Our Lady's Catholic Primary School

Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School East Meadway, Tile Cross, Birmingham B33 0AU

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. She has driven forward improvements in teaching and has put in place a curriculum that makes learning exciting and interesting. She is well supported by an effective deputy headteacher.  Teaching, learning and assessment are now good across the school. Teachers and other staff share school leaders’ high expectations for what pupils can and should achieve.  All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, and pupils who have special educational needs or disability, make good progress from their starting points. Provision for the most vulnerable pupils is well matched to their specific needs.  Governors have developed their skills well since the last inspection and now have a clear understanding of how the school is doing. They effectively hold leaders to account and provide good levels of support and challenge.  Children in the early years make good progress

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This is a good school

and successfully develop their ability to learn. Teaching is good and, as a result, children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Pupils are polite, well behaved and appreciative of the many opportunities that the school offers. They feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very effective. As a result, they have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and show respect and tolerance for the beliefs of other people.  The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils are well prepared for life as citizens in modern Britain.  The school has made the most of the support available locally from a teaching school alliance and the other networks of which it is part.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in reading is not as good as in writing and mathematics.  The most-able pupils are sometimes given tasks that lack challenge and do not allow them to develop their skills and understanding further.  Standards of pupils’ handwriting and presentation of their work are inconsistent across the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment to secure consistently rapid rates of progress for all pupils and to raise achievement, particularly in reading, by ensuring that teachers: plan activities that are well matched to the needs of different pupils, particularly the most able consistently provide pupils with feedback that gives them clear guidance on how they can improve their work ensure that handwriting is consistently developed across the year groups so that pupils’ written work is always well presented and legible in exercise books.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher provides very strong and determined leadership. She recognised that not all pupils were making the progress of which they were capable and has successfully addressed the less effective practice that was identified at the last inspection, including any weaker teaching. She has established a culture of high expectations for all members of the school community that is shared and supported by all members of staff. Pupils are well aware that they are expected to behave well and show respect for others and this is reflected in the calm and orderly atmosphere that exists in the school.  The headteacher is well supported by other leaders in the school. The deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers and middle leaders are fully committed to improving teaching and learning within their areas of responsibility and recognise their accountability for pupils’ progress. They are benefiting from support and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

training provided by a local teaching school alliance and are increasingly effective in ensuring that the school is well led and managed. The school’s emphasis on training current and future leaders is part of the headteacher’s strategy to ensure sustainable improvement through planning for the future.  A systematic approach to evaluate the quality of teaching across the school is in place. Checks on the quality of teaching conducted by leaders and external support are used to plan for further improvements. All members of staff have benefited from a range of professional development activities, including opportunities to observe and work alongside outstanding teachers in other schools.  School leaders have developed a curriculum that meets the needs of the pupils of Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School. The school prepares pupils very well for life in modern Britain. In addition to the lessons that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

cover the subjects prescribed by the national curriculum, pupils can apply their learning during themed activity days such as the whole-school ‘enterprise day’, or the Year 6 ‘day at the hustings’ which culminates with a visit of the Houses of Parliament in London and is followed up by a questions and answers session with the MP who represents the school’s constituency. Pupils enjoy and benefit from a range of trips and visits in which they take part, such as visits to the Think Tank, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and Birmingham University. They also have access to individual music tuition and can develop their musical talent as part of the school’s choir and brass band.  The pupil premium funding is now used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils can achieve as well as others in school and are able to participate fully in all aspects of school life. Targeted support in lessons, booster classes and effective deployment of skilled learning support assistants contribute to ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils supported by the pupil premium grant make good progress. Disadvantaged pupils have free access to the full range of after-school clubs and extra-curricular activities that the school offers. Leaders check closely the impact of the pupil premium grant every term.  The primary school physical education and sports premium funding is used effectively and has increased the range of sporting opportunities available to pupils. It has also helped to develop staff confidence in teaching physical education. This has resulted in pupils taking part in competitions with other schools and being able to try new sports under the supervision of trained sport coaches. Increased participation in lunchtime and after-school sporting activities means that a growing number of pupils are developing their physical fitness.  The school supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Pupils are given a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

