St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School

School report St John The Baptist Catholic Primary School

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Beckbridge Lane, Normanton, West Yorkshire, WF6 2HZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  All groups of pupils make good and better progress in a wide range of subjects including reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers expect the best from their pupils. Pupils clearly understand what they are learning about and stimulating resources motivate them.  Teaching is good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and children achieve well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils feel safe and enjoy school. This is reflected in their above average attendance.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Subjects excite and engage pupils’ interests.  The academy council has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  The headteacher has quickly inspired staff and implemented effective changes that have improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The headteacher, in partnership with the staff and the academy council, has successfully created a school where pupils enjoy their

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ achievement in writing is not quite as strong as their achievement in reading and mathematics, and pupils do not always present their work to a high enough standard.  Pupils are not always given enough opportunities to apply and improve their basic writing skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar in a wide range of subjects.  Sometimes teachers do not follow up the work completed by pupils in response to advice provided in marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 parts of lessons, two of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with key staff, a group of pupils, three members of the academy council, a representative from the local authority and the Academy Trust.  Inspectors heard pupils read in Years 1, 2 and 6. They informally spoke to pupils throughout the school day.  Inspectors took account of the 27 responses to the staff questionnaires and 58 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and written responses received from parents. Inspectors also spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents including: the school’s improvement plan, the school’s evaluation of its work, information on pupils’ progress, pupils work in all year groups, teachers’ performance records, minutes of meetings held by the academy council and

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Information about this inspection

information relating to behaviour and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Sharona Semlali, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Denis Pittman Additional Inspector Peter Marsh Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-size primary school.  Most pupils come from White British backgrounds.  St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 November 2012. When its predecessor school, St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2013.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is extra funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The school manages its own breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further increase pupils’ achievement in writing and raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  building on the work that has already started to improve pupils’ writing, by giving them more opportunities to practise and improve their basic skills such as spelling, punctuation and grammar in a wide range of subjects  insisting that pupils present their written work to a high standard and form their letters correctly  ensuring that work completed by pupils in response to the advice given from teachers’ marking is always checked and followed up.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and understanding that are well below that typical for the age, particularly in writing. All adults work closely with parents which gives them a good insight into each child. This helps adults to plan activities that suit children’s diverse needs right from the time they start school. As a result, children make good progress. They enter Year 1 with skills that are just below average.  Pupils continue to make good and better progress between Years 1 and 6. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is broadly average. The work in pupils’ books and the school’s data show that attainment for the current group of Year 6 pupils is on track to be above average.  After completing a survey on the type of books pupils were interested in, leaders revamped the library by investing in a wide range of new books that were chosen by the pupils. Other reading

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The achievement of pupils is good

materials were also purchased. These resources excite and motivate pupils’ interest in reading. Different types of effective incentives are put in place to encourage reading. Consequently, pupils are now reading for pleasure both at home and at school and they achieve well. The results for the phonic (sounds that letters make) screening check in 2013 was above average for the Year 1 pupils.  Although they achieve well, pupils’ skills in writing when compared to reading and mathematics are not quite as strong. They have good opportunities to write at length in a wide range of subjects. However, their application and use of the basic skills of literacy such as spelling, punctuation and grammar are not always accurate.  Pupils are given a wealth of opportunity to understand how mathematics is used in the real world. They have lots of first-hand practical experiences to help them to understand different

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematical concepts. For example, during the business enterprise week, all classes are given a budget and pupils have to work together to try and double this by planning different events. This quickly develops their understanding about the importance of how to use money and the four rules of number in everyday life; their achievement is good.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully involved in creating their own learning targets so that they understand what they need to do improve their skills. Staff have received good external training on how they can adjust their planning to fully incorporate the needs of these pupils so that they can spend more time in the classroom learning alongside their peers. As a result, these pupils are becoming more confident and make similar good progress as other pupils.  Most of those pupils who are entitled to the pupil premium funding are those who have special

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The achievement of pupils is good

educational needs or who are at risk of not doing as well as other pupils. Part of the money helps to fund a learning mentor who provides good support and helps to improve the confidence and motivation of these pupils. This shows how the school is promoting equal opportunities for all pupils to achieve well regardless of their starting points. In most classes, the gap between those eligible for the pupil premium funding and the others is closing. In a few year groups they are outperforming the other pupils in the school. This shows that the school is spending the funding wisely.  The most able pupils are well catered for in the school. They are given the chance to attend different events such as art workshops with other schools in the partnership. They are regularly provided with more demanding work as they are taught by specialist teachers from the high schools that are in the Trust. As a result, the most able pupils make good and better progress

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good throughout school. Pupils enjoy learning because they understand fully what is expected of them. They articulate confidently how activities help them to learn.  All of the extra adults and the teaching assistants are used well to support pupils’ learning in the classrooms. The extra help that they give to pupils in small groups or on an individual basis strongly contributes to pupils often making rapid gains in their learning. Grandparents and parents regularly come into school to support pupils that need extra help with their reading. This is helping them to gain more confidence and become fluent readers.  All classrooms have a positive working atmosphere. Relationships between pupils and the adults are strong. This effectively helps pupils to work and learn well from each other in small groups.  Good subject knowledge and skilful questioning extends pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

