St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School

St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School Roberts Road, Balby, Doncaster DN4 0JN

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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

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders have not made sure that teaching is consistently good. Over time, teaching is not consistently well matched to the range of ability in the class and some pupils find the work too easy while others find it too hard.  Not all teachers follow the school marking and feedback policy carefully enough. Consequently, while some pupils make good use of feedback to speed up their progress and improve their spelling, others do not.  Pupils do not make good progress in all year groups. As a result, outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are not high enough.  Improvement plans are not focused enough on making sure that leaders have a greater impact on pupils’ progress. A lack of clear timescales for when actions will happen makes it difficult for governors to monitor effectively the impact leaders are having.  Recently appointed governors recognise that not enough checks are being made on the impact additional funding is having, especially for

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This is a school that requires improvement

disadvantaged pupils.  The school’s website does not fully meet the government’s statutory requirements.

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The school has the following strengths

 Outcomes for children in the early years are good and signs are strong that this improvement is being maintained due to strong leadership, effective teaching and teamwork between teachers and other adults.  Pupils and parents and carers agree that the school is safe and secure, pupils enjoy coming to school and behaviour is good.  Overall levels of persistent absence have significantly reduced and attendance is improving for some groups.  The school’s clear faith-based ethos provides a helpful contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils. A harmonious atmosphere pervades the school and pupils from different backgrounds get on well with each other.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that pupils make consistently good progress across both key stage 1 and key stage 2 by making sure that: teachers and other adults build on pupils’ prior learning to ensure that learning is sufficiently challenging for all groups of pupils, including the most able and those who have special educational needs or disability all teachers follow the school’s marking and feedback policy to ensure that it has a greater impact on pupils’ progress and develops pupils’ confidence in being effective learners teachers take more opportunities to develop and improve extended writing in literacy lessons as well as in other curriculum areas.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governors, by ensuring that: as a result of leaders’ checks on teaching, pupils’ progress is improving and attainment gaps close, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those who speak English as an additional language

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

improvement plans clearly show the impact intended actions will have on pupils’ progress by when, and the role governors will play in evaluating the progress being made child protection plans have clear and quantifiable outcomes to help leaders evaluate the impact of their work and that of other agencies and professionals in supporting vulnerable pupils governors build their levels of knowledge and understanding about pupils’ progress so that they are able to challenge leaders more effectively when necessary the school’s website complies fully with the government’s statutory requirements. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, leaders and managers have not made enough progress in ensuring that teaching is consistently good for all pupils. The significant turnover of staff at the start of this academic year has hindered the progress in further improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes.  Pupils’ progress varies across classes and year groups. Leaders have been more successful in improving provision for children in the early years, reducing overall persistent absence and ensuring that pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning and school. Due to this mixed picture, leadership and management require improvement.  While leaders have demonstrated the capacity to make some improvements, nevertheless there is still a way to go before the school becomes good. The newly appointed deputy headteacher remains the special educational needs coordinator in her former school until the end of this term. The early years leader,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

while highly effective in leading that area, is also in charge of teaching and learning and assessment information and analysis. Consequently, some leaders are currently overstretched. As a result of this, staff morale is mixed. A number of staff commented that while leaders have ensured a calm, happy and safe learning environment, they are not so clear about the strategic leadership and direction of the school.  Senior leaders and subject coordinators carry out regular checks on learning and are well aware of the fact that teaching is not yet consistently good. Despite this regular checking, leaders have not been consistently successful in using this information to improve teaching more rapidly. As a result, there remains too much variability in the impact teaching is having on pupils’ progress.  Leaders have developed improvement plans which show they have a clear grasp of what the key priorities

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

are facing the school. However, they are not as useful as a tool for school improvement as they could be. Plans do not always show the timescales by when actions need to be taken nor the impact leaders expect these will have on pupils’ outcomes. Governors are not involved enough in checking the impact leaders are having. They are keen to play a more active strategic role in making sure that these plans and actions have a greater impact on pupils’ progress.  The curriculum is focused on teaching children the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics along with science and religious education. However, teachers miss opportunities to develop and deepen pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding of other subjects in a clear and concerted way. For example, they do not plan for pupils to develop a love of history, geography or a modern foreign language consistently well.  Other features of the curriculum are stronger. Extra-curricular activities are plentiful and make a good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

contribution to pupils’ wider personal and social development. Pupils enjoy music lessons, reading and the breakfast club. As one pupil said of the breakfast club, ‘It’s a chance to have toast and see your friends.’  The curriculum effectively develops pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education due to the school’s clear faith-based ethos. Pupils have a good grasp of different faiths and cultures. Displays around the school celebrate the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of pupils and their families. Pupils are developing their understanding of values such as democracy and the rule of law well, and can see its application in a range of ways including through the pupils’ council. As a result, the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Performance management is improving as leaders set targets for teachers that are linked clearly to pupils’ outcomes. There is a clear link between pupils’ progress and salary progression.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Newly qualified teachers feel well supported and are making progress in developing their teaching and assessment of pupils. However, senior leaders have not thought carefully enough about the impact of only having newly qualified teachers in key stage 1 and the impact this would have on sustaining the progress of pupils seen in 2015. School assessment information suggests that 2016 outcomes for key stage 1 will be lower than they were last year.  The primary sports funding is used to employ specialist coaches to team teach and help class teachers improve their ability to teach physical activities for themselves. Additional resources have also been provided for pupils to use during lunchtime and breaktimes. Leaders have not analysed carefully enough the impact this funding is having. Consequently, neither they nor governors have a clear enough view on what the impact of this funding has been, nor what the next steps should be to improve pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

