St William's Catholic Primary School

St William’s Catholic Primary School Young Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9RG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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

 In 2014, the standards of attainment reached by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 were well below average.  Progress in Years 1 to 6 is not consistently good enough in reading, writing and mathematics to enable pupils to reach the higher standards from their low starting points.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils that reached the expected standard in the Year 1 screening of pupils’ knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) was well below average.  Instability in staffing in the past has hindered the effectiveness of the school. It has led to inconsistencies in the quality of teaching over time and in pupils’ achievement.  The quality of teaching overall requires improvement. Teachers do not always have sufficiently high expectations of what pupils can achieve and there is insufficient challenge for the most-able pupils.  The quality of teachers’ marking is uneven across different year groups. Attention given to spelling,

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

grammar and punctuation through marking is inconsistent. Consequently, pupils do not achieve high enough standards in writing.  The roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team are not sufficiently developed to ensure that all take responsibility for further improving the quality of teaching and accelerating pupil progress.  Attendance is consistently below the national average.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher is highly committed and provides clear direction. She is unrelenting in her drive to ensure improvement continues.  Some teaching is outstanding.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress.  Pupils behave well and feel safe and secure in the caring environment.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. The atmosphere throughout the school reflects a strong sense of community and mutual respect.  Children settle well into Nursery and Reception.  Most parents and carers value what the school provides for their children.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in several lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a few short visits to observe pupils in small group sessions.  Inspectors also looked at the work in pupils’ books, observed pupils in the dining hall and the playground and listened to pupils from Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 read.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, a local authority representative and members of the governing body.  The inspectors spoke informally to pupils in lessons and around the school, as well as having a more formal meeting with groups of pupils from Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documents including the school’s own information about students’ progress, planning, the monitoring of learning and teachers’

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Information about this inspection

performance, organisation of the curriculum, records relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding information, how the money from pupil premium is spent and the minutes of governing body meetings.  Insufficient responses to on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were received to take them into account. However, 62 responses to the school’s internal parent survey and 15 responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff were considered.  Year 6 pupils and several staff were out of school during the inspection on a residential trip.

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Inspection team

Peter Bailey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St. Williams is a slightly smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of pupils with disabilities or special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils who start at or leave the school other than at the usual times is above average. Since the beginning of this academic year 14% of the pupils have either left or joined the school.  The early years consists of a part-time Nursery class and a full-time Reception class.  There has been a high number of staff joining or leaving the school in the last two years.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher has been permanently appointed since the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast club for its pupils and this was included in the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement, including in the early years, and especially in writing by: - ensuring that the outstanding teaching that already exists in school is shared with others more widely to help them to improve their own practice - ensuring that staff have consistently high expectations of all pupils, particularly the most-able. - ensuring that the teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is of a consistently high quality in early years and Key Stage 1 and that pupils apply these skills in their reading - ensuring that there is a greater focus on developing pupils’ skills in grammar, spelling and punctuation - ensuring that marking consistently helps pupils to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by: - further developing the roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team in order to accelerate the school’s improvement - ensuring that persistent absence reduces and that attendance reaches at least the national average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Over the last two years, the school has experienced a period of instability in staffing which has had an adverse impact on pupils’ achievement. Many staff are new to the school and almost half of all teachers have been appointed this academic year. Though the school has taken appropriate action, which has improved the quality of teaching and rate of pupil progress, leaders have not ensured that their plans for school development have secured the necessary improvements to raise achievement and provide consistently good teaching, overall. Consequently, leadership and management require improvement.  The headteacher provides the school with dynamic leadership. She is extremely committed and passionate about driving forward the school’s improvement and has an unwavering determination to provide every child with a solid foundation for the future.  The local authority has a good understanding of the school and has given it a high level of effective

