St Joseph and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Doncaster Lane, Woodlands, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN6 7QN

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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

 Continued uncertainty over the permanent leadership of the school has slowed the pace of improvement since the last inspection.  The quality of teaching is not consistently strong enough to enable pupils to make the good progress they should from their starting points.  Achievement requires improvement because pupils’ progress across the school varies between classes. In particular, pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium are not achieving as well they should.  There are times when pupils do not behave as well as they might because lessons fail to hold their interest or their behaviour is not managed as well as it might be.  There has been, and to some extent still is, turbulence and uncertainty in the leadership and management of the school.  Leadership at all levels, including governance, is not acting fast enough to ensure that existing good practice in teaching is evident in all classes.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new school leaders have quickly come to an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school is now beginning to improve.  Most pupils are well behaved, feel safe and keen to learn.  There is some good teaching.  Leadership and provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage have improved since the previous inspection.  Governors are coming to terms with their responsibilities, partly due to good support from the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 Two additional inspectors visited 10 lessons and observed five teachers. All class teachers were observed twice. Two of the lessons were joint observations with the headteacher.  On both days, the headteacher and deputy headteacher were present when inspectors made their decisions.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 16 responses to the staff questionnaire, and the 11 responses from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors talked to pupils and parents. They listened to pupils read and looked at their work in books and on display around school.  Inspectors examined documents including the school’s checks on how well it is doing and its improvement plan. They also looked at records on safeguarding, attendance, behaviour and exclusions.

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Inspection team

Henry Moreton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Matthews Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is in the Catholic Federation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and Saint Joseph and Saint Teresa’s Catholic Primary schools.  This is a smaller than average sized primary school. The number of pupils has decreased since the previous inspection. There are more boys than girls in the school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average, and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The vast majority of pupils are White British. Few pupils speak English as an additional language. None are in the care of the local authority.  The school is meeting the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is no permanent headteacher in post.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be good or better by:  teaching phonics (the sounds that letters make) consistently across the school  ensuring pupils are given more opportunities to read and write in all subjects  ensuring appropriate homework is given regularly  ensuring all pupils know their individual targets  ensuring pupils present their work to a higher standard and cover more ground  making better use of resources, including the teaching assistants and information and communication technology  sharing the good practice that exists in the school.  Improve pupils’ achievement by:  ensuring all pupils make more consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics  ensuring the funding for supporting pupils through the pupil premium is checked and used effectively to help these pupils achieve as well as they should.  Improve pupils’ behaviour by:  ensuring all lessons interest them

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensuring behaviour is managed consistently by all staff.  Improve leadership and management by:  appointing a permanent headteacher  ensuring that governors check on the spending of the pupil premium funding and how effective this is in raising these pupils’ achievement  ensuring school leaders, including subject leaders, are held more accountable for raising pupils’ achievement  making firm long-term plans that guide school leaders and governors to make the improvements needed.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the school with skills that are broadly those expected for their age. Attainment on exit from Year 6 is also broadly average. This means that not all pupils are making enough progress and reaching the higher standards of which many are capable, particularly in writing.  The results of the Key Stage 1 assessments since the previous inspection show that standards are falling in both English and mathematics. Boys do not achieve as well as girls. The more able pupils are currently not achieving as well as they should.  The results of the Key Stage 2 national tests since the previous inspection are much more encouraging and there is a general upward trend, especially in mathematics. Boys’ attainment has improved and the gap with girls’ attainment narrows. Pupils are underachieving in writing. Some pupils with special educational needs and supported by school action are not achieving as

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

well as they should.  The generally average outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 mask inconsistency throughout the school. While some pupils do reach above average standards by the end of Year 6, there is no consistent trend of improvement in either English or mathematics.  About a third of pupils for whom the pupil premium applies are not making the progress they should in order to close the gap with other pupils in the school.  The school is not promoting equal opportunity as effectively as it should because of the underachievement of some groups.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 A very small amount of inadequate teaching was observed. Some of the lessons observed by inspectors, including those with the headteacher, required improvement.  In these lessons, teaching is characterised by activities that do not fully interest pupils. As a result, their attention wanes. This is not always apparent because pupils are respectful and compliant; but too many of all abilities are not really listening carefully to the teacher. As a result, they do not understand what is required. This is compounded because pupils do not have the confidence to ask when they do not understand something. Pupils’ lack of understanding is apparent through their incorrect answers or responses, and teachers do not address this but simply plough on regardless. As a result, pupils lag further behind and this includes pupils who are supported by the pupil premium.  Sometimes teachers’ subject knowledge is weak and this, together with poor organisation of the