enjoyment of physical activities.  Leaders analyse the pupil premium more effectively. It is having more impact in key stage 1 than in key stage 2. By the end of Year 2 in 2015, attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils narrowed considerably in reading and mathematics but not at key stage 2.  The school receives some helpful support from both the local authority and the diocese. This support has helped check the accuracy of the school’s self-evaluation and confirmed to school leaders the areas that need further improvement. However, this external support has had less impact on making sure that all pupils receive good-quality teaching and improvement plans are fit for purpose.  The governance of the school Governors have gone through a significant turnover recently. Nevertheless they are passionate and determined to see all pupils achieve as well as they can and be ready for the next stages of their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

learning. They rightly see this as being of paramount importance. Governors have an accurate grasp of the strengths and priorities facing the school. Governors are not afraid to challenge school leaders on the progress being made. Governors acknowledge that they need further training and support to help them understand in-school assessment information to help them confidently ask probing questions about the progress pupils are making. Governors have accurately identified that they need to have a better grasp of how the school manages its finances. Some governors have used their financial expertise well to help the school get better value for money in some areas. Governors accept that they need to have a closer eye on the impact that additional funding is having on the progress pupils are making, particularly pupils currently in key stage 2.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the school is in the process of reviewing some of its

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements. Staff are alert and sensitive to any potential concerns and are not afraid to seek advice from outside agencies. Curriculum meetings are used to refresh and remind staff of the latest safeguarding and child protection guidance. Parents confirm that they feel that their children are safe, cared for and well looked after in school. Discussions with pupils also confirm that this is the case. Child protection plans are in place for vulnerable pupils and the school works well with other agencies. However, the quality of child protection plans needs further work. These plans do not have clear or measurable targets that regularly hold the school and other agencies and professionals to account for the difference they are making in improving vulnerable pupils’ outcomes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching and learning varies across the school. The way teachers go about checking whether pupils are making progress is not of consistently high quality. Sometimes teachers use a wide range of technical key words and do not do enough to check that pupils, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, fully understand what these words mean. In these instances, progress can slow as pupils struggle to engage or understand what they have been asked to do.  The quality of marking and feedback varies from classroom to classroom and at times does not comply with school expectations. Not all teachers ensure that their feedback makes enough of a difference. As a result, some pupils are still making basic spelling and punctuation errors that were identified earlier in the year. In other classes, teachers expect pupils to improve their work in the light of feedback they provide.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

In these instances, pupils learn from their mistakes and show that they can make faster progress.  Due to significant staffing changes, teachers are still building their confidence in using assessment information well to challenge all their pupils. In some cases this works very well. In a Year 4 numeracy lesson, for example, most-able pupils were engrossed in a problem to do with the recording of tens and hundreds. They showed high levels of perseverance and resilience and were thrilled by the challenge. At other times, teachers do not match work well enough to pupils’ needs. This leads to the most able and those who have special educational needs or disability not being challenged enough.  In other classes, teachers are more effective at checking on the progress pupils are making. They skilfully use a range of ways, including questioning and circulating around the classroom, to check that pupils fully

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

understand what they are doing. In these classrooms, misconceptions and errors are quickly spotted and addressed.  Teaching assistants and other staff can be an effective additional resource in classrooms. They sometimes probe and question pupils well and make sure that they are expected to think for themselves. Teachers sensibly direct other adults to work with a wide range of pupils including those who are most able. However, at other times, other adults can ‘spoon feed’ answers to pupils too readily and this leads to missed opportunities to challenge and extend pupils’ thinking.  Pupils enjoy reading. Many pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading a range of books. In lessons, pupils read with care and attention and texts are well matched to the reading levels and interests of the pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Relationships are a real strength of the school. Pupils get on well with each other and with their teachers. Pupils are respectful and thoughtful. Classrooms are generally inspiring and set the right tone for high expectations and learning.  Pupils show a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Year 6 pupils, for example, have benefited from the ‘Crucial Crew’ (a personal safety educational programme). This has helped them understand the risks associated with crossing the road, fire and staying safe when online. Pupils are less confident when it comes to knowing what it means to be an effective learner.  Pupils are aware of the different types of bullying that can occur, including name-calling, physical bullying and racist bullying. While some bullying does occur, pupils say that it is rare and is dealt with effectively

