St. Mary's & St. Peter's Catholic Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 09–10 June 2011 Inspection number 356140 St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 107329 Local Authority Bradford Inspection number 356140 Inspection dates 09–10 June 2011 Reporting inspector Liz Godman

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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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 246 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elaine Barker Headteacher John McManus Date of previous school inspection 07 May 2008 School address Upper Nidd Street Leeds Road Bradford West Yorkshire BD3 9ND Telephone number 01274 773977 Fax number 01274 770679 Email address John.mcmanus@stpeters.bradford.sch.uk

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Inspectors observed 17 lessons taught by eight teachers for a total of approximately 10 hours and held meeting with members of the governing body, groups of pupils and staff. They observed the school’s work, heard pupils read and scrutinised school policies, pupils’ work and data on pupils’ progress and attendance. Inspectors looked at 145 questionnaires completed by parents and carers, 25 from staff and 82 from pupils.

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Information about the school

St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School was formed in 2009 when the previously separate St Mary’s and St Peter’s schools amalgamated following a period of federation. A new headteacher joined the school in January 2011. The school is of average size for a primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The number of pupils identified as having special educational needs is broadly average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and of those who speak English as an additional language, is very high. Just over half the pupils are from Pakistani heritage and a large number of ethnic groups are represented in the school. This includes pupils recently arrived in the country from Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. The school holds the Healthy Schools status and has the Activemark. The levels of attainment reached by pupils at the end of Key

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Information about the school

Stage 2 exceeded government floor targets in 2008 and 2010, but fell below them in 2009. 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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Behaviour and safety 1

Does the school adequately promote the pupils’ well-being? Yes Does the school adequately promote community cohesion? Yes Does the school provide value for money? Yes

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Key findings

 St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School is a good school that is well led and managed. Pupils’ achievement is good because of the good quality of teaching to develop their skills in communication, language and numeracy.  Overall, the good teaching ensures that pupils make good progress in lessons due to the well-planned activities that meet their needs and engage their interest. Where teaching is outstanding, lessons proceed at a rapid pace and pupils enjoy using their skills in interesting practical activities and investigations. This is most marked in Year 6. In the more effective lessons, pupils also evaluate their own learning well. However, this is not true of all lessons and a slower pace characterises the lessons where teaching is satisfactory.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well and display high levels of concern for one another. Pupils from a very wide

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Key findings

variety of cultures and ethnic groups interact harmoniously and many have a good knowledge of the different cultures and languages in the school. Almost all parents, carers and pupils agree that the school is a very safe place. The school’s provision for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength.  Leaders, managers and the governing body have high expectations of the school and its community. They have helped to enhance the premises and to improve attendance and punctuality. All leaders are committed to building on current successes to further improve teaching and achievement.  Not all staff have a clear picture of pupils’ progress year-on-year, particularly in communication, reading and writing or for pupils with special educational needs. As a result, additional help for these pupils is not always effectively timetabled or targeted closely to meet their needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is good or better by: - sharing and embedding the best practice in all classes - making sure that all parts of each lesson proceed with good pace - extending to all lessons the highly effective examples of assessment of pupils’ learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the roles of leaders and managers at all levels by ensuring: - all teachers take greater responsibility for tracking the progress of pupils throughout the school, particularly in relation to communication, reading and writing - there are more finely-tuned methods for assessing the small steps of progress made by pupils with special educational needs - assessment information is used more precisely to ensure that additional support for pupils is timetabled and targeted to match their particular needs.

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Main report

Good teaching is found throughout the school but is most marked in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in upper Key Stage 2. In lessons in these year groups there are some excellent opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in investigation and research. They relish this challenge and are eager to work with one another and with adults. Pupils think carefully and work hard because they are motivated to do their best. Where teaching is stronger, there are also effective systems for pupils to assess their own or others’ progress. In these lessons, pupils are very clear about what they have to do to succeed and there are regular opportunities for them to pause and to review their work. Teachers’ marking also gives very clear indication of the next steps in learning for the pupils.

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Main report

Disabled pupils, for example, deaf pupils, make good progress and learn to communicate effectively. The learning of pupils with special educational needs is good in lessons, especially where they work with a teaching assistant who enables them to take a full part in the lesson by providing activities and resources carefully matched to their needs. These pupils also progress steadily throughout their time at the school. However, the school’s systems for tracking their progress are not sufficiently detailed to indicate clearly the very small steps in learning of pupils with more severe and significant special educational needs.

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Main report

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress across the areas of learning. They are confident in initiating independent play with others, especially outdoors, but also show high levels of involvement and understanding because of the teachers’ considerable skills in story telling.

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Main report

Although progress in lessons is good overall, it sometimes slows a little. This is when pupils spend too long listening to the teacher rather than engaging in practical activities. This is a particular feature of the lessons where teaching is satisfactory 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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Main report

rather than good. Although pupils enjoy working in small groups with support staff and their learning is boosted, the planned activities do not always tie in closely with the main objectives of the class lesson. Consequently, sometimes this slows their progress a little.

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Main report

From low levels of attainment on joining the school, almost all pupils make good progress to reach broadly average levels of attainment by the end of Key Stage 2. For example, of the current Year 6, about half joined the school at the end of Key Stage 1 when St Mary’s closed, or during Key Stage 2. Of the latter group, a number joined the school in Years 5 or 6, having arrived from another country and with little or no previous experience of speaking English. Most of these pupils have made rapid progress and are now working at levels in line with expectations for their age. There are no significant differences in the achievement of different groups by the end of Key Stage 2, or in the different subjects. Although pupils’ attainment in reading is below average by the age of six, by the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2, the gap has narrowed and pupils read clearly and speak about their reading with confidence.

