St Ignatius Catholic Primary School

St Ignatius Catholic Primary School Storrs Hill Road, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 0DQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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

 Pupils’ rate of progress varies significantly from class to class.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. It does not promote good progress in every class.  Pupils’ pace of learning is not fast enough and too much time is wasted in some lessons.  Teachers do not always check what pupils already know and understand. This means their work is sometimes too easy and expectations of how much pupils can achieve are sometimes too low.  As there have been several recent changes in leadership it has been difficult to establish a clear and precise long-term plan for improvement. This has slowed the pace of school improvement.  Although school leaders regularly check the quality of teaching in lessons, some assessments of pupils’ work are not accurate. This makes it difficult for school leaders, including governors, to check how well all pupils are achieving and improve the school at a good rate.

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The school has the following strengths

 In the Nursery, Year 2 and Year 6, many pupils make or exceed the progress expected of them due to effective teaching.  Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. Attendance is above average.  The school provides a caring and harmonious community. Pupils feel safe and well supported.  Pupils enjoy many memorable experiences, such as the recent ‘Science Fun Day’ and making high quality films on the computer.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 12 lessons and made several other short visits to lessons to observe teaching and learning. They scrutinised pupils’ work, observed break times and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, school staff, senior leaders, governors, representatives from the local authority and from the trust of the academy.  A number of school documents were examined; these included the school’s own self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of 24 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and also analysed the school’s own questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Fiona Gowers, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Jones Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Ignatius Catholic Primary School converted to an academy school on 1 November 2012. Its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted and judged to be satisfactory.  It is smaller than the average sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, come from armed service families and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils supported at school action is broadly average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school has had several changes of leadership since it became an academy school. The

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Information about this school

current headteacher was appointed in May 2013, after working on a temporary basis at the school from February 2013.

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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; this is in order to improve achievement and all pupils make or exceed expected progress in all year groups by: - matching learning activities more precisely to the needs of all pupils - increasing how quickly pupils learn in all lessons - ensuring no learning time is wasted in lessons - ensuring all teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leaders, managers and governors so that the pace of school improvement increases by: - planning precise school priorities - ensuring assessments of pupils’ work are accurate - regularly checking that that the school’s priorities have been met, particularly with regard to pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because their rate of progress is too inconsistent in some classes. Pupils make slower progress in some classes and then faster progress in others.  Pupils start school with skills that are typically expected for their age, although this can vary from year to year. Most pupils make expected levels of progress overall from their individual starting points. Most pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 reach the expected level in English and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching the above-average levels is generally in line nationally.  In the Nursery, Year 2 and Year 6 many pupils make better than expected progress.  Many pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of letters and the sounds they make. Most pupils are developing into confident and enthusiastic readers by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6.  Some pupils are starting to make better progress in mathematics because they are encouraged

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

to consolidate and extend their skills through practical tasks that have more than one answer.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those supported at school action or school action plus, generally do as well as other pupils in school because of the effective support provided.  Some pupils supported by the additional pupil premium funding, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, are starting to grow in confidence and catch up in their learning. The funding has been used to provide pastoral support for those who may be at risk of falling behind in their learning, as well as additional support in the classroom. Gaps between how well these pupils are doing compared to other pupils in school are beginning to close.  Equality of opportunity is promoted for these groups. The good level of care provided helps them do as well as others in school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it varies significantly from class to class.  In the weaker lessons, pupils do not always do as well as they should. Teachers do not check what pupils already know, understand and can do carefully enough. This means that learning activities are not matched well enough to individual pupil’s needs. Too often, pupils of differing abilities are given the same tasks to complete, which are too easy for many pupils; in such lessons, too much time is wasted between activities or while pupils sit and listen to the teacher explaining work they already know how to do.  However, some teaching, particularly in the Nursery, Year 2 and Year 6, is of good or better quality.  In the better lessons, pupils learn more quickly because more is expected of them. The work teachers set helps pupils to learn well, whatever their ability. Teachers ask pupils searching

