St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

School report St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Fort Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 2JE

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is well led by a strong headteacher and senior leadership team. They are supported by an effective governing body which holds them to account.  Teaching is good and getting better because the school’s leaders and governors monitor the quality of teaching rigorously and provide staff with training and guidance. New teachers are supported well at the start of their careers.  By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, pupils reach higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics than those found in most schools nationally.  Progress across the school is good for all groups of pupils. This includes disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils.  The school has the confidence of parents, who are very happy with the care and education their children receive.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school. The arrangements to keep them safe are good. Pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enjoy school and think they are well looked after.  Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils are polite and listen to each other and to adults. Younger children play well together, take turns and share.  Children get off to a good start in the Reception classes. Good teaching helps them to develop a wide range of skills and become independent.  Pupils are well prepared to succeed at their secondary schools because of the good progress they make in reading, writing and mathematics, and their good social skills.  The school is successful at promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ attendance is below the national average.  A few boys are not yet making as much progress in reading as girls.  The information gathered from assessments is not always used effectively to plan for pupils’ learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons or parts of lessons, four of which were joint observations with either the headteacher or the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors talked to pupils in the playground and in lessons. A group of pupils toured the school with an inspector and talked to him about the curriculum, and the opportunities the school provides. A more formal meeting was held with pupils from the upper school; the wide-ranging discussion included their views about their studies, how they are looked after and taught to stay safe, and the care and guidance they receive.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in all classes and across a range of subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils read and discussed with them the support they are given.  Meetings were held with subject and other leaders, governors and parents. A telephone discussion took place with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at documents relating to safeguarding, attendance, bullying and behaviour and the

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Information about this inspection

school’s policies. They also looked at the school’s review of its own performance and plans for the future.  Inspectors took account of the 39 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and they spoke to 13 parents in the playground before school. Inspectors also took account of the 31 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Janet Maul, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Patrick’s is a Catholic primary school in the Diocese of Portsmouth.  It is larger than the average primary school. The number of pupils on roll is increasing.  A very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. There is a small number of pupils from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.  Six new teachers were appointed to the school this year.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is similar to the national average. This is additional government funding to support pupils eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to the national average.  Children start school full time in the September following their fourth birthday.  The school meets the government’s floor standards. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’

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Information about this school

attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Use the information collected from assessments to improve pupils’ achievement further by:  supporting middle leaders with the analysis and interpretation of data, so that they can develop a shared understanding across their teams  ensuring that all teachers fully understand the school’s data and use this information to set high expectations for their classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Helping boys who are having difficulty learning to read to make faster progress by:  closely tracking the progress of a small number of boys who are not making sufficiently fast progress so that teachers can intervene with additional help  ensuring that the school has reading resources which engage boys’ interest  monitoring the effectiveness of the additional support given to pupils to ensure it is having a good impact.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average by:  developing creative and innovative approaches to engage those families who are hardest to involve in the school  working in partnership with external professionals to maximise pupils’ attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is well run by an effective headteacher. She is ably supported by a deputy headteacher and an assistant headteacher. Leaders and governors ensure that staff, parents and pupils share the same positive attitude and high aspirations; this enables good teaching and behaviour to flourish.  The senior leaders’ evaluation of the school is accurate; leaders understand the strengths and areas of relative weakness throughout the school. They keep a close eye on the progress made by individuals, groups and classes of pupils so that they can provide support if progress slows. For example, leaders have identified an issue with reading for a small number of boys and are starting to address this by targeting training and resources to help these pupils, and then monitoring the effectiveness of this support.  Teachers’ performance is managed well. There are good systems in place for monitoring the standard of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching and staff training reflects the needs of the school. Teachers are given support to make their teaching even better; if underperformance is identified, it is swiftly tackled.  Senior and middle leaders have provided good support for recently appointed teachers. However, these teachers’ understanding of school data is not fully developed and so they do not always use this information to inform planning.  Middle leaders support colleagues with planning, observe lessons and offer suggestions for improvement. They check pupils’ work to ensure that teachers have the same expectations of progress. However, middle leaders are not fully involved in the analysis and interpretation of the school’s data. They do not always share this information with their teams to drive improvement.  The curriculum is well planned and interesting. It is taught through topics which engage pupils’ interest. Pupils spoke with interest and enthusiasm about their learning. For example, Year 4 pupils have enjoyed

