St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery Poulton Road, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 7JY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not consistently strong across the school. Some teachers do not use what they know about pupils to effectively plan lessons that provide appropriate challenge for all groups of pupils.  Not enough pupils make more than the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school.  Teaching assistants are not always used effectively to promote pupils’ learning.  Overall attainment of pupils (reading, writing and mathematics combined) at the end of Key Stage 1 has been significantly below the national average for the past three years.  Information gathered about children’s skills, knowledge and understanding in the early years is not always accurate.  Leaders of subjects (other than mathematics and English) do not sufficiently check the progress that pupils make.

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The school has the following strengths

 Achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has improved since the previous inspection.  The headteacher and other senior leaders have an accurate view of the school. They provide clear direction and demonstrate good capacity for further improvement.  The achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is narrowing rapidly.  The school works closely with parents to reduce the number of pupils absent from school. Attendance has improved since the previous inspection.  Teachers promote a love of reading across the school. Over half of the pupils who left school in 2015 reached standards above those expected for their age.  Pupils are proud of their school. They are polite and treat all members of the school community with respect.  A very large majority of parents and pupils say that children feel safe in school.  Governors increasingly hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions.

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The school has the following strengths

Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 2 of 9

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, so that it is at least consistently good across the school and therefore increase the proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics by: – ensuring that all teachers use what they know about the skills and knowledge of pupils to plan lessons that provide appropriate challenge for all groups of children – making sure that teaching assistants are used to the best effect to support learning.  Ensure that assessments in the early years are robust and accurate, so that children’s progress from their starting points can be reliably tracked and teachers are able to plan learning activities to meet the needs of all pupils.  Improve leadership and management by: – developing the role of subject leaders so that they are able to keep a check on the progress pupils are making in subjects other than English and mathematics – introducing a system to monitor the effectiveness of teaching assistants and consequently identifying

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

appropriate training to help to ensure they have the greatest possible impact on pupils’ learning. Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 3 of 9

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher has demonstrated resolve and determination to lead the school on a journey of improvement since its previous inspection. As a result, the proportion of pupils now leaving the school reaching at least the standards expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with that seen nationally. However, efforts to improve the quality of teaching have not been fully successful; teaching is not consistently good across the school.  The headteacher, supported strongly by the newly appointed deputy headteacher and other senior leaders, sets a clear direction for improvement. Staff morale is high and an ethos of collaboration is raising the confidence and skills of teachers throughout the school.  Frequent checks on the quality of teaching ensure that strengths and weaknesses are accurately identified. As a result, leaders are able to tailor training to support the improvement of teaching. Capacity

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

to continue to improve the quality of teaching further has been enhanced with the appointment of the new deputy headteacher. Teachers say that they value the feedback that they receive and welcome the sharply focused professional development, such as support with planning lessons and being given opportunities to visit other schools.  Some subject leaders are at the very early stages of developing their role. They do not check how well pupils are doing and are not involved in monitoring the quality of teaching. As a result, middle leaders do not have a clear picture of the achievement of pupils in most subjects other than mathematics and English.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. The school inclusion manager works in classrooms to help teachers in ensuring that the needs of this group of pupils are met. Teaching assistants, a learning mentor and staff trained to support pupils with emotional and behavioural

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

difficulties are also employed. As a consequence, the achievement gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is narrowing rapidly in reading, writing and mathematics.  The PE and sport premium for primary schools is used well by school leaders. Specialist sports coaches enhance the teaching of physical education, supporting teachers to develop their skills. A wide range of extra-curricular sports clubs is offered after school, resulting in increased numbers of pupils participating in sporting activities and competitions. Specialist sports coaches are also employed during lunch breaks, encouraging pupils to participate in healthy activities.  The leader of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or who are disabled is newly appointed to the role. Nevertheless, in a short period of time she has introduced several new initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for this group of pupils. Each class now has a plan that clearly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

maps out provision for pupils to ensure that their needs are being met. Furthermore, a refined system of delivering support and intervention to plug gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding has been introduced this term. Pupil progress meetings planned for later in the term will begin to assess the impact of these actions.  The headteacher and governors hold teachers to account and support professional development through a robust performance management process. However, the work of teaching assistants is not managed with the same rigour. As a result, plans to develop the skills of support staff to ensure they effectively support pupils’ learning lack direction.  A carefully planned curriculum meets the needs of pupils well. British values are promoted strongly. For instance, Year 6 pupils learn about how, in the past, activists such as Dorothy Day and Martin Luther King have stood by their beliefs in the face of persecution to bring about social change. Pupils are encouraged

