St Patrick's RC Primary and Nursery School

St Patrick's RC Primary and Nursery School Lee Street, Oldham, Lancashire, OL8 1EF

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

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

 The standards pupils achieve at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are below average.  Progress is not yet consistently good in reading, writing and mathematics for all pupils. Not enough pupils make better than expected progress, especially in reading and writing.  The quality of teaching is not yet good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Teachers do not always use assessment information effectively to plan lessons which make sure that all pupils are given work which gets the best out of them.  Teachers’ feedback and marking do not always give pupils clear advice about how to improve their work.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough.  Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. There have been a few incidents of racist and homophobic name calling.  Attendance is consistently below average.  School leaders have not had enough impact on raising standards and improving the quality of

p.1

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

teaching.  Governors have not held the school to account over its performance robustly enough or challenged underachievement.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children make better than expected progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the quality of teaching is good.  Most pupils are now making better than expected progress.  The proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels at Key Stage 2 is increasing. Pupils trust all members of staff to support them if they have concerns.  The headteacher has accurately identified weaknesses in the quality of teaching and achievement and has sought support to ensure that improvements are made quickly and can be sustained over time.  Middle leaders have introduced initiatives which have had a positive impact on raising achievement.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed nine lessons or part lessons.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, a representative of the diocese and the headteacher of the school that St Patrick’s is currently working with.  Inspectors took account of 22 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and looked at the school’s latest parental survey.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including: assessment data, the school’s evaluation of its work, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding documentation, reports from school improvement partners, information about the management of teachers’ performance, monitoring records and the school’s improvement plan.  They listened to pupils read and also reviewed samples of their work.  Inspectors reviewed 11 responses to the staff questionnaire.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 They observed pupils’ behaviour at playtime, lunchtime, around the school and in lessons.  Inspectors also observed an assembly for Key Stage 2 pupils led by a teacher.

p.2

Inspection team

Clare Daniel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Firth Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  An above average number of pupils are learning to speak English as an additional language. Twenty two different languages are spoken by pupils in the school.  An above average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.  A below average proportion of pupils is supported through school action.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  There have been a significant number of staff changes this year, especially in Key Stage 2.  The headteacher and staff are currently being supported by the headteacher and staff from SS

p.3

Information about this school

Aidan and Oswald RC Primary School.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is good or better by: – ensuring that teachers always have an accurate view of where pupils are up to in their learning so that all activities build on pupils’ existing skills – making sure there are high expectations of what pupils can achieve and that these are shared with parents and pupils – checking that the feedback given to pupils and the marking in pupils’ books, always evaluates the progress pupils have made, and gives them very clear guidance about how to improve their work.  Ensuring that all pupils attend regularly and behave well in school by:  improving attendance and reducing the proportion of pupils who are persistent absentees  making sure that any incidents of poor behaviour are effectively dealt with, and that an analysis of any patterns in the behaviour of pupils is shared with governors.  Further improve leadership and management in order to raise achievement by:

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 ensuring that middle leaders, including the person with responsibility for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, effectively monitor the quality of teaching  making sure that the school uses the assessment data it already has to monitor the performance of groups more effectively so that all pupils achieve as well as they can  developing the curriculum so that it makes the most of the multi-cultural background of the pupils and the international links that many families have.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved. 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.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils is not consistently good across the school.  The quality of teaching has not been sufficiently well monitored to ensure that all pupils make good progress. Since September 2013 there have been improvements in achievement for most pupils but these have not yet been sustained over time.  The majority of children join the Reception class with skills which are well-below those typical for their age, especially in communication and language. Most make good progress in the Nursery class and enter Reception with below average skills. The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development in 2013 was significantly lower than the national proportion.  Most pupils enter Year 1 with below average attainment. Standards reached by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have been well below average for the last five years.  In 2013 the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the check of Year 1

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds (phonics) was slightly above average.  Most pupils read regularly at home and at school, and use their phonics skills well to read unfamiliar words. They can talk about their books with enthusiasm and describe the type of book they enjoy.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has been broadly average in English and mathematics until 2013 when it dipped to well-below average. In 2013 not enough pupils made the expected amount of progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportions of pupils making better than expected progress in all subjects were low. This group of pupils had a much disrupted experience in Key Stage 2 with significant staff absence affecting their achievement.  Current assessment data and work in pupils’ books indicate that most pupils in the school are now making better than expected progress. The standards attained by Year 2 pupils in 2014 are

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

higher than in 2013. The predicted attainment for Year 6 in 2014 is broadly average and the proportion of pupils on track to make the expected amount of progress is at least in line with the national proportion.  The progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs requires improvement, especially in writing. While the gap in standards attained by this group in Key Stage 1 is much narrower than the gap nationally in reading and mathematics, by the time the pupils leave Key Stage 2 it has grown.  Most of the higher ability pupils make the expected amount of progress in reading, writing and mathematics, but not enough make better than expected progress.  Most pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium make expected progress, especially in reading and mathematics, but this figure is much lower in writing. A few make better than expected progress. They leave Year 6 approximately two terms behind their peers in