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The leadership and management are good

learning about the Egyptians and, through this topic, have produced high quality art and technology work, as well as developing their historical knowledge and writing skills.  The school ensures that pupils have a wide variety of cultural and educational opportunities, with many visitors to the school and educational visits. Year 6 pupils were enthusiastic about their recent residential visit, which they believe helped them to work well together as a team.  St Patrick’s has a strong and distinct Christian ethos where pupils learn about spiritual, moral, cultural and social matters mainly from a faith perspective. Pupils have the opportunity for reflection during acts of worship and discuss moral issues regularly during religious education lessons. The school also ensures that pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, both through the curriculum and from a variety of visitors from different faith backgrounds. Pupils spoke about this respectfully.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ good social skills are developed through a range of activities such as the buddy system, where the oldest children ‘buddy up’ with a new member of the Reception class on their arrival to the school and spend time with them throughout the year. This is greatly enjoyed by, and benefits, both groups.  British values are embedded throughout the school. Pupils learn about democracy; candidates for the school council write and deliver a speech to their peers, who are encouraged to think carefully before casting their vote. Pupils firmly say that everyone should be treated fairly, whatever their faith or culture. The school promotes equality of opportunity for all groups of pupils and school leaders take steps to help these groups to catch up with the other pupils.  The school works well with parents, with most being extremely positive about the school. All parents who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, reported that their child is happy and safe in school.

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The leadership and management are good

Parents also said that communication with the school is good and they are kept well informed. The school’s website is comprehensive and contains helpful information for parents.  The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent well. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is monitored closely to ensure that they are making fast progress; if they are not, the school quickly intervenes with support. Most of the money is spent on academic support, but the school provides help with emotional and practical matters if that is where the need is identified.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is monitored so that help can be given quickly if progress slows.  The local authority considers this a good school and so has given only light-touch support. The school receives most of its support from the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth.  Leaders ensure that all staff are well trained in identifying pupils who are at risk of harm and that they

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The leadership and management are good

know who to go to with concerns. The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective and meet statutory requirements.  The school makes effective use of the primary sport funding. It provides training opportunities for teachers, employs specialist coaches for gymnastics and dance, and gives pupils more opportunities to take part in sporting events, sports competitions and fun days. This has resulted in greater participation in after-school sports clubs, greater confidence and increased success in athletics competitions.  The high standards that pupils reach by the time they leave school and the good social skills they develop prepare them well for the next stage in their education.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is knowledgeable and committed to the school. Governors understand the school’s data and know how well the school is performing compared to other schools. They know what the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching is like as they receive regular reports from the headteacher and other senior members of staff.  Governors also know how the performance of teachers and other staff is managed and, when teaching is less than good, what is done to tackle underperformance. They ensure that there is a close link between pay and performance. The governing body works closely with the headteacher and provides both support and challenge. The school’s finances are managed well and money is spent appropriately. All governors attend training regularly.  Governors promote equality of opportunity by checking that all groups attain well and holding the school to account if they do not. Governors are fully involved with the life of the school and ensure that they are present in their roles as governors at events such as parents’ evenings.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The inspectors saw good behaviour in classrooms, when moving around the school and at playtimes. Staff and pupils say that this is typical and a very large majority of parents also think that behaviour is good.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning because teachers plan interesting activities and lessons. Pupils understand that good behaviour helps their learning; they are nearly always attentive and concentrate well in lessons. They usually move sensibly and quickly from one activity to another.  There is a good level of adult supervision at lunch and playtimes. There is very little need for intervention as pupils know what behaviour is expected of them. For example, there is a rota that specifies which activities are available to pupils and when; this is understood and adhered to by all.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility. For example, the older pupils take their responsibilities for looking after

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Behaviour

new Reception children and helping them to settle into school seriously. Pupils are given clear guidance on behaviour and they understand the school’s reward systems. They understand that poor behaviour has consequences.  The school celebrates good attendance and reminds parents regularly about its importance in ensuring good learning. There have been no exclusions this academic year.  Pupils are very proud of their school and they enjoy showing visitors around and telling them about the school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe in school and they are confident about talking to adults in school about their concerns.  Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying. They say that bullying and racism are very rare and the school’s records indicate that such incidents are infrequent. When they do occur, the school acts quickly by contacting parents and reinforcing anti-bullying and anti-racism messages in lessons and assemblies.  Record keeping for safeguarding is of a high standard and concerns are always followed up. The school has a suitable system for recording such incidents and informing the appropriate agencies.  Attendance is slightly lower than the national average. This is partly due to the individual circumstances of a few specific pupils. Leaders and governors have put measures in place to deal with this, but so far without much success. They have identified the need to seek further expert advice to tackle this issue.

