St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan

St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 15–16 September 2011 Inspection number 381268 Unique Reference Number 130384 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 381268 Inspection dates 15–16 September 2011 Reporting inspector Gillian Salter-Smith

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education 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 195 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair R Unsworth Headteacher J Booth Date of previous school inspection 25 February 2009 School address Worsley Mesnes Drive Worsley Mesnes Wigan WN3 5AN Telephone number 01942 204091 Fax number 01942 513364 Email address enquiries@admin.saintjudes.wigan.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Sixteen lessons were observed and nine teachers were seen. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff, members of the governing body, a member of the local authority Targeted Education Support Team and a child support worker. An inspector spoke to parents and carers as they arrived to bring their children to school. Inspectors observed the school's work, and documents scrutinised included the school’s analysis of pupils' progress data, school improvement planning, the School Improvement Partner’s three most recent reports and policies and documents relating to safeguarding, equal opportunities and community cohesion. Inspectors analysed 100 questionnaires received from parents and carers together with those received from pupils and staff.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether actions taken to improve Early Years Foundation Stage have been effective in ensuring at least satisfactory progress and provision.  How consistent pupils’ learning and progress are between year groups and for different groups of pupils, particularly boys and pupils new to the school who join mid-term and mid-key stage.  Whether teaching and the use of assessment is consistently effective enough across the school to ensure at least satisfactory progress.  How well pupils behave in lessons and around the school.  How successful leaders and the governing body have been in bringing about planned improvements and ensuring that improvements can be sustained.

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Information about the school

St Jude’s has fewer pupils than an average-size primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is average compared with other primary schools but the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average. The percentage of pupils identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average, as is the proportion with a statement of special educational needs. An above-average percentage of pupils join or leave the school mid-term and mid key-stage. There are a very small number of pupils looked after by adults other than their own parents. A newly appointed deputy headteacher joined the school in September 2010. Before- and after-school care is provided as part of the school’s extended provision.

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Information about the school

The school has gained Healthy School status and was recently re-awarded the Eco- Green Flag award. 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 findings

St Jude’s Catholic Primary provides a satisfactory education for its pupils and it is improving rapidly. Parents and carers are highly supportive of the work of the school. They appreciate the outstanding care and support provided for pupils. Staff know the pupils and their families very well indeed and relationships are highly positive and supportive. Staff work in very close partnership with a wide range of support agencies to help pupils, particularly those whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable, to overcome any difficulties that prevent them from learning. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe in school, ready to make the most of all that the school can offer. Strong Christian values underpin the work of the school such that pupils draw on a firm framework of personal values when considering their own behaviour and relationships with others. They reflect deeply on issues that affect

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Main findings

them and the wider world. Pupils from the full range of different groups across the school take their responsibilities within the school very seriously and through charity work and other events make an outstanding contribution to the school and the wider local and international communities. Pupils’ overall spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.

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Main findings

Pupils’ progress and achievement are satisfactory and improving rapidly and securely from year-to-year. Teaching and the use of assessment are satisfactory. Although good teaching and learning were observed in many lessons, inconsistencies between year groups hold progress back from being good. Attainment is low, but is on a secure rising trend. Achievement in writing is weaker than in reading and mathematics, especially for boys. Staffing difficulties in the Early Years Foundation Stage have affected children’s progress in recent years. Although difficulties with staffing have been stabilised and there have been considerable improvements in this key stage, planning is not yet extending children’s learning in all activities as fully as possible.

