St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Hullenedge Road, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 0QY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires Improvement 3 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.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well. From broadly average starting points they reach standards that are slightly above those seen across the country in mathematics and reading by the end of Year 6.  Pupils make consistently good progress in reading and mathematics because they are taught well.  Teaching is good overall. Teachers plan interesting activities that pupils enjoy.  Behaviour is good. Pupils say they feel very safe. Parents overwhelmingly agree that the school takes good care of its pupils.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently good over time.  Since the last inspection achievement, the quality of teaching, leadership and management have all improved. This is as a result of strong leadership from the headteacher supported by the leadership team, governors and staff.  Governors have undertaken significant training to increase their skills. They rigorously hold the school to account.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The good curriculum is enriched by an exciting range of after-school clubs and visits to interesting places.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is still some teaching that requires improvement and not enough is of outstanding quality.  Pupils have too few opportunities to practise their writing skills in real-life situations; for example, writing letters.  The quality of pupils’ writing is sometimes let down by a lack of interesting words.  Leaders’ records of lesson observations do not focus enough on how to improve the quality of teaching.  In the Reception/Year 1 class, opportunities are sometimes missed to boost children’s learning during outdoor activities.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in six lessons.  The inspector considered a sample of pupils’ written work in exercise books and topic folders, heard pupils read and observed the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make).  Meetings were held with senior leaders, governors and members of the school council. The inspector talked with parents at the end of an Early Years Foundation Stage assembly and also met a representative of the local authority.  Account was taken of a wide range of documentation including: the school’s plans for future development; information on pupils’ progress and attainment; and the school’s evaluation of how well it is doing. School records relating to behaviour, safety and the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning were also evaluated.  The inspector took account of 25 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and also

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Inspection team

Brenda Clarke, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from White British families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus is slightly below that seen across the country, as is the proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding is above average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  In the last three years there have been several changes of headteacher. The current, permanent

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Information about this school

headteacher took up post in September 2012.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently at least good and a greater proportion is outstanding by:  making sure that frequently used topic-specific words are displayed and used well by pupils  planning more ways to encourage children to read, count and write when working outdoors in the Reception/ Year 1 class  ensuring that monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning in classrooms provides teachers with clear targets for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress in writing to match those in reading and mathematics by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to write for a real purpose and in a variety of ways  ensuring that pupils’ targets for improving their writing are written in simple age-related words that can be easily understood and used by pupils  widening pupils’ choice of words to add flair and impact in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with broadly typical skills for their age but are less secure in early writing and counting. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that the majority reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. Children are consistently taught to listen carefully and to be polite and caring so that they make outstanding progress in their personal and social skills and are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.  The 2013 results of the Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and their sounds) were below those seen nationally. The school has reorganised its provision so that pupils are now taught in smaller groups. This has been successful so that predicted outcomes for the 2014 check are significantly higher.  Good progress continues across Key Stage 1. Standards at the end of Year 2 have risen steadily since a significant dip in 2011, and in 2013 were above those seen across the country in reading,

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing and mathematics. Stability in leadership and staffing is paying dividends so that pupils are taught new skills in a step-by-step way.  Since 2011, standards at the end of Year 6 have been consistently above average in reading and broadly average in mathematics. Standards in writing have steadily declined and in 2013 were well below those seen nationally. However, pupils in Key Stage 2 have also benefitted from the stability in leadership. An extremely watchful eye is now kept on the each pupil’s progress, and teachers are made accountable for the progress that pupils make. Teachers now use information about pupils’ progress very effectively to plan work in small, progressive steps. This is a key reason why pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 is accelerating, especially in reading and mathematics.  Pupils’ progress in writing is also speeding up but not as quickly as in the other subjects. Pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

sometimes experience difficulty when completing and organising longer pieces of written work and in choosing words that add interest and excitement to their writing.  The most able pupils make progress similar to their classmates in reading and writing. They do particularly well in mathematics because they are taught in groups according to their abilities and receive additional work that stretches their understanding.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, make good progress. The achievement gap between them and their classmates in the current Year 6 has closed in reading and mathematics but not in writing. The school is using some of its additional funding effectively to respond to this issue by providing before- and after- school small group lessons for those who are falling behind, but the new arrangements have had too little time to impact fully on pupils’ progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. Carefully planned activities address their differing needs and they receive good support from well-trained teaching assistants.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good over time. Work is interesting and captures pupils’ interests. For example, Year 1 and 2 pupils enjoyed working together to make flow charts of how to use a catapult.  Pupils behave well in lessons and work hard because teachers manage their behaviour effectively. Lessons run smoothly and without interruption.  The thorough checking of pupils’ progress provides teachers with accurate information on their attainment. Teachers use the information well to set pupils work at exactly the right level. This makes sure that they tackle new activities with confidence.  Pupils work hard because teachers are clear about what they expect pupils to include in their work and the time they have to complete it.  In mathematics, pupils are taught to think for themselves. They use a range of number operations and even the youngest pupils confidently make pen and paper jottings to help them solve problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work frequently and generally make sure that pupils correct their work. Pupils have targets to help improve their work but these are written in adult terms. Younger pupils especially cannot read them and so do not adapt their work accordingly.  Pupils benefit from good opportunities to explain their work to the teacher and others. They develop confidence, speak clearly and explain their answers well.  Teachers involve pupils in the planning of a new topic, which increases their interest. Pupils contribute their ideas and often bring additional information from home.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage teaching is generally good or better. Letters and the sounds they make are particularly well taught. Children develop confidence when they write because they have many opportunities to write in interesting ways; for example, making menus in the class fish and chip shop.  All staff are excellent role models who show politeness and respect in all their work. This is a key