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. Pupils are able to concentrate and focus on what they are doing in class. They listen carefully most of the time. Younger pupils only tend to lose concentration when the teacher has had them sitting down on the carpet for too long and they start to get distracted and fidget. Otherwise they show good levels of engagement and enjoy learning.  The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and inquisitive. They welcome visitors with a smile and a ‘good morning’ and often hold the door open for others. Behaviour during the breakfast club and lunchtime is calm and orderly, and pupils show high levels of engagement and interest.  Leaders are improving attendance and reducing the numbers of pupils who miss considerable amounts of school. Through the use of a range of strategies to promote attendance, including assemblies, certificates, house points and gift vouchers, overall attendance is now broadly average. The progress and

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Behaviour

attendance of children looked after is also improving and the virtual headteacher makes regular checks on how well these children are doing.  However, leaders do not analyse the attendance rates of some groups of pupils carefully enough. Some children, including those in Reception, those who speak English as an additional language and those who have special educational needs or disability sometimes attend less well.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Standards for current pupils show a mixed picture, partly due to the significant staffing changes that have occurred this year. Outcomes in the early years look set to remain strong but it is unlikely that Year 6 pupils will achieve the targets they have been set.  Elsewhere in school the picture is also mixed. The progress key stage 1 pupils are making in writing requires improvement as the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is not closing fast enough. At key stage 2, stronger progress is being made in Year 4 but is more inconsistent in other year groups. Standards in writing require improvement at both key stages.  In 2015, children in the early years achieved a good level of development in line with national averages. The Year 1 screening check in phonics (the sounds that letters represent) has been improving year on year and key stage 1 standards have also been improving. Pupils in 2015 made good progress from key

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

stage 1 to key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils make expected progress over time but not enough of them make better than this. This is because some teaching is not challenging enough. Disadvantaged pupils also make expected progress over time but attainment gaps are closing faster at key stage 1 than they are at key stage 2.  The progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability again is uneven. Current assessment information coupled with lesson observations and work scrutinies shows that in Years 3 and 4 progress is improving but is much more variable in key stage 1, especially in reading and writing.

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Early years provision is good

 Children start in the early years with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. As a result of strong and focused leadership, children made good progress in 2015 in the overwhelming majority of areas of learning, but especially in numbers and shape, space and measure. Inspection evidence, alongside school assessment information, suggests that this improvement is set to continue.  Additional funding has been used to employ additional adults. As a result, disadvantaged children do equally well compared with other children and boys’ progress has also improved this year due to careful and effective monitoring. This means that, by the time children enter Year 1, they are ready to settle to their learning.  Tasks are interesting and varied and staff create a welcoming learning environment. There is a good range of directed activities, including children participating in ‘dough disco’ to prepare them for holding a

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Early years provision is good

pencil and writing. Children are encouraged to try things out for themselves as well as be guided and directed by teachers.  Children make good progress because teaching is good and there are well-established routines that children and staff consistently follow. The early years leader has created a harmonious, stable and effective team that works well together. This leads to children making sustained progress over time. Teachers use daily assessments to plan ahead for children’s learning and skilfully adapt what they are doing to capitalise on children’s interests.  Learning journals show that children are making good progress over time and growing in confidence. Children’s personal and social skills are good and they show a keen interest in visitors and are keen to talk and engage with them.  Parents are kept well informed about how well their children are progressing. Much effort has been made

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Early years provision is good

to ensure that communication between school and home is effective. Good links are made with parents prior to children joining school and this helps to ensure a smooth transition for children as they start in Nursery or Reception. Fortnightly updates are also provided for parents so they know how well their children are doing.  Safeguarding checks are effective and detailed and help contribute to children feeling happy and safe.

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School details

Unique reference number 106762 Local authority Doncaster Inspection number 10009184

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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 202 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bryan Manion Headteacher Nicholas Collins Telephone number 01302 344678 Website www.xavier.doncaster.sch.uk Email address admin@xavier.domcaster.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 February 2014

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Over half the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and a high proportion of these pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is broadly average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been numerous staffing changes since the previous inspection. Six of the eight teaching staff are new, including the deputy headteacher.  Governors are in the process of investigating the way safeguarding procedures were followed when an

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Information about this school

incident occurred in school.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information, about having a link to the Department for Education’s school performance tables, an evaluation of how additional funding is being used and the impact this is having on pupils’ outcomes, on its website.  The headteacher is due to retire at the end of the summer term 2016.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors gathered a wide range of evidence during the inspection, including through observations of teaching, some of which were undertaken with senior leaders. They also carried out work scrutinies in classrooms including checking literacy, numeracy, science, ‘creative curriculum’ and handwriting books.  Inspectors held meetings with school staff, including the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff in charge of aspects of the school’s work. Inspectors met with a group of newly qualified teachers. They also met with five governors, had a phone conversation with the chair of the governing body, and met with a local authority officer and the director of schools from the Diocese of Hallam.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during formal interviews during lessons and informally.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation related to the school’s work, gaining the school’s view of its performance and information concerning pupils’ attainment, progress, attendance and

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Information about this inspection

behaviour.  Inspectors scrutinised records concerning safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour over time and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Inspectors analysed parental responses submitted during the inspection to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View. Twelve staff surveys submitted to Ofsted were also considered. Inspectors also took into account the school’s own survey of its pupils.

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Inspection team

Philip Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Donald Parker 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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