St Patrick and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School

St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Dudley Road, Birmingham, B18 7QW

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Teaching is not yet good enough to promote good progress.  The work set for pupils does not always build on what they have already learned.  The most able pupils are not given enough demanding work to ensure they reach the higher levels of which they are capable.  Teachers do not fully develop the skills pupils need to become independent learners.  Teachers do not always make pupils fully aware of what they need to do to improve their work.  Opportunities are often missed to extend and promote pupils’ speaking and listening skills.  Too many pupils are regularly absent.  The checks carried out on pupils’ performance are improving but are not yet leading to higher attainment for the most able pupils.  Many governors are new to their role and not yet fully effective.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children get off to a good start in the Reception class.  Over the last two years pupils’ progress and attainment have improved, especially in writing.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to learning and progress, especially for pupils who need extra help.  The senior leaders and governing body have ambitious plans for improvement.  The federation with the partner school is proving beneficial.  Parents and carers are pleased with the quality of education provided.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed substantial parts of 10 lessons taught by seven teachers. Six lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors also undertook a series of brief visits to observe learning in parts of several lessons and by small groups of pupils.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school leaders and teachers, parents, the Chair of the Governing Body and representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents and carers through discussions and consideration of the school’s parental questionnaire. There were no returns to the online Parent View questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at the school’s self-evaluation, plans for improvement, policies to ensure that pupils are safe, the school’s survey of parents’ views, records of pupils’ attainment and progress, and information about attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Godfrey Bancroft, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Helen Masefield Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is slightly smaller than the average primary school.  Almost all pupils come from minority ethnic heritages and the proportion who speak English as an additional language is very high.  The proportion of pupils who start or leave the school at other than the expected times is much higher than found in similar schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is high.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by school action or school action plus is significantly higher than usual. The proportion who have a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  In April 2011, the school entered into a federation with the nearby St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School, with which it shares its headteacher and governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress across all subjects by ensuring that:  work is consistently well matched to pupils’ learning needs and the stage they have reached, especially for those capable of reaching higher National Curriculum levels  pupils acquire the skills they need to become increasingly independent learners  every opportunity is taken to promote and improve pupils’ speaking and listening abilities  pupils are made fully aware of what they need to do to improve their work, including through marking.  Increase the effectiveness of measures to raise levels of attendance and reduce the number of pupils who are persistent absentees.  Improve leadership and management, including governance, by:  ensuring that phase leaders focus closely on raising the attainment of potentially higher- attaining pupils  consolidating the role of the governing body in holding the school to account for the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children in the current Reception class started school with levels of skills and knowledge below those expected for their age, although in previous years, attainment on entry has often been well below the expected levels. The majority of children in this age group make good progress.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 is below average. In the four years preceding 2012, there was an established pattern of good progress in Years 1 and 2 but inadequate progress in Years 3 to 6. The good progress for most pupils in Years 1 and 2 is being sustained and marked improvements are evident in Years 3 to 6. Attainment is rising, especially in writing.  In 2012 the school received its best ever national test results for pupils in Year 6, when attainment in English and mathematics matched the national average and the majority of pupils made good progress from their various starting points.  The current Year 6 pupils started from a lower level and standards are on course to be

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

below average in English and mathematics. Almost all pupils are making the progress expected nationally. However, achievement is not good because the proportion of pupils making faster progress is below average.  Attainment in reading is below average but improving steadily, especially among the younger pupils. An increasing number of pupils say they enjoy reading and regularly read at home.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the progress expected of them. Pupils supported by the pupil premium also make the expected progress.  Pupils who join the school partway through the year or their education and those who speak English as an additional language settle in well and also make the progress expected of them. All these groups of pupils benefit greatly from the school’s thorough approach to promoting equality of opportunity and eliminating discrimination.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 A significant amount of good teaching was seen during the inspection, but teaching is not good overall because there are inconsistencies and some weaknesses.  Some teachers do not plan work that is consistently well matched to pupils’ ability levels or the stage they have reached in their learning. This applies especially to more-able pupils, who are not always given work that extends their knowledge and understanding. Consequently, not enough pupils reach the higher National Curriculum levels.  In some lessons, teachers tend to talk too much at the expense of opportunities for pupils to answer questions, conduct discussions and share their ideas. At times, the pace of lessons is too fast and some pupils are left behind.  Sometimes teachers do not check that pupils understand fully what they have learnt, how well they have done or what they need to do to improve their work.  Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning, especially for pupils