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Main report

Teachers’ good knowledge of teaching reading to pupils with English as an additional language aids this progress.

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Main report

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent, both in lessons and around the school. Pupils negotiate their way around the three-storey building and on the sloping site with great care and show a strong sense of responsibility for themselves, for others and for the school environment. The school’s records and the views of the pupils themselves confirm that incidents of inappropriate or unsafe behaviour are extremely rare. The vast majority of parents and carers agree that the school is a very safe place. A very small number say there is occasionally a little bullying but that the school follows this up appropriately. The school has all the required arrangements in place to ensure the safeguarding of pupils. Risks are checked thoroughly and pupils understand the potential dangers in school and more widely. Since the arrival of the new headteacher, pupils’ punctuality has improved markedly as every morning he goes

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Main report

onto the playground to make sure that pupils come into school promptly. Attendance has also improved significantly this year as the headteacher’s determined approach is reinforced by class teachers. Consequently, parents, carers and pupils are very clear about the importance of good attendance. Pupils are eager to come to school and any absences are usually subject to circumstances beyond their control.

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Main report

The high expectations of the senior leaders and of the governing body have been a key factor in raising expectations and in improving the quality of teaching and accelerating pupils’ progress. Since the dip in attainment in 2009, the concerted efforts of all staff have secured a clear trend of improvement. The school’s leaders are ambitious for the future and have a clear view of the school’s strengths and relative weaknesses. The headteacher has set ambitious targets for the quality of teaching that are starting to be realised. All of these factors are helping to accelerate the school’s development and indicate a good capacity to make further improvements. Members of the governing body know the school well and contribute a good mix of skills. They have supported the recent refurbishment of the premises and have been central to building the school’s strong relationship with its community. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main report

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main report

Close attention to promoting equality and tackling discrimination is a strong priority for the school. While there are no significant differences in the achievement of different groups, the school is not complacent about reviewing its provision to ensure each pupil achieves as well as possible. It acknowledges that work remains to be done in order to gain a clearer view of pupils’ progress from the time they join the school, especially in relation to communication, reading and writing. It also recognises that currently its approach to recording the progress of pupils with significant special educational needs does not detail the small steps in their progress. These factors mean that support groups for those with a variety of additional needs are not always timetabled to best effect to provide work sharply targeted to the pupils’ needs.

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Main report

The school’s provision for promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a considerable strength. Pupils show strong respect for adults and for one another from an early age, and have an excellent understanding of the different faiths, cultures and ethnic groups represented in the school. These are reflected in displays, works of art and artefacts around the school. Friendship groups extend across pupils’ varied backgrounds, and many pupils have an excellent appreciation of the range of languages spoken by pupils in the school. Pupils are thoughtful and reflective in their work and in relationships and take great care of one another. In this they are responding to the positive models given by others, both adults and pupils.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 12 statements about the school. The inspection team received 145 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 246 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % Q1 My child is happy at school 91 63 52 36 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q2 My child feels safe at school 89 61 54 37 1 1 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q3 The school helps my child to achieve as well as they can 81 56 61 42 2 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q4 The school meets my child’s particular needs 61 42 82 57 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q5 The school ensures my child is well looked after 74 51 68 47 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q6 Teaching at this school is good 82 57 59 41 3 2 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q7 There is a good standard of behaviour at this school 59 41 81 56 2 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q8 Lessons are not disrupted by bad behaviour 59 41 68 47 14 10 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q9 The school deals with any cases of bullying well 71 49 68 47 3 2 1 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q10 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 80 55 57 39 3 2 2 1

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q11 The school responds to my concerns and keeps me well informed 83 57 55 38 4 3 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q12 The school is well led and managed 88 61 51 35 2 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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 48 6 0 Primary schools 6 47 40 7 Secondary schools 12 39 38 11

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 13 42 41 3 Special schools 28 49 19 4 Pupil referral units 14 45 31 10

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 December 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). 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. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be:  The achievement of all pupils.  Behaviour and safety.  The quality of teaching.  The effectiveness of leadership and management. and taking into consideration  how well the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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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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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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BD3 9ND

Thank you for your help and warm welcome when we came to inspect your school.

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BD3 9ND

We found that St Mary’s and St Peter’s Catholic Primary School is a good school where everyone wants the best for you. You are developing good skills in language and numeracy because of the good teaching. Some of the teaching we saw was outstanding, but some was also satisfactory.

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BD3 9ND

You make good progress in the lessons where the work matches your needs and interests. In the best lessons, you were busy all the time and enjoyed the practical work and investigations. We also saw many of you checking how well you had done and how you could improve your work. This was not true of all the lessons and we have asked your teachers to make sure all lessons are as good as the best ones in helping you to learn quickly and to check your work.

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BD3 9ND

Your behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. We were impressed by the way you respect and take care of one another. There are pupils from many different cultures, faiths and countries in your school, but we saw everyone getting on very well together. It was good to talk with some of you about all the different languages you speak. Your school is a very safe place and almost all of you said you agreed with us. You look after the school well and help keep it bright and tidy.

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BD3 9ND

We have asked all the staff to keep a careful check on your progress from when you first join the school, especially for those of you who find learning more difficult. We have also asked staff to make sure that the work in small groups for those who need it matches what happens in lessons and what the pupils need.

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BD3 9ND

We enjoyed meeting you and wish you the very best for the future.

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BD3 9ND

Liz Godman 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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