Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School Finkle Street, Bentley, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN5 0RP

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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 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 make expected, rather than good, progress throughout the school.  Boys do not achieve as well as girls do, especially in reading. There are too few regular opportunities in Key Stage 2 for them to become proficient readers.  Tasks do not always hold boys’ interest as well as that of girls to ensure that they can learn well.  The most able pupils are not often given challenging tasks that enable them to reach higher levels and which make them really think. Sometimes, work is too hard for less- able pupils.  Teaching, while improving quickly, has not resulted in pupils making good progress over time.  Pupils entitled to support through the pupil premium funding achieve less well than other pupils in the standards that they reach.  Checking by subject leaders of the provision, teaching and learning and rates of progress in their areas of responsibility is not fully established.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher is taking the right action to improve teaching, achievement and leadership and, as a result, the school is improving rapidly.  Governors know the school well and provide constant support and challenge, which helps to enable the school to keep improving.  Girls achieve well.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress towards their goals.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They feel secure and safe in school and are cared for well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, of which three were observed jointly with the headteacher or assistant headteacher.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils during lessons and break times. She met formally with a group of pupils to find out their views about their school. She listened to pupils reading, watched them at break and lunch times and observed a small number of pupils being supported in intervention groups.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, other senior and subject leaders and members of the governing body. The inspector and a representative of the local authority held a telephone conversation. The inspector spoke to a small number of parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector looked at a wide range of information about the school, including data about the achievement of pupils, improvement planning, pupils’ work, and policies to help keep them safe

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Information about this inspection

 In carrying out the inspection, the inspector took into account the 17 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the 11 responses made by staff to the questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Lynne Blakelock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller in size, compared to other primary schools of its type.  It is in a hard federation with St. Joseph and St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School, with which it shares a governing body.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for looked- after children, those from armed service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher, who was acting headteacher at the time of the previous inspection, was appointed to the post of permanent headteacher in September 2013.  Some pupils join and leave the school at other than the expected times, and in some years the proportion doing so is above average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is always at least good or outstanding in order to accelerate progress and raise standards further, by making sure that:  teaching involves tasks set at the right level so pupils of all abilities, including the most and the least able, can achieve to the best of their ability  activities interest and motivate boys and provide very regular opportunities for them to read  teaching and the support provided for pupils entitled to support through pupil premium funding is planned carefully to provide accurately for their specific needs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management across the school by ensuring that subject leaders make regular checks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the provision and the quality of teaching and learning and pupils' progress in their areas of responsibility.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because over time it is too variable. Overall, pupils make expected progress over time. The standards reached by boys are lower than those reached by girls because boys’ rate of progress is slower. Pupils eligible for free school meals achieve less well than other pupils and, last year, did not make the progress expected of them in reading and writing.  Standards rose from significantly below average in 2012 to average in 2013. The quite small groups and the fact that in some year groups an above-average proportion of pupils join or leave the school at other than the expected times, contribute to variations in standards. Although attainment in mathematics has been inconsistent in recent years, standards rose to average in 2013 because mathematics was a major focus. Staff knew the gaps in pupils’ learning and tackled them through lots of extra support.  This quickly improving school tracks pupils’ progress very regularly and concentrates on tackling

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the variations in achievement. As a result, the gap between the school’s standards and those nationally at Key Stage 1 has narrowed steadily. School data indicate that pupils in Year 6 are on track to reach average standards this year. The boys have some way to go, especially in reading.  Pupils of all groups are keen to learn and want to do well. This is evident in their positive attitudes to learning. Different groups of pupils progress at different rates. Girls make good progress through the school and reach above average standards. Boys make expected progress and their standards are average. A higher proportion of girls than boys reach the higher levels.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make expected progress overall. Over time, support for them has been variable but new systems are beginning to ensure that it matches pupils’ needs. Some good support of small groups of these pupils was seen during the

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

inspection.  From Nursery onwards, teachers concentrate on developing pupils’ reading skills through phonics (the sounds that letters make). The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the national phonics screening check in Year 1, however, fell to below average in 2013, from above average in 2012. The school has tackled this issue and, this year, the percentage of pupils is expected to be in line with the national figure, with the most able pupils achieving higher scores.  Pupils supported by pupil premium money receive help through activities such as one-to-one or small-group support, extra help with phonics and social and emotional therapy. In 2012, there was only a very narrow gap between the performance of these pupils and that of others. In 2013, the gap widened considerably to between two terms in mathematics and two years in writing and reading. This year, there are too few pupils eligible to make a meaningful

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

comparison.  Children join the Nursery with levels of knowledge and skills below those typically expected. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes. Work promoting reading, writing and number skills runs though all activities and provides a good start to pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make quick progress because the school knows their needs well and provides very regular, short support sessions to help pupils practise and remember what they have learnt. The needs of pupils who arrive later than at the usual times are identified quickly so that their progress is at a similar rate to that of others.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently good. While there is some good and better teaching, it does not meet fully the needs of the most able pupils, boys, and those supported by the pupil premium. Over time, pupils make expected, rather than good, progress.  In some lessons, work is too easy for the most able pupils. Tasks are not challenging enough and do not regularly require them to think really hard about their learning and develop the skills and understanding needed to reach higher levels. In a few lessons, work is too hard for lower- ability pupils.  Teaching does not always ensure that boys remain interested and engaged and so some are less motivated and their progress slows.  While in Key Stage 1 pupils read a lot, there are not daily expectations in Key Stage 2 for pupils to read. This does not have an adverse impact on the girls’ reading skills, but it does on those of the boys.  Some teaching is very effective. Pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 made excellent progress in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