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

who are new to the school, including those who speak English as an additional language, as well as disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Many pupils are overly reliant on adult support and are unable to sustain their learning without direct intervention from adults. This is because they are not given enough help to acquire the strategies they need to become independent learners, despite some good examples seen among the younger pupils in the Reception class and Year 1.  Where there is good teaching, teachers explain clearly what pupils are expected to learn and plan activities that capture pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. Teachers also check pupils’ progress and understanding and make sure that pupils are aware of how to improve their work. However, marking across the school does not always give pupils enough guidance about how to improve their work.  Assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress are accurate and are used increasingly well

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

to identify any pupil who is at risk of falling behind.  Teachers make a highly effective contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, for example in music and religious education.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of pupils behave well during lessons and around the school. Many pupils are very aware of the needs of others and are caring and eager to help each other. However, this area is not good because attendance is below average and exclusions have been too high.  The school has worked effectively to raise attendance and it is currently better than in previous years. The number of pupils who are persistent absentees is also reducing, although it is still too high.  The number of pupils who are suspended for instances of unacceptable behaviour is also too high but reducing steadily. This is because the management of pupils’ behaviour is improving.  Pupils say they feel safe at school, and parents and carers are confident that this is the case.  The school is working effectively to raise pupils’ awareness of the various forms bullying can take, especially that posed by misuse of the internet and involving inappropriate comments

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

or actions related to pupils’ heritage, race or background.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders and the governing body have a clear vision for the continued improvement of the school. They have a realistic and accurate overview of the school’s performance across all aspects of its work.  Improvements over the last two years in attainment and progress, the quality of teaching and the engagement of parents in their children’s learning illustrate the school’s capacity for improvement in the future.  An effective system for checking and developing the quality of teaching, including frequent lesson observations by senior leaders and ongoing training for all staff, is underpinning current improvements.  The school has appointed phase leaders to be responsible for improvements in achievement throughout each stage of pupils’ progress through the school. While these appointments are relatively recent, those in post have worked effectively to identify what needs to be improved.  The use of data to identify and respond to trends in pupils’ attainment and progress is also

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The leadership and management requires improvement

improving across the school. This too is at an early stage and is not yet sufficiently established to have had a full impact on pupils’ attainment.  The federation with St Edmund’s is starting to promote developments and bring improvements. It is creating opportunities for senior and middle leaders in the two schools to share ideas and discuss developments. For example, St Patrick’s is currently adopting the system for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress that has proved to be successful at the partner school.  The local authority has played a useful role by undertaking a review of the school’s performance, supporting the introduction of the phase leaders and helping with the training of teaching assistants.  The curriculum meets pupils’ learning needs and personal development appropriately. It is especially effective in supporting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, for example through sporting, cultural and community activities.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A good range of additional activities supplement pupils’ learning. A wide range of musical activities are enjoyed by pupils and are gaining an increasingly high profile across the school’s community.  The school works effectively to involve parents and carers in their children’s education. It ensures they are well informed about progress and aware of any problems that might occur.  Resources are used wisely and the investment in the appointment and training of teaching assistants is proving to be particularly effective.  Additional Government funding to support pupils through the pupil premium is also used wisely to provide additional tuition for those who need it and to ensure that all pupils are able to enjoy the Year 6 residential visit to an outdoor activities centre.  Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils meet current national requirements.  The governance of the school:  is very supportive and represents all parts of the school’s community

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 includes many relatively new governors, who have been appointed since the federation was established; while at an early stage, effective training is enabling them to embark on holding the school to account for the quality of its work and to contribute to future developments.

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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

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Grade Judgement Description

is 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 103439 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 400359

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Teresa Paszkowski Headteacher Mary O'Friel Date of previous school inspection 15 July 2010 Telephone number 0121 675 0767 Fax number 0121 675 0767 Email address m.ofriel@stpatrc.bham.sch.uk 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,

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School details

please 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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