Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Eden Way, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS4 2TF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Overall pupils make expected progress through Years 1 to 6. Progress has improved rapidly following a period of underachievement.  Leaders and managers are not ensuring that the quality of teaching is consistently good or better, through effective monitoring and by challenging and supporting all adults to improve.  Teaching does not always allow pupils to make good or better progress as work does not always match pupils’ needs.  Pupils are not always given the opportunity to become independent learners by completing their own research or developing their own style of recording.  Teachers do not sufficiently monitor pupils’ learning during lessons to ensure that progress is continuous.

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The school has the following strengths

 Behaviour is good throughout the school and incidents are managed in a particularly effective way.  Teachers’ marking is good with constructive comments to help pupils know how to improve their work.  Pupils made good progress in reading in the most recent academic year due to parental involvement and a focus this year on improving standards in reading.  The new leadership team and the governors have, in a short space of time, made a positive impact on pupils’ progress by improving the quality of teaching.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and the positive ethos of the school promotes good relationships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons in a range of subjects. The headteacher and deputy headteacher both took part in one lesson observation with the inspection team. All teachers were observed with inspectors spending more than seven hours in lessons. In addition the inspection team made short visits to classrooms.  Inspectors listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 read, and spoke to pupils in lessons and at break- times. Inspectors looked at work and marking in books.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, one representative from the diocese and one from the local authority, and members of the senior leadership team.  A number of documents were studied, including the school’s own data, performance management documents, external evaluations of the school, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance documents.