clear understanding of right and wrong and have a good understanding of other faiths and beliefs. There is a strong emphasis on broadening pupils’ horizons and developing their understanding of what is happening in society. For example, during the school assembly celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday that took place during the inspection, pupils reflected on the role of the monarchy in modern Britain, how it fits in with democracy, and what it means to be British.  The governance of the school Governors now provide good levels of support and challenge. Since the last inspection, governors have undergone an external review of their effectiveness and have made significant changes to their organisation and the way they operate. This has resulted in them being able to evaluate accurately the strengths of the school and the areas where it can improve. Governors bring a wide range of skills and knowledge to their roles and these allow them to have a good grasp of the issues facing the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Governors have a clear understanding of the assessment information that is available to the school and use it to check how well groups of pupils are achieving. They are keen to develop further their ability to participate fully in the strategic leadership of the school. Individual governors are involved in various programmes of training to keep up to date with every aspect of their roles. Governors work alongside school leaders to monitor specific aspects of the school’s work and report back in detail to the full governing body. They ensure that arrangements to manage teachers’ performance are well managed and that there are clear links between performance and pay progression. They effectively manage the school’s finances and resources and measure the impact of spending, including the pupil premium and sports premium, on pupils’ outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding is regarded as a high priority in the school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and is managed very effectively. All staff receive regular training and know how to identify if pupils are potentially at risk.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching across the school has improved significantly since the last inspection. It is now at least good with some that is better. The headteacher, with the support of the governing body, takes strong action to address any weak teaching. Through collaboration with a local teaching school alliance, training is planned and delivered to match the individual needs of all staff in order to help them provide enhanced learning experiences to pupils. This ongoing training and collaborative work with outstanding teachers is creating the conditions for a culture of continuous improvement of teaching and learning in the school.  Teachers plan and teach lessons that engage pupils’ interest. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, pupils were asked to help another school to organise a trip. Pupils worked with enthusiasm, in groups, applying their knowledge of mathematics, to organise transport and adequate supervision, calculate costs,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and estimate travel and activity times. They were able to communicate effectively with each other and with the teacher to find information and to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills in a realistic context.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has improved significantly since the last inspection. This is due to training for the staff and the introduction of a whole-school approach to reading.  The school has introduced a new system to assess pupils’ progress matched to the expectations of what they should be able to do at different ages in all subjects. Assessment information is used effectively to ensure that teachers understand how well pupils are achieving and use this information to plan lessons that meet the varying needs of pupils. Teachers meet with their colleagues and with colleagues from other schools to ensure that their assessments are accurate and consistent. Teachers regularly evaluate the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

progress of the pupils in their class and report to the headteacher.  Classrooms are bright and attractive places that promote and celebrate learning and achievement. Displays on the walls provide good prompts to help pupils with the subjects they study. Examples of successful pupils’ work also feature on display boards. Teachers use computerised teaching boards and computers effectively to deliver their lessons and support pupils’ learning.  There is a whole-school marking policy that is generally followed accurately by teachers. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and identify errors in written work and mathematics. However, pupils are not always clear how they can improve their work, especially in reading.  Teachers have a good subject knowledge, use questioning well to probe understanding and generally plan and teach activities that are adjusted to the different abilities of pupils in their class. However, while the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

majority of pupils are given work that challenges them, on occasions the most-able pupils are not given enough opportunities to progress further with more challenging activities when they have successfully completed the tasks that were given to them.  The presentation of work in exercise books varies a lot between subjects and from pupil to pupil across the school. There is too little emphasis on making sure that pupils’ handwriting and presentation of work is of a good standard.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The school is very successful in managing the balance between being a faith school and a multicultural school. The personal development and welfare of pupils are at the heart of the school’s work. Every opportunity to ensure that pupils get the message of tolerance and respect that the school is so keen to communicate is seized upon. It can be seen in lessons, in assemblies, on the display boards around the school and in the involvement of pupils in the community. For example, older pupils at the school are supporting the local care home.  The school refers to its community as being ‘a family’ and it is clear from the way pupils take a full part in all aspects of the school life that the sense of belonging implied in this idea is making pupils feel responsible for each other’s welfare. This can be observed in the way the school council is fully involved in the day-to-day

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Personal development and welfare

running of the school and comes across when talking to pupils who clearly feel privileged to be part of the school community.  Pupils are very aware of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, both within school and when they are away from school. They recognise the potential dangers that the internet could pose to them and it is clear, from what they say, that the school provides them with comprehensive information on how they can remain safe.  Pupils have a very good understanding of the different types of bullying, including homophobic bullying, and why all types of bullying are unacceptable. They say that bullying is extremely rare and this is confirmed by the detailed records that the school keeps.  The large majority of parents who responded to Parent View, the online Ofsted survey, or those who were spoken to during the inspection expressed great satisfaction and confidence about the work of the school. A

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Personal development and welfare

small number of parents expressed concerns about bullying and behaviour, but inspection evidence showed that any such incidents and concerns are being managed very effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. There have been significant improvements since the last inspection and members of staff commented on the positive impact these improvements had on the atmosphere of the school.  Expectations of how everyone should behave are made clear and are understood by the pupils. They appreciate the incentive they get for positive behaviour and understand that there are consequences for unacceptable behaviour.  Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and listen carefully and respect when either adults or other pupils are talking. They are keen to do well in lessons and to achieve high standards. They work well together and are keen to share ideas.  Attendance is improving and is above the national average for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. This is as a result of robust procedures that the school has put in place to ensure that parents and their children