For example, questioning effectively drew out from pupils in science in Year 5 the different features of a fair test and led them on to find out about the amount of air contained in the different types of soil.  Children are taught well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Both the indoor and outdoor areas strongly promote children’s understanding of words, numbers and stimulate their curiosity. This was seen when children talked excitedly about the newly hatched chicks from the eggs in the incubator. Adults make good use of the classroom areas to quickly develop children’s understanding of the world. For example, through their recent topic on ‘growth’ children are growing their own plants and vegetables and can explain what is happening as the plants and seeds grow.  Throughout the school stimulating resources and computer technology are used effectively to engage pupils’ interest and motivate them to learn.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Expectations of pupils’ presentation of their work are rising but are not yet consistently high enough. Sometimes pupils do not write neatly and form their letters correctly.  Work in pupils’ books shows that marking in most classes gives them clear guidance on the next steps needed for them to improve their work, and most pupils do respond to the advice given. However, their responses are not always checked and followed through.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are proud of their school. They help to keep the school tidy. There is no litter and all coats are hung up well on the pegs. All pupils wear their school uniforms. Parents, staff and pupils state that behaviour is typically good. This is also confirmed by the school’s documentation.  At lunch and break times pupils interact well together. They organise games with each other and willingly share the wealth of resources that are available. There is a good atmosphere in the dining hall while pupils are having their lunch. Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are very welcoming to visitors.  Pupils are keen to learn and they engage well in their lessons. Pupils work well together and maturely listen to each other’s ideas. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage follow routines well and have a caring nature towards each other.  The school council and the Playground Pals take their roles seriously. The Playground Pals help

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

to support those who occasionally do not have anyone to play with. Pupils often take it in turns to care for Harvey the rabbit. This is helping them to have a good understanding about commitment and hygiene.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe. They know how to keep themselves safe beyond the school boundary. They know who to go to if they are hurt or injured. They have positive views about the level of care they receive from adults.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying including cyber-bullying. The school council led an assembly about anti-bullying. This was well received by the other pupils.  Attendance is above average. Pupils know the importance of coming to school and how it is linked to the progress they make in school.  The breakfast club provides a healthy meal and enables them to socialise with their friends

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s leadership provides clear direction for all staff. She is well supported by the deputy headteacher and has quickly inspired staff to willingly adjust to the changes needed to secure further improvement. All of this is rapidly improving pupils’ achievement and progress.  Teachers’ pay is effectively linked to pupils’ achievement and the standards expected of teachers nationally. School leaders have rigorous systems for checking the quality of teaching. Where teaching is not good enough support plans are quickly put into place and reviewed regularly. Consequently, the quality of teaching is good and continues to improve.  The headteacher has implemented very robust systems for tracking pupils’ achievements. All leaders use this to check the progress of the different groups of pupils. It is helping them to intervene early and effectively if they see that any pupil is at risk of underachieving.

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The leadership and management are good

 Middle leaders have a good overview of pupils’ performance. This is because they regularly participate in the monitoring schedule in their areas of responsibilities.  Subjects take account of pupils’ interests and learning needs. They provide pupils with a range of experiences such as working closely with an artist in residence to develop their artist and performance skills. However, leaders are aware that pupils still need to develop further their basic writing skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar in a wide range of subjects.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively developed through the assemblies, reflection time and having links with a school where pupils have a different ethnic heritage to theirs.  The sports funding is appropriately spent. A three-year action plan is in place to ensure that it is sustainable once the funding has ended. It is improving staff’s confidence in teaching physical

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The leadership and management are good

education. There is a higher participation rate of pupils taking part in sports clubs.  The school has strong relationships with parents and has worked well to help them support their children’s learning through holding coffee mornings and inspire workshops.  The school has good links with other schools in the Trust and the local partnership of schools.  The support for the school from the local authority and the Trust is effective. This is because the school has taken advantage of the professional development available for staff in order to improve their skills.  The governance of the school:  The academy council has three main committees which meet regularly. The Chair of the Council meets at least once a week with the headteacher and is well informed about the school’s work. All of the new councillors have received a thorough induction programme. All councillors have greatly benefited from bespoke training that is helping them to be effective in

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The leadership and management are good

carrying out their roles and responsibilities. Councillors visit the school often to check on different aspects, for example the quality of teaching. The standards committee keeps a very close eye on the school’s data about pupils’ achievement; this is one their strengths. All of this information is fedback to the main council. Consequently, they are able to hold leaders stringently to account by asking challenging questions.  The resources committee plays a vital role in the decision-making process of awarding staff pay increments and in ensuring that the school has a healthy budget. Councillors have a clear overview on how the pupil premium funding is spent and how it is helping eligible pupils. Also, one of the councillors works closely with the school in monitoring the spending of the sports premium funding and its impact. The academy council ensures that safeguarding meets statutory requirements so that all of its pupils are kept safe in the school.

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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 138958 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 440156

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 257 Appropriate authority The Academy Council Chair Carmen Pearce Headteacher Susan Mumby Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01924 302580 Fax number 01924 302580 Email address admin@st-john.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 and 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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