St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Queen's Road, Ingrow, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD21 1AR

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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

 Pupils do not make progress at an even rate across the school.  Too few pupils consistently make more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The quality of teaching is too variable. In recent years, it has not been good enough to help pupils to achieve consistently well.  Some teachers do not use all of the assessment information available to them in planning lessons. As a result, they sometimes provide activities that are too easy and pupils are unable to make the progress that they should.  Teachers do not always expect enough of pupils and tasks do not always build on what pupils can already do.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils correct their work following marking and learn from their mistakes.  The behaviour of some pupils is not good enough in some lessons.  Some subject leaders do not have sufficient involvement in improving teaching and achievement in their subjects.

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

 Targets set in the school’s development plan are not all challenging enough to help the school achieve a good level.

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The school has the following strengths

 Since her permanent appointment, the headteacher has worked closely with the local authority, the diocese and school governors to drive change and school improvement. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are beginning to improve.  There is some good and outstanding teaching across the school.  Teaching and learning are good in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils say that they feel safe and they are kept safe in school.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  A wide range of additional activities adds variety and enjoyment to pupils’ learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 parts of lessons, sessions taken by teaching assistants and listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, school staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 18 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and 38 responses to a staff questionnaire.  A range of documents was considered by inspectors, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, the school development plan, information about pupils’ progress, checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings and records relating to attendance and safeguarding. Inspectors also examined work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Louise Murphy, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector Baljinder Khela Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St. Joseph’s is larger than most primary schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding provided for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from services families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.  Most pupils are from a White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is similar to national levels, as is the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need.  There have been a number of changes to staffing since the last inspection. The headteacher took up her post permanently in April 2012 and an assistant headteacher joined the school in January 2013. Five teachers and four teaching assistants have joined the staff and there have

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Information about this school

been a number of long-term staff absences covered by agency staff.  The school building is undergoing refurbishments as the school moves from two- to one-form entry.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is all good or better in order to speed up progress between Year 1 and Year 6, by making sure that teachers always:  make use of all of the assessment information available to them so that the tasks that they set make pupils think hard, make good progress and behave well  have high expectations of what pupils can achieve so that activities provided build on what pupils already know and can do  check that pupils complete their corrections following teachers' marking of their work so that they are able to learn from their mistakes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop leadership and management by ensuring that:  all targets set in the school development plan are sufficiently challenging  middle leaders are fully involved in all aspects of their areas of responsibility so that they can have a positive impact on pupils' progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The information available confirms that progress made by pupils from their individual starting points is not always good enough across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. As a result, achievement requires improvement.  For the past three years, end-of-key-stage test results show that standards at the end of Year 2 are broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Key Stage 2 results were also broadly average, but dipped to well below national levels in 2013. However, this was linked to pupils’ progress being disturbed by changes to staffing.  The school’s pupil progress information and inspectors’ observations show that in reading, writing and mathematics attainment is uneven between Year 1 and Year 6. There are pockets of good progress, but these are inconsistent between subjects and classes. Overall, most pupils now make expected progress but too few pupils do better than this.  The school rightly identified the need to improve the teaching of reading. Phonics (matching

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

letters to the sounds that they make) is being extended into Key Stage 2 for pupils who would benefit. Pupils who need additional support to develop their reading skills now read to an adult daily. Teachers make sure that older pupils regularly read different types of book from the wide range provided at school. Most pupils currently in school read at the level expected of them.  School leaders have also recognised that the teaching of mathematics needed to improve. They have put strategies in place, such as teaching pupils in sets matched to their ability level, providing small-group sessions to focus on particular aspects and increasing the use of practical resources. However, these systems have not been in place long enough to have had a full impact on standards.  The school provides support for the most-able, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. The progress that these pupils make is similar to that of others in the school

