St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School

St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 14–15 November 2011 Inspection number 377334 Unique Reference Number 105961 Local authority Salford Inspection number 377334 Inspection dates 14–15 November 2011 Reporting inspector Judith Straw

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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 175 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lionel Devany Headteacher Jennifer Murphy Date of previous school inspection 22 April 2009 School address Cutnook Lane Irlam Salford M44 6GX Telephone number 0161 7754548 Fax number 0161 9211699 Email address stjosephs.rcprimaryschool@salford.gov.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. The inspectors observed 12 lessons taught by seven teachers and held meetings with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and staff. They also had informal conversations with parents and carers bringing their children to school. They observed pupils at work and looked at the data the school has collected on pupils’ progress, the safeguarding procedures, samples of pupils’ books and records of the school’s monitoring and review process. They also considered 38 questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as analysing questionnaires 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

 The standard of pupils’ current work in English and particularly in writing.  The effectiveness with which teachers meet the needs of different groups of pupils.  The rigour by which leaders and managers at all levels monitor and evaluate the impact of initiatives on improving outcomes for pupils.

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Information about the school

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The majority of pupils are from White British heritages with a lower-than-average number from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is average. The number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. A larger-than-average proportion of pupils joins or leaves the school other than at the normal times. The school has gained a number of awards including Healthy School status, Sportsmark and bronze ECO-school award.

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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 Joseph the Worker is now a good school because its leaders have been so successful in bringing about improvements. Good quality care, guidance and support help pupils to learn in a happy and stimulating environment. Parents and carers commented on the warm, caring ethos and were unanimous that their children were safe.

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Main findings

Achievement is good and attainment is average. Children make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress. However, opportunities to learn out-of-doors, particularly for the Reception class, are limited. Pupils make good progress as they move through the school, aided by good behaviour and enthusiastic attitudes which support learning well. The school works hard to ensure that boys and girls progress equally well, as do pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language. A major drive has improved attainment in mathematics so that it is now above average. Pupils’ reading skills are improving rapidly but attainment in writing lags behind. The school is aware of the need to improve pupils’ speaking and listening skills in order to help them to improve their writing. Teaching is generally good across the school but sometimes

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Main findings

work is not precisely matched to challenge pupils of all abilities. A wide range of experiences enriches the curriculum.

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Main findings

Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy participating in healthy activities such as ‘walk to school week’, raising funds for charities and taking on roles of responsibility such as serving on the Eco-council. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall but their knowledge and understanding of communities beyond the local area both in Great Britain and abroad is limited.

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Main findings

The dedicated headteacher and deputy headteacher are well supported by staff and the governing body in their commitment to achieve ambitious targets for school improvement. Self-evaluation is honest, rigorous and accurate and expressed in well- focussed development plans. Leaders acknowledge that plans to promote community cohesion are incomplete. Improvements since the last inspection include better teaching and care, guidance and support, a more rigorous and effective tracking system and accelerating progress for all groups of pupils. This gives the school good capacity for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment at both Key Stages, particularly in writing, by: - providing more opportunities for pupils to discuss and organise their ideas and use a wider vocabulary to enrich their writing - providing appropriately challenging work for all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of community cohesion by providing a wider range of opportunities for pupils to learn about the cultural, ethnic, religious and social diversity of Great Britain and the wider world.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by: - improving the quality of learning activities in the outdoor learning area - increasing the opportunities for children in Reception to learn outdoors.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils say they enjoy ‘lessons and learning’. They particularly enjoy active lessons where they have the chance to investigate things for themselves. Behaviour is good and pupils try hard in class and present their work neatly. Throughout the school good relationships mean that pupils co-operate well with their teachers. Pupils help and support each other when working in pairs or groups. For example, in an English lesson for Year 4 and Year 5 pupils the room was buzzing as pupils compared their responses and discussed their answers to a particularly challenging piece of text analysis.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. All pupils achieve well in relation to their capabilities. Well-organised support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities enables them to make good progress. Pupils who are new to English receive intensive support and by the end of Year 6 make good progress and some attain above average results in tests. Pupils who join the school later in Key Stage 2 are helped to catch up with other pupils. Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals also make good progress. In previous years progress in Key Stage 1 has been slower but standards in reading and mathematics are rising and progress is accelerating. The drive to raise standards in mathematics has been successful and the focus is now on writing.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils know how to care for their health through diet and exercise. Bullying is not regarded as a problem and pupils know they can ask for help if anything occurs to worry them. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong and have helped in formulating the behaviour policy, as well as other policies relating to the curriculum. They enjoy taking on responsibilities such as belonging to the school or Eco-councils, being buddies to younger children, helping at play time and acting as monitors for the library and other areas. They are active fund-raisers for charities at home and abroad. Pupils make a good contribution to their local community through links with the parish church and local Polish families. Pupils’ application of their basic skills and average attendance mean that they are satisfactorily prepared for their next phase of education.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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2

Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers use a good range of teaching styles and activities to encourage concentration, motivation and application. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution, supporting pupils who find work difficult, those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are new to English. Most lessons have lively openings and all teachers are adept at questioning to extend learning further. Occasionally, the pace of a lesson slows because the teacher talks for too long and pupils have less time to discuss and organise their ideas and use a wider vocabulary which can enrich their writing and enhance their work. Opportunities are sometimes missed to challenge higher-attaining pupils when everyone in class is doing the same work. Regular rigorous marking and assessment ensures that pupils know how well they are doing and how to improve their work. Sometimes pupils are able to assess their own work and that of their peers. Good assessment information

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How effective is the provision?

is used to track pupils’ progress and is gradually being used more effectively to plan the next steps in learning.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum caters well for all groups of pupils. Good attention is paid to developing literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills so that pupils’ progress is accelerating and they understand both the benefits and hazards of using the internet. The school is developing a range of strategies to encourage better speaking and listening skills and to improve writing. Specialist teaching in music, sport, art and mathematics enriches the curriculum, as well as arrangements for gifted and talented pupils to work at a local high school. High- quality art work is on display in corridors. The curriculum is adapted to support particular groups, for example books have been bought particularly to engage boys and ‘reluctant readers’. There are many after-school activities which are popular with pupils. These include numerous sports, music, art and crafts.