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The leadership and management requires improvement

support in its efforts to become a good school.  The headteacher has established a culture of high expectations from all staff where good behaviour and progress are expected and high expectations are communicated clearly to pupils and parents. The headteacher’s drive and determination have been crucial in rapidly improving the school and the school is well placed to improve further.  The headteacher is held in high regard by the pupils, parents and staff. Comments on all the staff questionnaires returned indicate a high level of confidence in the school’s leadership. Staff morale is high. A member of staff commented, ‘St Williams is a lovely school to work in; all staff get on very well. Our headteacher is brilliant and is very well respected.’  Leaders thoroughly evaluate the school’s performance. They correctly identify the school’s strengths and the right priorities for further development. The skills and expertise of senior leaders and subject leaders

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The leadership and management requires improvement

are not fully developed to support the headteacher in driving forward the school’s improvement and accelerating pupils’ progress. At present, there is not enough delegation of responsibility, involving lesson observations and sharing good practice to enable other leaders to make a greater contribution to school improvement and raise pupils’ achievement further.  School leaders have reviewed its curriculum in the light of changes to the new National Curriculum. It provides pupils with a broad range of interesting activities and exciting learning experiences which meet the diverse needs of the school’s pupils. During the inspection, for example, pupils from Year 6 were experiencing a variety of activities on a week’s residential trip.  The school is implementing new assessment procedures to replace the previous National Curriculum levels. The initial indications are that teachers are applying them well.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The procedures for checking the quality of teaching are well structured. The headteacher has responded quickly in addressing weaker aspects of teaching. Teachers say they find the process supportive, with good opportunities in place for training, which are helping to improve the impact of teaching on outcomes for pupils.  Thorough systems to check the progress of pupils are in place and provide accurate and up-to-date information on pupils’ attainment. This information is also used with increasing effectiveness to manage the performance of staff. The link between performance and salary progression for staff is clear and applied rigorously.  The school fosters good relations, tackles any form of discrimination and is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils. Even so, the most-able pupils are not always given sufficiently challenging work to enable them to reach their full potential.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders make sure that the pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils. The impact of targeted interventions is rigorously checked by the school and the governing body. School data show that all groups across the school, including disadvantaged pupils, are currently making similar rates of progress. Discussions with pupils show their good understanding of what the school does to promote fairness and respect for one another.  The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and of British values and concepts such as democracy, tolerance and the rule of law is good. Social skills are promoted well and pupils have a strong moral awareness and a good understanding of diversity. For example, during the inspection an assembly took place in which the headteacher skilfully pointed out that different religions had ‘special meals’. Pupils were subsequently keen

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to talk about what they had learned.  The school uses the primary sports funding well. It has been used to increase the scope of sports activities available to pupils during and after school. It pays for coaching by sports specialists and this, in turn, adds well to teachers’ expertise. A wide range of sporting opportunities are available and popular with pupils and this contributes well to their health and well-being.  The school has worked hard to develop mutually supportive relationships with parents. Parents are highly supportive of the school and express positive views. However, despite these efforts, pupils’ attendance remains below average.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is supportive of the school and committed to its success. Since the last full inspection, the governing body has undergone an external review, carried out by the Catholic Partnership, from which it has benefited greatly. Governors now ensure that the school is on a pathway

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to improvement. They are fully involved in evaluating the school’s strengths and weaknesses, monitoring performance data about pupils’ progress and development planning. They have undertaken training and are effective in holding the school to account.  Governors are determined to tackle the weaker aspects of the school quickly, including any underperformance in teaching. Governors have a greater awareness of the management of teacher performance, evaluate the quality of teaching and know how teachers are rewarded for their effectiveness.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s finances, including how the primary school sport funding is used. They are aware of the impact of decisions about the use of pupil premium funding and how it is helping to close the gaps in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, compared to others. The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Policies and

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good and is a strength of the school.  Teachers and teaching assistants set a good example of how to respect one another and this contributes to the positive relationships in the school.  Pupils behave well in and around the school. They are polite and courteous to adults and treat each other with respect. They are keen to learn. Teaching is rarely affected by any distracting behaviour.  The number of exclusions has reduced over the last three years and is now below the national average. The school’s behaviour log shows that the numbers of incidents are few and reducing. Pupil behaviour is consistently well managed, particularly for pupils that display challenging behaviour. Pupils, staff and parents speak highly of the typically high standards of behaviour and strong relationships in the school.  The school’s ethos has a strong sense of fairness and is rooted in the Christian beliefs that permeate all