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Inspection team

Joanna Sharpe, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Andrew Morley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is high.  The proportions of pupils for whom English is not their first language and those from minority ethnic groups are also high.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is low. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high.  Since the last inspection there have been significant changes in the senior leadership team. This includes a new acting headteacher who has been in post since October 2011.  The school meets the current government floor standards which the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better to ensure that pupils’ progress further accelerates and that their overall attainment is higher by ensuring that:  work matches pupils’ needs so that they are challenged at the appropriate level in all lessons in all classes  teachers regularly check and monitor pupils’ learning throughout all lessons to ensure that progress is continuous  pupils are given more opportunities to explore learning for themselves and take responsibility for their own method of exploration.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  lessons are regularly monitored to guarantee consistently good practice across the school  performance management systems are fully implemented to challenge and support adults across the whole school to improve teaching in all areas.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There has been a trend of significant underachievement in English and mathematics in previous years across all key stages. However, recent school data and scrutiny of books show that attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2012 is in line with national averages.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the school with skills that are generally well below those expected for their age. In 2012 children left the Reception class with skills that were still below those expected for their age. However, this demonstrates an improvement on previous years.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 At the end of Year 6 a similar picture of improvement can be seen. School data show that, after a trend of attainment that was well below national averages, attainment in English and mathematics in 2012 was closer to national averages.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In Years 1 to 6 pupils make expected progress. The good progress seen in recent months has not been sustained for long enough yet to enable pupils to make good progress over time.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement still varies considerably in English and mathematics from class to class. This directly relates to inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those supported through the pupil premium make progress that is generally in line with their peers. As a result of more rigorous tracking and effective interventions their progress is beginning to exceed that of their peers.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 All pupils make good progress in reading due to a whole-school focus, effective parental involvement and substantial financial investment. Parents are highly supportive and pupils read daily at home. Regular guided reading sessions, and successful teaching of the links between letters and sounds, mean that all pupils develop effective skills that aid their reading and comprehension. In 2012 the numbers of pupils achieving Level 4+ in reading was in line with the national average.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved in 2012 but the improvement has not yet been sustained over a period of time. Current inconsistencies and previous inadequate teaching have had a negative impact on pupils’ achievement over time. Equally, recent improvements in teaching are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ attainment.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the better lessons teachers engage pupils’ interests well, which has a positive effect on the attitudes to learning engendered in the classroom. For example, in one Year 1 lesson where practical mathematics activities kept young pupils engaged in learning for a considerable length of time. Young children in the Reception class were also inspired to make tents by using bamboo, pieces of material, pipe-cleaners, and connecting materials. This enabled good development of their social, language and physical skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and are skilled at questioning pupils to further promote their learning and understanding. In one Year 6 lesson, adults’ timely intervention and skilled questioning encouraged pupils to consider different ways to solve mathematics problems.  In some better lessons, pupils are given the opportunity to evaluate their own work and the work of others. Good use of interactive technology enabled Year 2 pupils to evaluate and improve their own work and the work of their peers, while it was displayed on the screen.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ marking provides useful pointers for pupils about how to improve their work. However, teachers do not all assess pupils’ progress regularly enough during lessons to ensure it is continuous. This was evident in one mathematics lesson where pupils working on the computer had no understanding of what was on screen and, therefore, learnt little.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils of different abilities regularly work on the same task and, with a lack of on-going assessment from adults, this means that challenge is not always appropriate and work does not fully meet pupils’ needs. Therefore, on a regular basis, higher-attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they should and lower-attainers become confused and their learning slows because they have little understanding of the task.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although independent learning is beginning to be developed, lessons are still very adult-directed. For example, pupils are seldom given the opportunity to explore subjects further with the use of computers or to select the appropriate resources themselves.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Adults have high expectations of behaviour at all times. Any minor incidents are dealt with very effectively. Behaviour logs are highly effective. They are thorough, systematic and sensitive to the needs of all involved. These logs show that pupils have time to reflect on their actions and receive guidance on how to develop responsibility for their own behaviour and how it affects others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school ethos promotes kindness and thought for others at all times. In assembly, pupils take time to reflect on friendships and share their positive views. They have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and say that incidents seldom occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of parents who expressed an opinion consider that behaviour is good in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They comment that behaviour is usually good with any poor behaviour being dealt with effectively. Even the very youngest children wait and hold the doors open for adults who are waiting to come through, without prompting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keenly aware of the high expectations of behaviour at all times and enjoy taking on responsibility, such as door monitors.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Where there is very occasional low level disruption in lessons this can be directly related to the quality of teaching.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is good. The school’s concerted effort to raise attendance has been effective in securing attendance that is at least in line with the national average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Current leaders and managers have a clear picture and understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have a firm commitment to improve teaching and raise attainment.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 In recent months, following a period of uncertainty, the impact of leaders and managers has been significant. They are aware of the vast improvements they have made and that they must continue to work hard to maintain and accelerate them.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership team has developed positive relationships with parents and this has had a direct impact on pupils’ learning, particularly reading.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Individual teachers and adults are eager to evaluate and improve their teaching. They understand the link between the quality of teaching and pupils’ quality of learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and managers have rightly dealt with the previously inadequate teaching. This has left little time for them to monitor other teaching to ensure it is of consistently good quality. Performance management systems are in their infancy. As yet, leaders do not provide enough challenge and support to all adults involved in teaching to help them improve and to ensure that there is a direct impact on pupils’ learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum is very basically planned around themes. It is enhanced by musical activities, inter-house sport competitions, residential and day visits, as well as a number of extra-curricular activities. The curriculum as a whole and the school ethos promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority, the diocese and the governing body provide effective support which has improved the quality of leadership, management and teaching across the school. Their robust evaluation of the school, along with the senior leaders, clearly focuses on and supports those areas that require improvement, confirming the school’s capacity to improve further.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  all statutory duties are fulfilled, including safeguarding requirements which are secure and robust  the governors and diocese have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and are keenly aware of how hard the school must work to maintain the pace of improvement embarked upon  governors have taken steps to improve the efficiency of their role, for example, by forming links with governors at other schools  governors have consistently challenged and worked highly effectively with the school through some very difficult periods.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 108031 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 400961

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School details

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

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School details

3-11 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom Brannigan Headteacher Catherine McDonald Date of previous school inspection 11–12 May 2010 Telephone number 0113 3368003 Fax number 0113 214561 Email address Kevillj01@leedslearning.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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 assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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