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in that it varies widely between classes and overall requires improvement.  At the end of Year 6 in 2013, the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals also dipped to approximately one year behind that of other Year 6 pupils in reading and writing and four terms behind that of other pupils in mathematics. However, current school data show that in other year groups and particularly at Key Stage 2, the gap between eligible pupils and their peers is consistently closing. This confirms the school’s commitment to making sure that all pupils have equal opportunities to achieve.  Most children start in the Nursery and Reception classes with skills and knowledge below that typically expected for their age. They make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well-prepared to join Year 1.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics requires improvement because it has not resulted in continued good progress for pupils between Year 1 and Year 6.  There have been improvements in the quality of teaching and learning over the current year owing to staff changes and the effective training and support provided by the local authority and the diocese. Advisers have worked closely with school leaders and there are now examples of good and excellent teaching across the school.  Some teachers do not always expect enough from pupils and activities do not build on what they know and can do. For example, older pupils were using connectives (words to join sentences) in one lesson. Instead of insisting that they used the higher-level connectives that had been introduced, the teacher accepted answers that were often those to be expected from pupils in classes lower down the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils are regularly taught in groups according to their ability and some groups are provided with challenging tasks that make them think hard. For example, the most-able pupils often work together in a small group where they grapple with a range of problems that stretch their understanding. However, some teachers do not always use all of the assessment information available to them and this leads to pupils in some of the other larger groups all having the same work. For some pupils the work is then too easy and they do not make the progress that they should.  Teachers’ marking has very recently improved. Pupils are given time to think about how well they have understood the learning and they sometimes respond to teachers' comments. However, teachers do not always check that pupils then correct and edit their work; consequently, some pupils continue to make the same mistakes.  Teachers often encourage pupils to share their ideas. For example, in one mathematics lesson

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils worked together to solve problems involving units of weight. Pupils noticed mistakes and supported each other to put them right. The conversations that they had really helped them to reflect on their learning. All pupils enjoyed this lesson and some excellent learning took place.  Teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage. There is a focus on developing literacy and communication skills. Moreover, teachers carefully check children’s progress and provide imaginative activities that are well-planned to appeal to their interests and make them want to join in enthusiastically.  Teaching assistants usually provide valuable support for pupils’ learning. They work well with small groups and individuals.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. In some lessons when teaching is not good enough, pupils do not concentrate on their work and they fidget and distract each other. This hampers learning and progress.  In most lessons pupils are well-mannered and polite and when they go out on school trips they are often complimented on their behaviour.  Pupils said that behaviour was ‘mainly good but that there were some children who did not care about people’.  Saint Joseph’s provides opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. The eco- warriors make sure lights are switched off and that the school recycles as much as it can. School councillors are involved in spending decisions. For example the Parents’ Forum raised money and pupils decided to use it to buy a bird box that could be monitored through the computer. This is because pupils are very interested in nature, they eagerly discussed the bug hotel that they built

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

and could explain what goes on in the compost heap.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and could talk about how to keep safe when using computers.  The school considers pupils’ social and emotional development to be of great importance. Staff provide effective support for pupils and their families whose current circumstances make them vulnerable.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly average and improving because of the successful actions the school is taking.  The primary school sport funding is used to employ coaching staff to help teachers to teach a wider range of sporting activities to a higher standard. Pupils are involved in more competitions and have been asked which activities they would like to participate in. Consequently, more pupils are taking part in sporting activities both during and after the school day to help them stay

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because the school has not yet been able to establish consistently good teaching and pupil progress across all year groups.  The headteacher took up her post following a period of unsettled leadership. She has worked tirelessly to bring stability and improvement to the school. Her success demonstrates that the school can continue to improve further. Work with the local authority and the diocese has been helpful in getting these processes established.  A priority has been the restructuring of senior and middle leadership roles. The effective senior team is now fully in place. Due to staffing changes some subject leaders are new to their role and although they are committed to developing it they have not had sufficient time to do so. As a result, they are not yet involved in checking on the progress of groups of pupils and taking action to accelerate achievement in their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders have an accurate view of where the school is now and know what needs to be done to continue on the path to improvement. However, targets set within the school development plan are not always ambitious enough to result in at least a good level of pupil achievement.  The quality of teaching is regularly and rigorously checked and staff are accessing appropriate training.  The curriculum does not yet support pupils to make consistently good progress with their literacy and numeracy skills. However, the school is already tackling this issue.  Pupils are provided with interesting experiences, enriched by a good range of after-school activities and exciting trips linked to class topics. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is given good attention.  Statutory duties, including financial and safeguarding requirements, are fulfilled.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has helped to steer the school through an unsettled time and has

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The leadership and management requires improvement

emerged stronger for it. They are kept informed of the school’s strengths and priorities through headteacher reports and their visits to school. Governors regularly engage in training to develop their skills. They understand school performance data and this helps them to challenge and support the school appropriately. The governing body has a good understanding of the quality of teaching, performance management and how good teaching is rewarded. They check how pupil premium funding is spent and the impact that it has on eligible pupils.

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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 107345 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 430853

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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 414 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sharon Dematteis Headteacher Susan Long Date of previous school inspection 22 May 2012 Telephone number 01535 605880 Fax number 01535 690419 Email address office@stjosephsprimary.co.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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