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

writing, half a term in mathematics and with standards similar to their peers in reading.  The school does not yet ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed because progress and attainment vary between groups.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Too few pupils make consistently better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good overall. Adults plan and lead learning activities which are well-matched to the needs of the children. As a result children make good progress.  In Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers do not always check what pupils already know, they do not always provide work that gets the best out of all pupils, particularly the most able to ensure that they make better than expected progress.  Some marking accurately evaluates pupils’ progress and provides clear steps for improvement; however this is not always the case. Pupils do not routinely read and respond to teachers’ marking and as a result, they continue to make the same mistakes or do not address areas for improvement. Pupils’ work is not always checked to find out whether pupils have improved in

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

the areas that were previously identified.  Expectations of what the pupils can achieve are not always high enough. As a result, pupils themselves do not always aspire to do well or challenge themselves sufficiently and the progress that they make is not a good as it could be.  Pupils make the most progress when they are excited about their learning, and concentrate for sustained periods of time with good support from teachers and teaching assistants. Teachers have good subject knowledge and ensure pupils acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed.  During a Year 2 activity about how the coming of the Holy Spirit changed how the apostles felt, pupils had opportunities to develop the skill of empathy by considering how their feelings might have changed and then were able to share their thoughts with a partner to further extend their learning.  Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well, and this is especially the case when they are

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

given clear instructions by the teacher about the activity they are leading and what the outcomes should be for the pupils.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. A few incidents of racist and homophobic name calling have occurred, and while the school records incidents of poor behaviour and takes action to address them, it does not yet effectively monitor how successful its work is in improving behaviour.  Although pupils are well-mannered, polite and courteous around the school, they sometimes take too much time to settle to their work. As a result, their behaviour for learning does not have a significant impact on raising achievement and improving the progress they make.  Pupils say that they feel safe at school and that behaviour is mostly good. They are positive about the relationships with staff and feel that they can rely on a range of people within the school to help them if they have a problem or worry. Parents and staff agree.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure requires improvement. Attendance is

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

consistently below average and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is well-above average. A number of pupils are regularly late for school, especially in Year 6.  Although the school is working with families to try to improve attendance, the strategies it relies on have not been effective in sustaining improvements as too many pupils are absent during term time due to unauthorised holidays. Poor attendance has had a significant impact on pupils’ achievement.  Pupils demonstrate a sound understanding of on-line safety and internet use and can talk about a range of ways to keep themselves safe at school and in the community.  Pupils have some responsibilities as school councillors which they enjoy and they have led whole school events such as Anti-Bullying Week as well as fundraising for a range of causes.

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although the headteacher and governors have identified appropriate priorities for improvement, the pace of change since the last inspection has been too slow. As a result, the quality of teaching has not improved sufficiently quickly to raise achievement for all pupils.  There is now evidence of an improvement in the proportion of pupils making and exceeding the progress expected of them. Standards achieved by pupils in Key Stage 1 have improved in 2014 and the dip in attainment at Key Stage 2 has been reversed. This demonstrates the positive impact of leaders in improving previous inconsistencies in performance.  The monitoring of teaching is now more regular, although the newly-appointed middle leaders are not yet taking an active role in this and as result they are not yet well-informed enough about the quality of teaching in each class.  The senior leaders have used information about standards and progress to identify pupils who

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

need additional support, such as disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and children who enter the school with weakness in their communication and language skills. However they are not yet using the assessment information well enough to monitor the progress of groups.  The middle leader with responsibility for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is not yet effective in monitoring their progress and, as a result, these pupils are not achieving as well as they could be, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Teachers and school leaders have targets based on their performance and pupils’ progress. Regular meetings take place to review and monitor the progress of all pupils and these are used to inform decisions made about pay progression for staff.  All current safeguarding requirements are met.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and is enriched

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

with clubs and visits. However more could be made of the multi-cultural school community and the international links that many families have. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the opportunities they have to take part in sporting and music events.  The school has plans to spend new primary sport funding to increase participation in physical education, to improve the quality of teaching through the use of sports coaches and to deliver further professional development to teaching staff. The impact of this has not yet been measured or reported but a review is planned for the end of the school year.  The local authority has worked with the diocese and a local leader of education to support the leadership and management of the school, by part funding a package of support which was requested by the headteacher following a recent period of staffing turbulence. Staff and school leaders have embraced the support and are working with enthusiasm and commitment to make

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very supportive of the work of the school and has an awareness of the weaknesses in achievement and the quality of teaching. However it has not previously held the school to account robustly for weaknesses in its performance. This is starting to improve as governors have accessed further training and have a better understanding of achievement and progress. The headteacher ensures that information given to governors is accurate and governors are beginning to challenge the school more effectively but still do not have sufficient focus on the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. Governors understand how to use teachers’ performance management to improve the quality of teaching and improve achievement but have not ensured that improvements have been swift and sustained in the past. The governors have a good understanding of how the school spends

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

pupil premium funding and the impact on pupils’ achievement but have not challenged underperformance of this group previously. Governors have not taken effective action to address below average attendance.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 105726 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 439834

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

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 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev. Fr Philip Sumner Headteacher Mrs Helen Halliwell Date of previous school inspection 17 June 2010 Telephone number 0161 6330527 Fax number 0161 6283199 Email address info@st-patricks.oldham.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9