identifying, explaining and presenting different ways of writing to make it more interesting. The teachers had high expectations and all pupils were equally involved because the activities were so interesting.  Children in Reception learn well because activities encourage them to be busy, enquiring and to develop their personal and social skills.  There are lots of opportunities for pupils to write, and at length, especially in a Years 2 and 3 class. Even in topic books in this class, pupils are expected to write, spell and use punctuation just as accurately as in literacy books and present their work very neatly.  Marking is mostly very helpful in the teachers' comments about what pupils have learnt and the next steps to take, which contributes to the school’s drive to raise achievement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is the case in lessons and around the school. Their positive attitudes to learning and the way they treat others reflect the school’s Catholic ethos.  Pupils are proud of their school and respect the building. They like their classrooms which are full of colour and tips to help them remember what they have learnt. Pupils keep their learning and playing areas neat and tidy.  Pupils settle to learning quickly. Many produce neat, well-laid-out work and are industrious. Almost always pupils try hard to concentrate, even if their work is too hard for some or too easy for others.  Pupils enjoy opportunities to develop their personal skills. School council representatives have worked together to develop classroom rules which the pupils understand and follow. Other pupils help around the school and yet others are training to be games leaders.  The work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe and parents agree. Pupils

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

speak confidently of the dangers of Internet use. They have a good awareness of other risks, such as talking to strangers.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. One pupil said we must treat everybody the same because we are all equal in the family of God. As well as having a good understanding of the Catholic faith, pupils know the main facts about other faiths and cultures. They are aware of beauty which is expressed in the bright displays of their creative work around the school.  Attendance continues to rise steadily and is average. Variations in attendance between different groups of pupils are being tackled determinedly by the staff, who are doing everything they can to ensure that all pupils come to school every day. Pupils understand the link between good attendance and making progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership requires improvement as pupils do not make good progress over time and there are variations in the rates of progress and the standards that different groups of pupils reach. Checking of the school’s work by middle leaders is not yet sufficiently comprehensive or established well enough to be as effective as possible in driving improvements.  Since her appointment, the headteacher has provided inspirational leadership and she leads a committed and loyal team who strive to improve the school’s performance. She is ably supported by the assistant headteacher. Already, behaviour and attendance have improved, and the rate of progress over the last six months is beginning to increase, although more rapidly so in some years than in others.  Subject leaders are doing the right things to improve the areas for which they are responsible and are putting good systems in place, such as expecting class teachers to be more accountable

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The leadership and management requires improvement

for the learning of pupils who have special educational needs. The literacy leader has established a reading and writing scheme which is developing more secure skills for pupils in literacy. Subject leaders are helping to strengthen the quality of leadership, although they do not check all aspects of provision fully to make sure that all pupils do as well as they can.  The leadership of teaching has strengthened. Although the school’s initial view of the quality of teaching over time did not match that of the inspector, senior leaders and the inspector’s judgements were the same when they jointly observed current teaching. The school improvement plan, teachers’ targets and training provided reflect the findings from lesson observations.  Senior leaders and the governors regularly check staff’s progress towards their goals. Teachers’ targets are challenging and help to improve teaching. Staff are not given pay rises unless they

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The leadership and management requires improvement

achieve their targets.  The curriculum focuses on reading, writing and mathematics. Writing is practised across other lessons regularly. There is a growing emphasis on pupils using their mathematical skills to solve problems. Pupils access a range of learning activities through topics and a programme of personal, social and health education. The school is aware that pupils’ progress is variable, that the most able pupils are not challenged consistently well and that not all pupils have an equal opportunity to do as well as they can.  The school uses the new primary sport funding carefully to train staff and pupils in play leader roles and as games makers. Different groups of pupils participate at an increasing rate in the growing range of activities offered.  Parents speak positively about the school, which they feel is welcoming and values them. The school website keeps them well-informed and the school helps parents to support their children’s

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The leadership and management requires improvement

learning through workshops, including how to encourage children to become good at talking.  In December 2013, the local authority judged that the school had improved sufficiently to no longer be causing concern. It has provided support in strengthening subject leadership and carries out termly reviews of the school’s performance.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well equipped to help improve the school further. It has a detailed knowledge and understanding of the school’s work including the quality of teaching and takes advantage of training offered, such as interpreting national data about the school's performance. Governors ask robust and searching questions about the school’s performance, including the variable progress of groups of pupils and the best use of its funding. They know that the achievement of pupils supported by pupil premium funding needs to improve and that

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The leadership and management requires improvement

attendance is improving. Although the headteacher provides detailed reports, governors find out a lot for themselves. They visit the school regularly and meet staff, including working with the special educational needs coordinator, for example. The governing body is proactive, in, for example, requesting summaries for parents of their children’s progress. Governors understand the value of performance targets in improving the school’s effectiveness, the importance of sharp targets and the way that pay increases need to be related to the quality of 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 106770 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 430859

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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 138 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Reverend Denis Norman Headteacher Mrs Diane Collins Date of previous school inspection 11 July 2012 Telephone number 01302 874291 Fax number 01302 876751 Email address admin@ourladys.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

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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