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

to reflect on their behaviour through the school mission statement ‘As God’s children, we touch the lives of others through our thoughts, words and actions’. As a result, pupils display a strong sense of respect and tolerance towards one another. Pupils are given opportunities to develop their cultural awareness through music and art. For example, in a Key Stage 2 class, pupils explored and drew their own pictures, in an aboriginal style, to tell the story of folk tales that they had written during earlier English lessons. A broad range of after-school clubs further enhances the curriculum.  The local authority has provided a strong level of support, particularly over the past 12 months. Regular visits by the local authority advisor have supported leaders to plan actions to bring about change throughout the school. Opportunities to visit other schools to develop leadership skills have been warmly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

welcomed. Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 4 of 9  The governance of the school – The headteacher provides regular summary reports that ensure governors have an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This enables them to increasingly hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions by asking a range of challenging questions. – Governors keep a watchful eye on how effectively extra funding is spent. As a consequence, they are able to speak confidently about the impact of pupil premium and sports premium funding, which has been effective at improving outcomes for pupils in the school. – Governors take their role to keep children safe seriously. They ensure, along with the headteacher that all staff have undertaken suitable training and that the required checks have been made on the adults who work with children.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The arrangements to keep pupils safe (safeguarding) are effective. All of the parents who replied to a recent school survey strongly agree or agree that the school keeps their children safe. Procedures to check on the suitability of adults to work with children are robust, kept up to date and checked regularly by governors. All school staff have had up-to-date training to ensure they know how to keep pupils at the school safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching across the school is not consistently strong. In too many lessons, teachers do not plan effectively to meet the needs of all groups of pupils. This means that, in some classes, some pupils find the work too difficult, while other pupils are not sufficiently challenged and find the work too easy.  When teachers use what they know about pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively, lessons engage pupils and promote learning. For example, in a lower Key Stage 2 mathematics lesson, pupils were able to consolidate their understanding of column addition well because the teacher had used assessment effectively to identify that this had been an issue for some pupils from a previous lesson.  In some lessons, the use of practical resources helps to inspire pupils’ learning. Year 2 pupils, for instance, enjoyed learning about the pitch, beat and tempo of music due to the careful selection of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

musical instruments that pupils used well to apply their newly learned skills to.  Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning well to deepen understanding. Learning leapt forward in a mathematics lesson, for example, when a teaching assistant asked pupils to talk through how they arrived at an incorrect answer, highlighting and quickly addressing an error in their understanding.  The teaching of reading across the school is a strength. Pupils who read to inspectors shared their love of books and spoke confidently about the choices of books that they read. Pupils are able to use their phonic (the sounds that letters make) knowledge to read challenging words. They are also able to make predictions about what will happen next in fiction books and interpret information in non-fiction books.  Positive relationships between adults and pupils contribute to effective learning. In most classes, expectations of behaviour are clear, and well-established routines contribute to a calm and orderly

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

learning environment. The high expectations and enthusiasm of a Key Stage 2 teacher, for instance, captivated pupils’ attention and enthused them to plan imaginative quest stories during a writing lesson.  Teaching assistants are not always used effectively to support pupils’ learning, particularly at the start of lessons. In some classes, their eagerness to help pupils inhibits the development of the skills children need for them to become independent learners.  In some classes, the inappropriate use of restrictive worksheets constrains pupils’ creativity and imagination. For example, some worksheets in English books do not have enough space to allow pupils to justify and expand their thoughts and ideas.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils display a love of learning and show a positive attitude towards their work.  Pupils who spoke to inspectors say that they are happy and enjoy coming to school. They have a high regard for their teachers who are strong role models.  The very large majority of parents who replied to a recent school questionnaire agreed that the school deals effectively with bullying. A small number of parents who replied to Parent View (Ofsted’s online Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 5 of 9 questionnaire) and who spoke to inspectors expressed a concern that bullying is an issue within the school. However, pupils who spoke to inspectors stated that bullying is rare and when it does occur teachers deal with it swiftly. Nonetheless, some younger pupils in Key Stage 1 do not have a secure

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

understanding of what bullying is.  Older children are proud of their work as ‘pupil buddies’. They willingly give up their own time during lunchtime to support younger pupils who need someone to play with or to talk to.  Play at lunchtime is well organised. Lunchtime welfare staff encourage and organise fun activities for pupils. Specialist sports coaches also provide activities that pupils are keen to join in with. However, morning playtime does not offer pupils the same opportunities. Pupils who spoke to inspectors stated that they would like more to do during playtimes. A number of minor bumps and accidents (during morning playtime) have been recorded this term.  The school curriculum is effective at ensuring pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. Pupils are taught how to assess personal risk and how to ask for help, including in bullying situations in Key Stage 2. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are taught the difference between secrets and

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are generally polite and respectful of one another during lessons and playtimes. A new behaviour system, introduced in September, helps to ensure that pupils are clear about what is expected of them. Low-level disruption in lessons is rare. Pupils move about the school calmly. They eagerly undertake jobs to help adults, such as clearing tables in the dinner hall and returning sandwich trollies to classrooms.  Pupils are proud of their school and look after the environment. The school grounds are free of litter and pupils wear their school uniform neatly and with a sense of pride.  The school works closely with families and other agencies to remove barriers to learning. The work of the family learning mentor, for example, has been pivotal in the reduction of the proportion of pupils who miss school. As a result, attendance is now in line with that seen nationally.