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Behaviour

understand the impact that good attendance has on the progress the pupils make in school.  The behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around school is very positive. They are polite with adults and respectful of each other. There are very few occasions when pupils do not behave as they are expected to and adults use very effective strategies to engage them in their learning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils have improved since the last inspection. All groups of pupils now make good progress in all key stages and, as a result, standards of attainment have risen across the school.  In Year 2 in 2015, the standards attained rose sharply in reading, writing and mathematics and were at least in line with the national averages. This reflects good progress from their previously lower starting points.  National assessment information from 2015 shows that the attainment of pupils in Year 6 overall was broadly in line with national outcomes. In English, outcomes in writing were much better than in reading. In writing, over half of the pupils reached the higher Level 5. This is much higher than the proportion that did so nationally. Although in reading the proportion of pupils reaching the expected Level 4 was similar to the national average, a below average proportion of pupils reached the higher Level 5.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils in key stage 2 now achieve well. The proportion of pupils in Year 6 making expected progress through key stage 2 was better than the national average in reading and writing but slightly below in mathematics. Even so, in mathematics, pupils overall achieved well. A much higher than average proportion of pupils made more than the expected rate of progress than did so nationally. Current school information and evidence gathered during the inspection, including work in pupils’ books and lesson observations, indicate that pupils currently in school in all year groups are making good progress.  The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected level in the Year 1 phonics screening check has risen since 2013 and for the last two years has been above the national average. This is as a result of the consistent and accurate teaching of phonics and additional support for any pupil at risk of falling behind.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Disadvantaged pupils are now making much better progress. Gaps in attainment with other pupils in school and pupils nationally are narrowing. This is because the school checks their progress closely, uses the pupil premium funding effectively and provides well-planned additional support where it is needed.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability now make good progress from their starting points. Much more effective provision that meets the individual needs of these pupils has been in place since the last inspection and is having a positive impact on their progress. They receive effective support from teachers and learning support assistants who adapt lessons well to help them fully understand what they are learning.  The most-able pupils make similar progress to other pupils in school. Overall, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment compares favourably with the proportion that do so nationally. In

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Year 6 in 2015, a well-above average proportion of pupils reached the highest Level 6 in mathematics. However, across the school, occasionally work provided does not challenge the most-able pupils, particularly in reading, and so they do not always reach their full potential.

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Early years provision is good

 Most children start the Reception year with skills which are typically below those for their age, particularly in language and communication. They make good progress from their starting points due to effective teaching that is based on an accurate assessment of their individual needs and a welcoming classroom. In 2015, the proportion of children who reached a good level of development was in line with the national average.  Teaching in the early years is good. Initial assessments of children’s abilities and needs are accurate and are used to measure their progress throughout the year. The classroom and outdoor area are lively and stimulating places with areas set up to support learning in all the areas of the curriculum. For example, children were observed working enthusiastically with adults to place numbers 1 to 20 on a washing line before going into groups to play a variety of number games. They enjoyed games with dice, boards, and a

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Early years provision is good

treasure hunt in the outdoors area that had been laid out for them to continue to develop their learning.  Accurate teaching of phonics by all staff helps children make progress in reading. Children are also well supported to develop their writing skills and use their phonics knowledge to make accurate attempts at writing words. Adults are careful in ensuring that children use and write letters and numbers correctly and they model correct speech well.  Children’s behaviour is good. They cooperate well with each other, know how to take turns and listen to what other people are saying.  Leadership of the early years provision is good and has led to improvements in the opportunities children have across all the areas of learning, both in the classroom and in the outdoors area. As a result, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has improved significantly over the last two

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Early years provision is good

years. The new early years leader, who has been in post since September 2014, received very effective support through an early years specialist from a local education network.  Teachers and other adults ensure that children’s safeguarding and welfare needs are fully met. As a result, children are happy and safe and this helps them to progress well through their first year in school and be well prepared for when they start in Year 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 103449 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10002522

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 209 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paula Conlon-Swain Headteacher Mary Johnson Telephone number 0121 4644459 Website www.ourladys.bham.sch.uk Email address enquiry@ourladys.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 November 2013

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Information about this school

 Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  Children in Reception attend full time.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, supported by the pupil premium funding, is above average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is above average. Almost 30% of pupils have a language other than English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability supported through school action (pupils who need extra help with their learning) is above average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in Year 6.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The headteacher was first appointed as an interim headteacher in September 2013 and has been in post since this date.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 11 lessons and, in addition, made a number of short visits to lessons. A number of lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. They met two groups of pupils to gain their views of the school. The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime, and at the start and end of the school day, as well as in lessons. They also attended an assembly and a mass.  The inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the following: assessments and records of pupils’ progress; the school’s checks and records related to safeguarding, child protection and attendance; records of how teaching is managed; and the school’s improvement plans.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, one assistant headteacher, and

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Information about this inspection

four middle leaders. The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. There was also a telephone conversation with a representative of the local network of schools that has been providing support to the school since September 2015.  The inspectors took account of the 37 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and talked to parents at the end of the school day. They also looked at the 18 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Graham Prince 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

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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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