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Safety

 There are effective systems in place to check that only suitable people have contact with pupils. All staff and governors are trained in safeguarding, and some governors and senior staff have had advanced training.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They learn about road safety and the oldest children have cycling safety lessons. They know about ‘stranger danger’ and who to go to if they are worried or contacted inappropriately. Pupils are taught about e-safety and how to keep themselves safe when using electronic media. The pupils understand the dangers attached to posting information about themselves online.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good, with reading, writing and mathematics being taught effectively, and most pupils make good progress. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and what pupils can achieve. As a result, pupils usually have good attitudes to learning which help them to acquire skills and knowledge.  Teachers regularly check their pupils’ progress and ensure that any pupil who requires help is given it.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds letters make) is good. The school has put additional effort and resources into improving the teaching of phonics this year. As a result, pupils are skilled at sounding out words and blending the sounds together.  Teaching assistants have recently had additional training to support pupils to acquire reading skills. The school’s records indicate that this is having a positive impact on pupils’ progress. The pupils who read to an inspector had clearly been taught early reading skills very effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Mathematics is taught well. The work seen in pupils’ books shows good progress throughout the school. The younger pupils use appropriate equipment well to help them practise their skills. Good mathematical thinking developed as pupils were deeply involved in investigating whether the order of the digits in a multiplication calculation makes any difference to the answer.  Pupils have many opportunities to write in a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy learning through topics. High quality writing is evident the classes’ study of Ancient Greece in Year 6 and the Egyptians in Year 4.  Marking is of a high standard. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give pupils advice on how to make their work better. They ensure pupils have time to respond to the marking. Pupils say that teachers’ marking helps them to improve their work.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported. The additional training

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The quality of teaching is good

for teaching assistants on the teaching of reading has had a positively impact on this group. Good teaching is helping pupils to make fast progress from their different starting points.

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is good

 Standards and progress, as seen in the 2014 end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests and assessments, were higher than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school’s current assessment of pupils in 2015 indicate that, while standards are slightly lower than in 2014, pupils are making good progress in all subjects. This view is supported by the work in lessons and in books.  Disadvantaged pupils who left the school at the end of 2014 were approximately one term behind their classmates in mathematics and writing, and working at a similar level in reading. When compared to other pupils nationally, they were at a similar level in mathematics and reading, and two terms behind in writing. This shows that they were closing the gap with other pupils in school and nationally.  This year, disadvantaged pupils are again making good progress and are expected to close the gap with

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is good

other pupils.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress overall. The 2014, national assessments showed these pupils made good progress in writing and mathematics, but slower progress in reading. The school’s assessment of standards in 2015 shows that the interventions for these pupils are successful in accelerating their progress, particularly in reading.  In 2014, the most-able pupils made more progress than similar pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Work in lessons and in current books shows work of a high standard, with the most-able pupils working at a challenging level. For example, pupils in Year 4 were enthusiastically writing complex dialogue in play scripts, using words like ‘provoked’ and ‘agitated’ to bring their work to life.  Boys did not perform as well as girls in the 2014 national tests. However, they made more progress than

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is good

boys nationally in mathematics and writing, but slightly less in reading. The school is now working to address the difficulties that some boys have with reading and the school’s records show that this is being successful.  Throughout the school, there is evidence of pupils’ good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The school’s own assessments, taken in the lower juniors at the end of Year 4, showed that a large proportion of pupils had made more than expected progress.  Year 1 pupils make good progress with learning phonics and they usually achieve well in the phonic screening check. There was a dip in 2014 but standards are high again this year.

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The early years provision is good

 Children join the Reception classes with skills and knowledge that are generally slightly lower than those typical for their age and experience, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and communication and language. Good teaching enables them to catch up quickly. Parents of children in the Reception classes say that the arrangements for their children to start school are very good. There are many opportunities for the children and parents to meet the staff. This helps children to settle quickly and make good progress from their different starting points. Children are well prepared to move on to Year 1.  Teachers are quick to identify the needs of disabled children, those who have special educational needs and those who are disadvantaged. They take prompt action to put strategies in place to support them.  Children make good progress in the Reception classes because of the good teaching they receive in all

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The early years provision is good

areas of learning. Teachers plan interesting activities and there is an appropriate balance between activities taught by an adult and those chosen by the child.  The teaching of phonics and early reading skills is good. For example, teachers reinforce the learning of specific sounds by giving children opportunities to play games and use the sounds in their own writing.  Children are taught good routines and adults encourage them successfully to be independent. For example, they collect the equipment they want to use and tidy away afterwards with little adult direction. They were also seen cooperating well by helping each other to put on protective suits and boots prior to imaginative role play in the mud kitchen.  The Reception classes are characterised by warm positive relationships between adults and children. This develops children’s confidence and children are willing to engage in all activities and ‘have a go’ without

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The early years provision is good

fear of failure. Children have very positive attitudes to learning and are proud of their work which they enjoy showing to an adult.  Leadership in the early years is good and is focused on raising attainment for all children across the whole curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants make a strong team, and all have benefited from training opportunities to develop their early years expertise.  Children are kept safe and secure. Safeguarding has the same high priority in the Reception classes as it does in the rest of the school.  The early years teachers have an accurate picture of the attainment and progress of individual children, but do not always use this information to plan learning opportunities for the whole year group.

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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 116398 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 449752

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 370 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair June Burton Headteacher Elizabeth Kenny Date of previous school inspection 1–2 March 2010 Telephone number 023 8044 8502 Email address info@st-patricks.southampton.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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