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Behaviour

aspects of the school’s work.  Pupils play a significant role in the school and take on a wide range of responsibilities, which help to build their maturity, confidence and social skills. For example, pupils enjoy being representatives on the school council to ensure pupils’ views are heard and they take on the role of school monitors, supporting younger pupils at break and lunchtime.  The high standards of pupils’ behaviour and their deep respect for each other reflect pupils’ strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They are fully aware of what might constitute potentially dangerous situations and know how to avoid them. There are regular visits from the police, fire service and others to help pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe.  The school takes great care that incidents concerning the health and safety of pupils are dealt with effectively and quickly.  The school’s safeguarding systems and procedures are thorough and rigorously implemented. The governor with oversight of safeguarding ensures that all practices and policies are up to date and followed.  Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying at the school. They have a good awareness of different forms of bullying. They know the dangers posed by social network sites and cyber-bullying and to report such threats to parents and teachers.  School leaders make sure that pupils are safe in school. Staff are well trained and fully aware of

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Safety

safeguarding policies and procedures. Staff who are recruited are rigorously checked for their suitability.  In their questionnaires, all staff and an overwhelming majority of parents and carers agree that pupils are happy, well behaved and safe at school.  Pupils’ attendance is below average and persistent absence is above the national average. The school’s leadership and Parent Involvement Officer are proactive in forging positive links with parents and carers and are determined to improve attendance although this has yet to have impact the school intends.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the quality of teaching has improved over the last year, it requires further improvement because it is not consistently good or better in increasing the rate of pupil progress and raising attainment. There is still a legacy of weak teaching that has adversely affected pupil progress.  Some of the variation in teaching has stemmed from changes in teaching staff. As staff settle into their new roles and classes, the quality of teaching is improving. However, the impact of this is not being seen in pupils’ achievement at the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils make slower progress where teachers expect too little of pupils, in terms of challenge for the most able and higher aspirations for lower ability pupils.  Generally, teachers plan lessons well and provide interesting activities which promote good learning. There is an increasing amount of good and outstanding teaching on which the school can build, particularly in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

mathematics. However, this is not consistent across the age range.  The quality of teaching letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is not fully embedded or consistently applied in the early years and in Key Stage 1. This slows pupils’ progress in developing basic reading skills.  The quality of teaching of writing and the application of basic grammar, spelling and punctuation skills is weaker in Key Stage 2. As a result, pupils’ standards in writing are lower than they should be.  Although the quality of marking and feedback to pupils in Years 1 to 6 has improved, informative marking is not seen in all classes. Comments tend to focus on what the pupil has done and so pupils do not always know what they must do in order to improve their work further.  Children in the early years settle quickly and are happy because they have plenty of opportunities to work and play together in the well-resourced indoor and outdoor areas. This helps the development of their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

social skills.  Teaching assistants are effective in supporting pupils’ learning. They question pupils carefully, encouraging them to stay motivated and to think about their learning and about the answers they give.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are identified early and receive good support to help them achieve well. Their progress is closely checked and carefully planned activities ensure that these pupils make good progress.  Relationships are strong and help pupils’ learning in the classroom. Classrooms are orderly, well organised and attractive. Imaginative displays inspire pupils to learn. Good relationships and the use of praise are strong features in lessons and most pupils are keen to do well. They say that things have improved and that teachers now make their lessons interesting and use a wide range of resources to help them learn.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because pupils do not consistently make good progress and so they do not reach the standards they are capable of attaining.  By the end of Key Stage 2, standards reached by pupils in 2014 were well below those found nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The high level of staffing changes over the past two years have contributed to pupils’ progress not being as good as it should have been by the end of Year 6. Although there is evidence of strong improvements in progress and standards attained, the outcomes for the current Year 6 remain below the national average, particularly in writing.  In Years 1 to 6, pupils’ progress from their different starting points has been variable and is not consistently good. This is because the quality of teaching has not been consistently good or better.  In 2014, standards at the end of Key Stage 1 were well below the national average in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