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The quality of teaching is good

reason why children develop outstanding personal and social skills. Adults find many exciting ways to reinforce children’s early reading, writing and counting skills in the classroom but sometimes miss opportunities to develop these when planning for outdoor learning.  Scrutiny of pupils’ work in books and classroom displays indicates that tricky words related to the topic are not always available so that pupils frequently misspell them in their own writing. Pupils have too few opportunities to write for real purpose: for example, writing a letter or invitation.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons and around the school they are unfailingly polite and caring.  Pupils are keen to help each other and cooperate well in lessons. When working in groups, they take turns, share tasks and listen to others’ views.  Pupils have good attitudes to their learning and concentrate for good periods of time.  Members of the school council are part of the school’s decision-making process. Pupils take their roles seriously and are particularly proud of the new paper-recycling project.  Pupils really enjoy school and are enthusiastic learners. Many attend the additional activities available each day in the well-run after-school clubs.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. A strong ethos underpins the school’s values and contributes significantly to the strong moral guidance that pupils receive.  Pupils’ attendance currently and over time is consistently above the attendance levels seen

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

across the country. Most pupils arrive on time for school.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel very safe. They say that any incidents of bullying are quickly and fairly resolved by adults. All parents who completed the online questionnaire indicated that the school takes good care of their children and keeps them safe.  At playtimes when out on the school playground, older pupils sometimes run around too boisterously and do not think carefully enough about the safety of others. At other times, pupils are highly aware of how to keep safe and show a good knowledge about e-safety.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides a very clear and ambitious steer to the school’s work. In a relatively short time she has established a very effective senior leadership team firmly focused on driving up standards. Good communication, together with effective whole-school training, has enabled the headteacher to develop a united team who share responsibilities for accelerating pupils’ progress. Senior leaders have successfully undertaken significant training to develop their management roles so that they now play an active part in monitoring and evaluating the school’s provision and bringing about school improvement.  Leaders have responded quickly to emerging needs; for example, altering the way in which letters and the sounds they make are taught in Key Stage 1. This has resulted in pupils making better than expected progress in their early reading and writing.  Regular checks on pupils’ progress are shared with individual teachers and in staff meetings so

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The leadership and management are good

that all are made accountable for the pupils in their care. This is a key reason why pupils’ progress is accelerating. Pupils’ individual targets are ambitious and are based upon a thorough knowledge of their starting points and potential to improve.  Staff have used the knowledge gained from observing high-quality teaching in other schools to help them improve their skills. Scrutiny of the school’s records of lesson observations indicates that this has successfully led to some teaching that required improvement now being consistently good. However, the frequent, wide-ranging monitoring of teaching and learning in lessons does not always leave teachers with a clear record of what they need to do to improve further, or leaders with a view of this when they revisit the class.  Subject leaders are now effective in their roles. New plans to tackle the weaker aspects of writing are in place but not yet embedded enough to have a full impact on the standards that

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The leadership and management are good

pupils reach. However, plans are leading to skills being taught in a step-by-step way. For example, punctuation is systematically taught and used appropriately by most pupils.  The promotion of equality of opportunity is good. Actions are in place to close the achievement gap between pupils in receipt of pupil premium and others in writing. In other areas, for example, the promotion of reading for boys, leaders tackle any issues of discrimination rigorously.  Links with parents are strong. Parents appreciate the welcome and open-door policy. All parents who completed the online questionnaire would recommend the school to others.  The curriculum provides a full range of subjects and encourages an enthusiasm for learning. Strong links with other schools enhance opportunities for competitive sports and music. Leaders speak enthusiastically about the benefits of the new primary school sport funding and how it is

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The leadership and management are good

used. The after-school clubs for games, tag rugby and cricket enable pupils to adopt healthy life styles and increase fitness levels. Money has also been spent on coaching sessions for teachers and pupils. This widens sporting opportunities and contributes significantly to pupils’ enjoyment of school life.  The local authority is working closely with the school’s leaders to improve weaker aspects by offering training and advice on a regular basis.  The governance of the school:  Since the last inspection the governing body has developed its role significantly. Following a review of governance, governors have undertaken specific training to enable them to hold the school to account. Governors now analyse information about pupils’ progress at each meeting and challenge the school where issues arise. Members of the governing body committees have terms of reference, minuted meetings and provide informed feedback to the full governing

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The leadership and management are good

body about specific aspects of school life. This enables all governors to keep a close check on the school’s provision. The governing body has effective arrangements to ensure that pay awards are linked to teachers’ and leaders’ performance and that the procedures to determine performance are thorough. Governors have insisted that the school’s plans for development include measureable targets so they can make sure that the school is meeting its goals.

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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 107557 Local authority Calderdale Inspection number 442216

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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 128 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Debbie Palmer Headteacher Linda Brown Date of previous school inspection 30 January 2013 Telephone number 01422 373104 Fax number 01422 373651 Email address admin@st-patricks.calderdale.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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