Setting

Ms Val Plant Acting Headteacher St Catherine’s RC Primary School Moss Lane Leyland Lancashire PR25 4SJ

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School

Following my visit to your school on 14 December 2012, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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School

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in October 2012.

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Evidence

During this inspection, meetings were held with the acting headteacher, the associate headteacher, the associate deputy headteacher, the Vice Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and a representative of the local authority. The local authority’s statement of action and the school’s improvement plans were evaluated. CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01965 729320 Direct email : hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Context

The headteacher remains on sickness absence. Two other members of staff are on sickness absence and their classes are covered by supply teachers. The acting headteacher will leave the school at the end of this term to take up a headship at another school. An associate deputy headteacher and an associate assistant headteacher, on secondment from local schools, were appointed following the inspection. An associate headteacher has been appointed to join the school from January 2013 for three days per week.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Senior leaders and governors responded swiftly to the judgement of the recent inspection. Working with the local authority, they created an improvement plan grounded firmly on better outcomes for pupils. The local authority plan and the school improvement plan link well together to provide a clear vision of how to move the school to good. All involved know their roles and responsibilities for ensuring this happens. A small team of members of the governing body set up a school effectiveness committee with the responsibility for monitoring and evaluating planned action. One member of the governing body meets with the headteacher weekly. These discussions provide support for senior leaders and hold them to account for the decisions they are taking and the effect this is having on improvement in the school. Information generated at these meetings is reported to the full governing body and ensures all governors are kept fully apprised of the

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Members of the governing body have taken decisive action to build leadership capacity while the headteacher remains absent. The acting associate deputy headteacher and associate headteacher were appointed immediately after the inspection and will remain with the school for the foreseeable future. With the imminent departure of the acting headteacher governors have secured an associate headteacher to provide some leadership stability in this time of staffing flux. Performance management arrangements for teachers and teaching assistants are now focused on their accountability for pupils’ progress. Staff know what action needs to be taken to lift the school’s performance and are motivated to do so.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Following the monitoring inspection the following judgements were made:

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The local authority statement of action is fit for purpose.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The school’s action plans are fit for purpose. The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

This monitoring inspection letter will be published on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Executive Director for Children and Young People Director of Children’s Services for Lancashire.

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