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Main findings

The headteacher and senior leaders share a strong commitment to improvement with staff and the governing body. Rigorous monitoring and evaluation of pupils’ progress and provision contribute to secure self-evaluation that identifies the right priorities. Actions taken have led to improvements in accelerating progress and rising attainment and in improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning demonstrating a good capacity to improve further. Up to 40% of the 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 attainment further and accelerate the progress of pupils so that it is consistently good across the school and enables them to achieve well by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 narrowing the gap further between the achievement of boys and girls in writing  providing more opportunities for pupils to write about activities that interest and excite them across different subjects  improving pupils’ skills and confidence in spelling  improving continuity in the curriculum between Key Stages 1 and 2 to better reflect the way pupils learn.   Improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning so that they are consistently good across the school by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 engaging pupils more actively in learning in every lesson  using assessment information more precisely to ensure all pupils are challenged, especially the more able and that these pupils know what more is expected of them in every lesson  bringing consistency to the effectiveness of teachers’ marking and the use of targets and success criteria  providing more opportunities for the sharing of best practice in learning and teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the outcomes and provision for Early Years Foundation Stage by:  improving the use of the outdoor learning area so that the learning planned for indoors is continued when children are busy outdoors  finding more opportunities to extend the learning planned for the day when children are involved in independent activities  improving further the activities already started to develop children’s early reading and writing skills  assuring the continuity of staffing.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils enjoy school and lessons and want to do well, as is reflected in their above- average attendance, and their achievement is satisfactory. In most lessons, pupils are settled, behave well and apply themselves conscientiously to tasks. They enjoy working cooperatively with other pupils. In older classes especially they benefit from reflecting on their own progress against clear criteria. However, there are lessons when pupils are restless and start to lose interest because they are listening to the teacher for too long and not actively involved in learning or challenged sufficiently. Work in pupils’ books shows that most take care to present their work carefully but spelling is weak.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Children's skills and levels of development on entry to the Nursery class are generally low, although there are variations from year to year. Progress across the school is satisfactory and improving securely and rapidly in response to improvements in teaching and learning year on year. Attainment by Year 6 has been below average, sometimes markedly so in recent years. The results in 2011 at Year 2 and Year 6 increased significantly, although challenging targets for Year 6 pupils were not fully met. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make similar progress to other pupils, as do those learning English as an additional language because support is well targeted to individual needs. Boys’ progress, in writing especially, is weaker than girls’.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils have great confidence in the adults who look after them. Pupils’ behaviour in the dining area and on the playground is good and older pupils show high levels of care for younger pupils. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe and healthy and a good proportion enjoy extra sporting activities. The school council is highly active and makes a very strong contribution to procedures for staff appointments. Pupils have a strong spiritual awareness and love of their faith. They have a very clear sense of right and wrong. In their positive relationships with people from different backgrounds, cultures and religions they see similarities rather than differences. They discuss their feelings and opinions about issues, which affect them and the wider world, openly and confidently.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 4 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 1 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 2 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching is improving securely as a result of well-focused professional support and development. However, inconsistencies in the effectiveness of teaching remain and hold back pupils’ progress and achievement. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure so that, in most lessons, teachers ask probing questions that

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low develop understanding and thinking. Teachers usually use assessment information well to plan learning that builds on prior attainment and matches individual needs. However, planning for more-able pupils is not always well structured or precise enough. Consequently, in some lessons there is insufficient additional challenge for more-able pupils and they are not always clear in every lesson of what more is expected of them. In many lessons, pupils enjoy a good range of well-paced relevant activities. For example, pupils enjoy using the whiteboards and pens to ‘have a go’ at calculations in mathematics. In a few lessons, though, teachers talk for too long, or resources lack interest, so that pupils are not actively involved in learning. Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work and the use of individual targets and success criteria are

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How effective is the provision?

often helpful in guiding pupils to the next steps in learning but this practice is not yet consistent enough across year groups.

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How effective is the provision?

The programme to teach letters, sounds and early spelling is well matched to individual needs across the school and is improving pupils’ confidence in early reading and spelling. There is good continuity of provision from Early Years Foundation Stage into Key Stage 1 where many pupils are not ready to work fully within the Key Stage 1 curriculum. However, continuity is less secure between Key Stages 1 and 2. In Key Stage 2, full account is not always taken of how best pupils learn and activities in mathematics, for example, are not always practical enough to motivate pupils to learn. Opportunities to write at length have increased and the school is in the process of planning more opportunities for pupils to write about activities across different subjects that interest and excite them. The curriculum is well planned to support pupils’ personal development. A good range of extra- curricular activities supports pupils’ healthy lifestyle and cultural development with

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How effective is the provision?

plenty of opportunities to pursue interests in sport, music and art.

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How effective is the provision?

Parents and carers have great trust in the school and most engage willingly with it to ensure that their children can take full advantage of what the school offers. The school is highly pro-active in ensuring that pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable have their needs identified quickly and that appropriate support is available. The school works extremely effectively with a wide range of agencies to meet the particular needs of pupils and their families. Excellent arrangements are in place to ensure that children settle into school quickly when they join mid-key stage or mid-term. Those learning English as an additional language are especially well supported and make rapid gains in learning in English. Rigorous systems help to identify pupils at risk of falling behind and result in the provision of tightly focused guidance and support that contribute significantly to pupils’ accelerating progress and rising attainment. Parents and carers appreciate the

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How effective is the provision?

good before- and after-school care provided.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 3 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides strong leadership with a clear focus on improving pupils’ achievements and ensuring that pupils are happy safe and secure in school. Leaders and staff work well as a team on implementing well-focused school improvement plans that guide improvement in the right priorities. Professional development is closely targeted to the needs of the school and is resulting in increasingly effective teaching and rapidly accelerating progress. However, there are not yet sufficient opportunities for staff to share best practice in learning and teaching. Rigorous monitoring of pupils’ progress is used not only to identify pupils' potential underperformance but also to hold staff to account.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body is highly supportive of the school’s work. There is good support for school events and a number of members visit the school regularly. The governing body takes account of parents’ and carers’ and pupils’ views. It is well informed of the school’s performance through information received from the headteacher and senior leaders. However, it is not systematically involved in evaluating school improvement and does not always challenge leaders sufficiently.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body fulfils its responsibility to safeguard pupils and staff well. Systems to check on the suitability of staff and volunteers are rigorous and fully meet requirements. All staff and a good number of the governing body are comprehensively trained in child protection arrangements. Systems for identification and the referral of concerns are robust.