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

questions to get them thinking and to see how much they have understood. A range of activities keeps pupils interested and motivates them to try their best.  Children get off to a particularly strong start to their learning in the Nursery. Children cannot wait to explore the exciting activities on offer. For example, many children were fully absorbed in their learning as they worked as a group to develop their own adventure on an imaginary camping trip. Adults skilfully intervened to encourage children to explain and develop their ideas further.  Pupils are encouraged to use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make and this is helping them to read and write unfamiliar words.  The teaching of mathematics is starting to improve and is particularly effective when pupils are encouraged to work things out for themselves. Older pupils in upper Key Stage 2 worked hard on a range of activities that had more than one possible solution. They completed an initial

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

investigation and then quickly moved onto more difficult activities that got them thinking hard as they enthusiastically discussed and explored possible solutions to the problem.  The quality of marking is improving. In most classes, pupils receive guidance on what they have done well and how they can improve their work further.  School leaders recently identified some pupils who have not been making as much progress as had been expected. These pupils are receiving additional support and there are signs that they are now beginning to make better progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are extremely polite, friendly and well behaved. They are eager to learn, although sometimes a few pupils sit back and let others do all the work in lessons that do not interest them as much.  Pupils’ personal, social and emotional development is supported very well from the very start of school. As a result, they work well in groups together and readily look after each other.  Relationships are positive throughout school. Adults treat pupils with a great deal of courtesy and respect and the pupils themselves also model this behaviour. The school is a tight-knit community where people genuinely show good levels of care for each other.  Pupils are very proud of their school and say they feel happy and safe at school. A group of pupils agreed that ‘there is always someone to turn to if you need help.’  Attendance is rising and is above average; this reflects pupils’ good levels of enjoyment of school

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

life. All pupils are encouraged to take part in a range of music and sporting activities.  Pupils say that bullying is rare. They consider that if any unkind behaviour does arise then it is swiftly dealt with by adults at school. Pupils have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and the risks involved with social media sites.  The vast majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire and the school’s own questionnaire consider that their children are happy, safe and well looked after in school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 As there have been several recent changes in leadership it has been difficult to establish a clear long-term plan for school improvement. This has slowed the pace of school improvement and inconsistencies in pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching remain.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher check the quality of teaching and learning regularly and have aspirations for the school. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and have identified appropriate areas in need of improvement. School leaders have improved teaching in some classes and the quality of marking. However, assessments of pupils’ work are not all accurate and school priorities are not always precise enough. This makes it difficult for school leaders, including governors, to check if pupils’ achievement is improving quickly enough in every class.  Nevertheless, the school has continued to improve in several key areas. Some pupils are making

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The leadership and management requires improvement

better than expected progress and attendance is rising. Middle leaders are growing in confidence and developing their skills with the support of senior leaders. The school also fosters pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well.  The school is developing strong partnerships within the academy’s trust. Most parents are very supportive of the school. Parents played a key role in the recent development of an attractive garden area in the school grounds, which is used as the focus for practical science activities.  The curriculum is improving. Pupils enjoy an increasing range of enriching activities. They have had much success in local sporting competitions and many pupils are skilled and confident when working on the computer.  Both the local authority and academy’s trust have provided a good level of support for the school during a period of significant number of changes in leadership.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear view of the school’s strengths and they are aware that there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors are very supportive and they are developing the skills to challenge the school more effectively. For example, recent training helped governors gain a greater understanding of the pupil premium funding and how they can evaluate the impact of its use.  Governors are closely involved in the leadership of teaching and learning and are aware that the focus of performance management is closely linked to improving pupils’ achievement.  The school benefits from a wide range of professional expertise on the Academy Council. After canvassing the opinions of parents, governors are currently redesigning the school’s website and developing a parents’ handbook to ensure parents are kept well informed.  The Academy Council makes sure the school meets current safeguarding requirements.

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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 138946 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 410485

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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 Catholic Academy Trust Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 158 Appropriate authority Trust Board Chair Nicola Bowie Headteacher Jacqueline Rush Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01924 302895 Fax number 01924 302898 Email address headteacher@st-ignatius.wakefield.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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