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

classroom, means that pupils are caught between listening to the teacher and to the teaching assistants who are supporting them. Too many pupils do not have good learning habits, such as using dictionaries to check their spelling.  There are some good aspects in teaching. Teaching in the best lessons is characterised by effective planning which is not overly complicated but ensures that pupils know the purpose of the activities and tasks, and what is expected of them. Some teachers’ planning is exemplary. This ensures that over the course of a lesson, progress is made and pupils’ knowledge is both reinforced and developed.  Some marking is of a high quality with pupils able to see easily what it is they need to do to improve. Well-rehearsed routines and effective behaviour management in the best lessons means that no time is wasted. However, this is not always the case in some lessons.  The checks made on children’s progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage are good, as are

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the learning storybooks that foster partnership between home and school.  Teachers’ expectations of how carefully pupils present their work and of the amount they produce are often too low.  Teachers do not teach phonics consistently in all classes, nor provide pupils with enough opportunities to use and develop their reading and literacy skills across the curriculum.  Parents’ concerns about the appropriateness of homework are well-founded.  Relationships throughout the school are good and the general ambience for learning is positive.  There is a high level of care for pupils. This is reflected in the responses from parents and by the pupils themselves, most of whom enjoy school. Pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable are looked after well.  The quality of displays in classrooms and around the school reflects a well-balanced curriculum, with strengths in some areas such as art and multicultural education. Teachers ensure that

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils have a good awareness of other cultures throughout the world.  The teaching of personal and social education is effectively managed and pupils have a good understanding of their responsibilities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The vast majority of pupils, both girls and boys, behave well in lessons and around the school. Some parents and staff express concerns about the bad behaviour of a small minority of pupils from time to time. Inspectors saw no evidence of bad behaviour other than inattention when lessons failed to interest pupils or where behaviour was not managed as well as it is in most lessons. Most pupils try hard and want to learn.  Pupils respond well when they are made to think and are given the opportunity to check on how well they are doing for themselves. While many know their targets, not all do.  Some pupils, parents and staff express concerns about bullying. Pupils understand the different forms bullying can take. Again, inspectors saw no evidence of bullying but examined the behaviour and exclusion logs. These show some instances of bullying over time, mostly at play and lunch times. The incidents that are recorded are well managed and the appropriate actions

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

taken in a timely manner.  Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong from a young age. The school council are involved in important school decisions. Older pupils display initiative, and a small group of boys, and more recently girls, have formed a, ‘best friend’s club’ to support other children who know that they can come to them with their concerns. Because of this and the care of staff, pupils feel safe in school.  Pupils’ attend well and are punctual.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school is going through a period of uncertainty because it does not have a permanent headteacher. However, the temporary headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher are tackling the school’s underperformance in a measured manner and have made a very good start to this work. They are very well supported by the local authority and have the full backing of the governing body.  Governors are becoming more focused on evaluating pupils’ learning when they visit the school.  As a result of these developments, albeit belated, leaders have an accurate understanding of what is needed to improve. They pull no punches and are self-critical. Inspectors’ findings mirror those of the school’s own evaluation.  Teaching has been analysed in some detail. The weaknesses are known, as are the strengths.  School leaders are using the already good practice in the school and in other schools locally in

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The leadership and management requires improvement

order to improve teaching, and this is slowly bearing fruit.  Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved and is now good. Oversight of improvements in literacy and numeracy is also improving, but too slowly.  The school has new steps in place to ensure that teachers have greater regard to the progress pupils are making, and intervening more speedily when they are seen to be falling behind.  Although there is targeted support for individuals, not enough use is made of the team of teaching assistants.  There are also missed opportunities to effectively use other resources, such as information and communication technology and all parts of the school building.  The school fosters good relationships even though there is an inconsistent approach to the management of behaviour.  School leaders ensure that all forms of discrimination are tackled robustly. Incidents of racism, for instance, are not tolerated.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  School governors have not ensured that the improvements needed, and identified almost three years ago, have been fully addressed. The exception is provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Governors are well-meaning, hard working and dedicated to pupils’ well- being. They oversee a school that provides a broadly balanced curriculum and one that cares well for its pupils. However, there are insufficiently rigorous and robust mechanisms in place to ensure that the school’s performance is closely checked. Governors do not hold school leaders to account for the spending of the pupil premium funding in the detail they should. Similarly, governors do not give enough attention to the requirements for the content of the school’s website. In contrast, the statutory requirements for safeguarding are met and arrangements for performance management are in place and inform teachers’ salary

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The leadership and management requires improvement

progression. There is no long- term plan to support the school’s development.

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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 106769 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 405056

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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

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 162 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Dennis Norman Headteacher Philip Patterson Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2010 Telephone number 01302 723320 Fax number 01302 728011 Email address admin@st-joseph-st-teresas.doncaster.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, please

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School details

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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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