However, the rate of progress has improved and outcomes for the current Year 2 are closer to national expectations, particularly in mathematics and writing. The teaching of writing skills is stronger in Key Stage 1 than in Key Stage 2.  In the phonics screening check in 2014, the attainment of Year 1 pupils was below national expectations and pupils retaking the test in Year 2 were also below the national average. The lack of development of these skills has impacted negatively on the outcomes of pupils’ reading skills.  Evidence from a range of inspection activities shows that an increasing number of pupils are now making and exceeding the progress expected of them and standards of attainment are rising.  The school’s work with the most-able pupils has improved and a greater proportion now attain the higher levels. However, they are not always sufficiently well challenged in lessons, especially in Key Stage 1, to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

achieve to the very best of their ability.  Pupils supported by pupil premium funding, including those eligible for free school meals, have not achieved as well as other pupils in the school. In 2014 at the end of Year 6 these pupils were on average two terms behind their classmates in reading, three terms behind in writing and four terms behind in mathematics. They were behind other non-disadvantaged pupils nationally by four terms in reading, four terms in writing and four terms in mathematics. School data indicate that they are currently making similar rates of progress to those of their classmates throughout the school and the gap in attainment is reducing. The school has recently introduced more interventions in order to speed up progress for these pupils. School data for the current Year 6 indicate that pupils supported by the pupil premium funding are making greater progress than other pupils nationally in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language and those from minority ethnic backgrounds make similar progress to most of their classmates. They receive focused support and quickly become competent in using spoken and written English and access all opportunities for learning. A high proportion of this group of children achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 letters and sounds (phonics) screening check.  The school caters well for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They receive effective support from teachers and well-trained support staff. As a result, they make good progress and achieve well, comparing favourably with similar pupils, nationally.  The school meets the needs well of the high number of pupils that join the school partway through their primary schooling. The warm, caring environment ensures that they quickly settle and any additional support needed is identified so that they achieve as well as other groups of pupils in the school.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Children start in the Nursery class with skills and knowledge that are usually below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and language and personal and social skills. Some join with skills that are significantly below typical for their age. For example, some cannot use the toilet independently and some still wear nappies.  Although progress varies from year to year, by the time they leave early years the children’s overall development is still below that typical for their age and some are not well enough prepared to be able to access the curriculum in Key Stage 1. Last year, a higher proportion than nationally left the Reception class having attained a good level of development. However, currently and with only four weeks left in Reception, most of the children have not reached the expected level of development.  The quality of teaching in the early years requires improvement. The teaching of phonics is not sufficiently

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Early years provision requires improvement

embedded and does not always enable all children to develop these basic skills. At times there are missed opportunities to enable pupils to extend their speaking and listening skills.  Children settle quickly into the Nursery class routines and soon start to explore, experiment and make choices. This is because there are strong links between school and home, good relationships and because adults are supportive. They encourage children’s efforts and provide a safe, stimulating environment both indoors and outdoors. The good range of resources is well presented and easily accessible to children to choose from. The whole learning environment is colourful and attractive.  Behaviour is good. Children play well together, sharing their toys and taking their turn.  Assessment methods are secure and used well to plan children’s learning. However, parents do not have the opportunity to make a greater contribution to the assessment process and so the picture of children’s

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Early years provision requires improvement

whole development is incomplete.  The early years provision is strategically well led and managed. However, the early years’ leader is currently teaching in Key Stage 2, which erodes the time she has available for her day-to-day involvement within early years. This has an adverse effect upon day-to-day leadership in the early years.  Procedures to ensure children’s welfare are good and meet requirements.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 107330 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 462289

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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 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patricia Stockdale Headteacher Clare Gardner Date of previous school inspection 9 July 2013 Telephone number 01274 545743 Fax number 01274 545743 Email address office@stwilliams.bradford.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

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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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