St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Newman Grove, Rugeley, WS15 1BN

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school has improved considerably since its last inspection due to the strong leadership and hard work of the headteacher, teachers and governing body. The school evaluates how well it is doing and what needs to be done next accurately.  Current standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are in line with those seen nationally.  Leaders, managers and the governing body have made sure that teaching and learning are good in all classes. Teachers show good subject knowledge and promote learning well.  Pupils benefit from a good variety of exciting additional activities and experiences throughout the year. These include visits, residential stays and visitors to the school.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are good and this contributes strongly to the good learning in lessons. They say they feel safe in school and are aware of the different forms of bullying.  The school accurately evaluates how well it is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

doing and what needs to be done next to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are not enough planned opportunities or resources for children in the Reception class to learn to find things out for themselves outdoors.  Some teachers do not always give pupils of different ages and abilities sufficiently demanding work and, in a small minority of lessons, the pace of learning slows after a good brisk start.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, three of which were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings and discussions were held with governors, members of staff, a representative of the local authority and groups of pupils.  There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers (Parent View) to allow analysis.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupil mobility, pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.  Since the previous inspection, the school has been through a prolonged period of significant changes in staffing.

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Inspection team

Clive Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, three of which were joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings and discussions were held with governors, members of staff, a representative of the local authority and groups of pupils.  There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire for parents and carers (Parent View) to allow analysis.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupil mobility, pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.  Since the previous inspection, the school has been through a prolonged period of significant changes in staffing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality and consistency of teaching to be outstanding by making sure that:  all learning in lessons proceeds at a brisk pace  teachers consistently provide suitably challenging work for all pupils in their classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve resources and planning for the outdoor curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good teaching leads to pupils making good progress throughout the school. This progress is reflected in the good quality of learning in lessons observed and is confirmed by the work in pupils’ books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s experiences and skills when they enter the school in the Reception class are below those typically found for this age group. They make good progress in their first year in school in developing their basic literacy, communication and mathematics skills. However, planned opportunities for ‘free-choice’ activities outdoors are limited and this restricts the development of children’s independent learning skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Key Stage 1 quickly learn the sounds letters make (phonics) to support their reading and writing, as well as the mathematics skills they need to complete simple calculations. Pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to build on these good achievements and, by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in developing their reading skills. The teaching of reading, through daily phonics lessons and guided reading activities continues in all age groups. As a result, pupils throughout the school enjoy reading and read confidently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium make at least as good progress as other pupils in the school. Both 2012 national data and current school data indicate that these pupils attain similar standards in English and mathematics to those of other pupils. Any difficulties are quickly identified and the funding is used well to provide very carefully matched additional support through frequent one-to-one or small-group work. The school also uses a proportion of the money allocated to see that these pupils can join in all the extra activities provided for other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Class teachers, teaching assistants and outside agencies provide good support. This ensures that work is set at the right level for them, enabling them to make small but steady steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils of all backgrounds and abilities learn successfully due to good teaching. Teachers plan lessons well, sharing with pupils both what is to be learned and how to judge successful learning. Marking of pupils’ work gives them guidance about how well they have done and what they need to do to improve, often, usefully, referring to the pupils’ individual targets for improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In one outstanding Year 5/6 lesson, where pupils were evaluating their own speaking and listening skills, pupils made exceptional progress. The teacher made very good use of questioning to gauge and guide pupils’ understanding. Pupils were each given work that exactly matched the stage they were at. When critically evaluating their own videos produced in a previous lesson, they enthusiastically shared their ideas and also worked by themselves while the teacher provided support through highly skilled questioning which accelerated the progress of each individual.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are supported effectively by a well-deployed and strong team of teaching assistants who provide help for individuals and groups within classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ strategies to manage pupils’ behaviour are very effective, with the result that lessons are calm and purposeful. Pupils work hard and concentrate on their work without the need for constant adult intervention and reminders.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most cases lessons move along at a brisk pace, but occasionally the pace of learning slows, leading to some pupils losing their concentration. In a small number of lessons observed, pupils of widely varying ability spent too much time working on the same activity which meant that some of them were not sufficiently challenged.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires improvement. There is good provision for the development of children’s key literacy, communication and mathematics skills and children make good progress in these areas of learning. However, planning and resources for the use of the secure outdoor area are currently limited and this hampers the development of children’s independent learning skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is good and pupils’ achievement in these areas is checked and tracked rigorously as they progress through the school. The headteacher meets each class teacher every half term to evaluate and discuss the assessment information gained. These meetings mean that teachers have a good understanding of how well the pupils in their charge are doing and of the actions they should take to help and support them to reach their challenging improvement targets.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour in the classroom and around the school is typically good and is a major factor in the good progress they make in lessons. Pupils report that the school has an effective system of rewards and sanctions which means that any poor behaviour is dealt with effectively and promptly. Pupils who find behaving well more difficult are sensitively managed and skilfully supported so that, typically, their behaviour improves significantly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and Year 6 pupils said they will be sorry to leave the school in the summer. They say that they find learning fun and are enthusiastic about their education. They say there is no bullying in the school and have a good understanding of different forms of bullying, including that which might be encountered through internet sites.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and they describe their school as ‘very safe’. They are confident that any issues they raise will be dealt with promptly. Pupils understand the need for healthy lifestyles and exercise. Through the school council, they show their pride in the school community and take their responsibilities very seriously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils respond well to the school’s promotion of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and have a clear sense of what is right and wrong. They are curious about the world around them and enthusiastically embrace new experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection, the headteacher has overseen a successful focus on significantly improving teaching and accelerating progress across the school. Key strengths and areas for improvement have been identified, with the full support of the governing body.  The school has been through a prolonged period of significant changes in staffing and is now enjoying the benefits of a more stable situation. Staff are well motivated and demonstrate a shared sense of responsibility and commitment to improving the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leaders have used the pupil premium effectively for eligible pupils to improve staffing and other support to help them achieve better results.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school provides outstanding pastoral care for all its pupils. Pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable are warmly welcomed into the school and are particularly well cared for. Discrimination is not tolerated and the school ensures all pupils have the same opportunities to succeed. Safeguarding systems are secure and rigorous.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has very positive relationships with parents and carers and members of the local community. Its good links with a wide range of partners contributes significantly to improvements in pupils’ achievement and well-being.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has systems in place to secure progression through the pay scales and teachers’ performance is directly linked to key areas for improvement in the school development plan.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the school well in raising the quality of teaching and, hence, levels of attainment, across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body provides good support and challenge for leaders and managers so that the school improves. It checks that safeguarding is secure and has overseen the arrangements for the use of the pupil premium and for relating teachers’ performance to pay effectively. It knows what the school is doing to reward good teaching and to tackle any underperformance. It plays an active role in finding out how well the school is doing. Governors have a good understanding of the data and the comparative performance of pupils in relation to those in similar schools. It knows what is happening in the school and is aware that the quality of teaching is good. It keeps track of how well teachers are performing and knows about the targets that are set them to improve teaching.

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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 124360 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 412367

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 146 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kay Rimmer Headteacher Kathleen McNally Date of previous school inspection 4 May 2010 Telephone number 01889 256120 Fax number 01889 256123 Email address headteacher@st-josephs-rugeley.staffs.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

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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