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Behaviour

 Pupils who face challenges to manage their behaviour are supported well. A classroom for pupils with additional social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (nurture class) ensures that pupils are able to access the curriculum and continue with their learning. ‘The Nook’ (a quiet room for pupils to safely reflect on their behaviour) further enhances the support for this group of pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The proportion of pupils making the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 has improved strongly since the time of the previous inspection, so that it now compares favourably with that seen nationally. However, too few pupils made more than expected progress by the time they left the school in 2015 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Despite a significant improvement in 2015, following a fall in 2014, the overall standards that pupils reached (reading, writing and mathematics combined) at the end of Key Stage 1 were significantly below the national average for the third consecutive year.  Assessment information provided by the school shows that the progress of current pupils improved in 2015 across the school in reading, writing and mathematics. Progress in most classes and in most subjects was at least in line with that expected, with some cohorts making accelerated progress.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The proportion of pupils who leave the school reaching the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now in line with the national average.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is good. A sustained focus on improving the quality of the teaching of phonics has resulted in continued improvements. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening test is now in line with that seen nationally. In 2015, over half of pupils left Key Stage 2 achieving above the level expected (level 5).  Pupils’ mathematics books show that current pupils are making the progress expected of them across the school. Marking and feedback is effective at helping pupils to address misconceptions and make gains in their learning. In most classes, pupils are being given opportunities to apply their skills through solving

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

problems and investigations. However, in some classes, more-able pupils are not being challenged appropriately and consequently learning for this group of pupils is sometimes not as rapid as it could be. Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 6 of 9 As a consequence, the proportion of more-able pupils making expected progress in mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 was below that of other pupils in the school in 2015.  In some classes, in writing, too few pupils are working at the levels expected of them for their age. Nonetheless, leaders’ sharp focus on this area is beginning to bear fruit. Since September, following feedback to teachers by the deputy headteacher, pupils are being given more opportunities to embed and apply newly learned skills in their writing. In a Key Stage 2 class, for example, pupils applied knowledge about persuasive texts to write their own advertisement.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The achievement of disadvantaged pupils has improved significantly since the last inspection. Senior leaders use assessment information well to track the progress of this group of pupils carefully. As a result, the achievement gap to other pupils nationally is narrowing rapidly in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are now making progress that is broadly in line with other pupils in the school. The newly appointed special educational needs coordinator ensures that appropriate support is in place to meet the needs of this group of pupils. Bite-sized catch-up sessions, often led by teachers, are used to help pupils plug gaps in their learning.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Leaders do not have a fully accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses in early years as information about what children can do is not always accurate. As a result, activities do not always challenge and enthuse children as well as they could.  Children make a confident start to their school life in the early years. High expectations of behaviour and clear routines ensure that children settle in to school quickly at the start of term.  Most children make progress from their starting points that are broadly typical for their age. As a result, the proportion of children reaching a ‘good level of development’ is above the national average. Pupils are, therefore, well prepared for the start of Key Stage 1.  The proportion of girls who achieve a good level of development is above that of boys. The gap in achievement is wider than that seen nationally.  Children develop their reading and phonic skills well in the early years. This is because teachers have

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Early years provision requires improvement

good subject knowledge and lessons engage the interest of children. Children enjoyed linking their learning about letters and sounds, for example, to work on recipes and how to make soup.  Children enjoy undertaking a range of activities in the bright and welcoming learning environment. A small group of children developed their language skills well, for instance, when they used their imagination to ‘become the class teacher’. However, learning is sometimes stifled because activities such as painting inside a picture drawn by an adult limit children’s creativity and opportunity to try things for themselves.  Children relish and enjoy the opportunity to sing and perform confidently. During the harvest assembly, for example, children sang a number of songs beautifully. A number of children also spoke confidently and clearly to the audience.  Leaders and other adults build strong relationships with parents. Parents say that they are well informed

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Early years provision requires improvement

about the progress that their children make and that they are given support to help their children at home. The school recently delivered a session, for example, to help parents support their children with reading at home.  Children are well supervised and kept safe by attentive staff throughout the day. Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 7 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 119624 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 10002251

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School details

This inspection 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 344 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve McLaughlin Headteacher Richard Sanderson Telephone number 01253 874785 Website www.st-wulstans.lancs.sch.uk Email address enquiries@st-wulstans.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 3 October 2013

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Information about this school

 St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average (pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, and those who are looked after by the local authority).  Most pupils are from a White British heritage and almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below the national average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  A new deputy headteacher took up her post in September 2015. Inspection report: St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20–21 October 2015 8 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons in each class of the school, including two joint observations with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, members of staff, representatives of the governing body and two representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, school improvement planning, assessment information and reports on the quality of teaching.  Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during the school day and observed them during playtime, lunch and before and after school. They also met formally with two groups of pupils to chat about their learning and behaviour and safety.  Inspectors listened to a number of pupils read.  A range of pupils’ books were checked.  Inspectors spoke to a small number of parents at the start of the day. They also took account of the 36 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the school’s own parent questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors also took note of the 29 responses they received to the inspection questionnaire for school staff.

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Inspection team

Martin Bell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Sheila Iwaskow Her Majesty’s Inspector Mavis Smith Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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