9HZ

Sue Sharkey Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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