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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 The school prides itself on the way the school family and community focus on the individual child. There is a strong climate of mutual respect and pupils say they feel safe in this bright, happy learning environment. Most parents and carers speak of their appreciation of the quality of care that is provided and say that staff are always ready to listen to their questions and queries. Strong partnerships with external health and support agencies are used to benefit pupils and families where needed. The school can point to examples of pupils with severe physical disabilities or who exhibit challenging behaviour who have flourished in the secure and caring ethos.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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2

The use of assessment to support learning 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

Senior managers ‘lead by example’, setting high expectations for the school. Staff morale is high and there is a shared sense of purpose. Good arrangements for equal opportunities ensure that all pupils access everything the school offers, there is no discrimination and differences in the performance of boys, girls and other groups of pupils is rapidly narrowing. The management of teaching and learning is rigorous, with points for improvement linked to professional development and performance management. Members of the governing body monitor the performance of the school systematically, often by direct observation, and hold the school to account. The school provides good value for money.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Relationships with parents and carers are positive. Regular newsletters and the school website keep parents and carers informed about what is happening. The school plans to extend communication further by offering sessions to assist parents and carers who want to support their children’s learning even more actively. A good range of partnerships brings additional support and experiences that the school alone could not provide, for example the links with the local high school, the cluster of primary schools and social services. The school implements good safeguarding procedures and members of the governing body regularly check child protection arrangements, risk assessments and aspects of health and safety. The building and site are well maintained and secure. The school’s contribution to the local community is strong. However, plans for extending pupils’ awareness beyond this are incomplete and pupils’ awareness of the cultural, ethnic, religious and social diversity of Great

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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2

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below those typical for their age. This is particularly the case with communication and language. Good teaching and care have maintained the good progress that was recorded at the last inspection so that by the end of their time in the Reception class the majority of children have reached the early learning goals expected for their age. Parents and carers value the good provision for care and welfare that ensures that children settle happily and quickly and are keen to learn. A well-planned range of interesting activities encourages children to explore, investigate and discuss. They behave well because they are busy enjoying their tasks. For example, children in Reception were working on a party theme making cards and note-writing and acting out in creative role play. Activities chosen by the children are well balanced with those led by adults.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Progress is carefully tracked and each child’s small steps in learning are recorded in their ‘Learning Journals’. Children enjoy working and playing outdoors; however, the Reception class has only restricted access to the outdoor learning area and planning for outdoor learning is less well developed.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Good leadership has established a united and experienced team. Staff are well- deployed and totally committed to improving all aspects of provision and enhancing children’s learning, personal and social development.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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2

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

All of the parents and carers who returned the questionnaire felt that their children were kept safe. The comments made were particularly positive about the welcome children receive in the Nursery, the friendly and positive atmosphere around school, support both for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and gifted and talented children and the way in which school responds to their concerns. A very small minority of parents and carers expressed concern about progress in Year 1 and some inconsistencies in teaching and behaviour management. The inspection considered these views and found that progress in Year 1 is now good and that teaching is more consistent and behaviour is well managed.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at St Joseph the Worker RC 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 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 38 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 175 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 27 71 10 26 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 27 71 11 29 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 23 61 15 39 0 0 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 18 47 18 47 2 5 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 22 58 14 37 1 3 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 21 55 16 42 0 0 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 23 61 13 34 0 0 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) 20 53 14 37 2 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 21 55 15 39 0 0 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 22 58 13 34 1 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 20 53 13 34 2 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 20 53 11 29 5 13 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 20 53 15 39 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

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

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, Salford, M44 6GX

Thank you for making our visit to inspect your school so enjoyable. Thank you especially to those of you who gave up your playtime to talk to us about your work. You told us how much you enjoy school and how well you are getting on.

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Inspection of St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, Salford, M44 6GX

St Joseph the Worker is a good school. It is a safe and happy place in which you are well cared for. You are well taught and so are making good progress. Your standards have risen well in mathematics and now the staff are working hard to help you to do better in writing. We were very impressed by your excellent singing and the lovely art work on display.

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Inspection of St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, Salford, M44 6GX

You usually behave well, concentrate and work hard. You have a good understanding about how to be healthy and make a good contribution to your community. We hope you are successful in achieving the Green Flag to add to your bronze Eco-award.

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Inspection of St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, Salford, M44 6GX

We always leave schools with suggestions as to how they can improve. We have asked the staff to keep on finding ways to help you to improve your writing so that your attainment rises even further. We also think that more could be done to help you to understand how people in other communities live, both at home and abroad. We have also asked teachers in the Early Years Foundation Stage to plan more opportunities for Reception children to learn outside.

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Inspection of St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School, Salford, M44 6GX

You can play your part by continuing to behave well, concentrate in class and attending every day.

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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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