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How effective are leadership and management?

By a close watch on individual pupils’ progress the school ensures equal opportunities. For example, the gap between the progress and attainment of boys and girls in writing, although still evident, is reducing. The school does much to tackle discrimination by developing pupils’ awareness and tolerance of people from backgrounds, religions and cultures different to their own. Community cohesion is promoted well. A clear audit of the school’s circumstances underpins the policy and planning. Links with other schools locally and internationally are well developed. The school’s own evaluation of its work has identified the need to develop links with a school in different circumstances to their own nationally.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children are safe and happy and settle into school life well. Their welfare needs are met well and there is a good emphasis on children’s personal, emotional and social development. Classrooms are well organised and there is an appropriate balance between activities led by adults and those children explore for themselves. Children have plenty of opportunities to play and learn outdoors but the learning planned for outdoors is not as detailed as it for indoors. Adults interact well with children and encourage plenty of talk and use of imagination. A programme of learning letters and sounds is helping to promote early reading and there is a recent increased focus on developing early reading and writing skills which the school acknowledges could be developed even further. Planning builds on prior learning and adults observe and assess children’s progress regularly. This information is not always used to ensure

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Early Years Foundation Stage

that extra challenge is given to more-able children, especially when they are involved in independent activities. Children enter the nursery with development that is low for their age, particularly among boys and in communication, language and literacy development. They are currently making satisfactory progress. More stable staffing has brought greater continuity to the teaching and learning following a period of staff turbulence. School leaders have worked effectively with staff to improve provision and progress. In the recent past children have remained below age-related expectations in their development on entry to Year1.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

An above-average proportion of parents and carers returned questionnaires. Most are supportive of the school in all respects. Many comment on their appreciation of the care and support provided for their children, especially those whose circumstances deem them to be potentially more vulnerable. The findings of the inspection support these positive views. A few are less happy about the progress their children are making, and a few do not consider that the school deals with unacceptable behaviour well enough. Inspectors found that pupils make satisfactory progress overall but there are variations between year groups. The school’s approaches to dealing with unacceptable behaviour were looked at and found to be at least good. Pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties were especially well cared for and supported.

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Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 100 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 195 pupils registered at the school.

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Ofsted's questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 69 69 31 31 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 69 69 30 30 1 1 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 60 60 38 38 2 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 60 60 34 34 6 6 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 66 66 31 31 1 1 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 59 59 36 36 3 3 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 65 65 33 33 1 1 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 63 63 34 34 0 0 0 0

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Ofsted's questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 61 61 37 37 1 1 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 54 54 37 37 8 8 0 0

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Ofsted's questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 49 49 46 46 4 4 0 0

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Ofsted's questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 58 58 42 42 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 66 66 34 34 0 0 0 0

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

Thank you for welcoming the inspectors to your school. We enjoyed meeting and talking to many of you. Your school provides you with a satisfactory quality of education and it is improving securely and rapidly. There are a number of outstanding features. You make an outstanding contribution to your school and the wider community. You willingly take on many responsibilities and the school council, eco-teams and fund-raisers are extremely active in making improvements to your school and the wider communities. Your spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and shows that you are highly sensitive to each other’s needs. Many of you have a very strong framework of personal values, based on Christian values. You draw on these to help you make important decisions in your relationships with others. You are very keen to seek the similarities between groups of people different to yourselves. You are right to recognise and appreciate the high

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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

level of care and support you receive from staff across the school.

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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

You make satisfactory progress in your academic work and you enjoy lessons. Teaching is satisfactory but it varies from lesson to lesson. Your leaders work hard to identify the right priorities for improvement. We have asked them to focus carefully on making further improvements. These include:

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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

 raising your attainment further and accelerating the progress you make so that it is consistently good across the school, especially for boys in writing  improving teaching and learning so that you make consistently good progress across the school and  ensuring that the improvements already started to be made for children in the Reception and Nursery classes continue.

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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

You can help by continuing to enjoy school and trying hard to do your best at all times.

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Inspection of St Jude's Catholic Primary School Wigan, Wigan, WN3 5AN

Gillian Salter-Smith 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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