St Margaret's Catholic Primary

St Margaret’s Catholic Primary Glossop Road, Glossop, Derbyshire SK13 6JH

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The executive headteacher has had a significant impact on the school’s improvement since the last inspection. He cares passionately for the school and its pupils, seeking to secure the school’s viability into the future.  Leaders have used the school’s federation with All Saints Catholic Primary to strengthen teaching. Expectations of what pupils can achieve have risen and pupils’ outcomes have followed suit as a result.  Leaders and staff have very successfully integrated pupils from both schools. Pupils and their parents have only good things to say about the arrangement.  Care, courtesy and consideration for others are qualities displayed by every pupil. They live and breathe the school’s values, which are very well role-modelled by staff.  Governors are effective in holding senior leaders to account. Good leadership has kept them focused on improving the school.  Nevertheless, leaders’ and governors’ plans for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improving the school are not specific enough. Too often they are directed at the federation and not at the unique needs of the school.  Teaching and learning are strengths of the school, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers and teaching assistants are quick to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ learning is not as strong in some subjects as it is in English and mathematics. Where this is the case, the curriculum is not matched closely enough to the needs and experiences of the pupils and assessment practices are not well enough developed.  Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. However, the most able disadvantaged pupils could achieve even more.  Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning. They behave well at different times of the school day, attending regularly and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

punctually.  Children make a good start to their education in the early years. They settle quickly into school life and make strong progress through the year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve school improvement planning so that:  it is detailed to ensure that there are clear measurable milestones  it addresses the particular needs of the school, as a separate institution from the federation.  Further develop the school’s curriculum, including in the early years, ensuring that the quality of assessment in all subjects is as good as it is in English and mathematics.  Ensure that the most able disadvantaged pupils are consistently challenged in their learning so that they make accelerated progress and maximise their attainment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The executive headteacher has ensured that the school has improved significantly since his arrival just before the school’s previous inspection. Staff, governors and parents hold him in high regard and value the work he has done to keep the school open. He has seized on the benefits of the federation with another local school to re-energise and refocus teachers and teaching assistants on raising standards. The culture of ambition, underpinned by a commitment to care and service to the pupils and their families, is unmistakeable.  The executive headteacher and assistant headteacher have been innovative in their approach to meeting the needs of such a small number of pupils. Leaders’ work to communicate their ideas and plans to pupils and parents has been very successful. This is reflected particularly well in pupils’ and parents’ very positive attitudes to some pupils being educated at All Saints Primary School and vice versa. The harmonious and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

welcoming atmosphere in the school provides unquestionable proof that pupils mix well and enjoy the additional opportunities and experiences offered by this arrangement.  Senior leaders use the school’s performance management systems and procedures to promote good practice and improve pupils’ outcomes. Teachers have benefited from the opportunities to work at, or share practice with, colleagues at the other federation school. This has added to the impact of training on increasing the consistency of teaching and learning at the school. Where necessary, the executive headteacher has addressed staff underperformance effectively.  The subject leaders for English and mathematics understand and discharge their roles very effectively. They know the strengths and weaknesses of their subjects and are clear about the next steps for improvement. They monitor standards regularly and hold colleagues to account for pupils’ performances. This has contributed to improvements

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

in pupils’ outcomes since the last inspection.  The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of his role. He has improved the procedures for identifying and addressing the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is good evidence of the work undertaken in association with other external agencies to ensure that pupils’ additional needs are met.  The local authority has provided very effective support to the school. The school’s adviser has been diligent in his monitoring of the impact of this support. He has ensured that the school’s leaders are in position to continue the school’s development with a much reduced level of support in the future.  Leaders have use the additional funds provided through the physical education and sports development grant effectively. Pupils’ participation rates in sporting activities have risen and they have access to an increasingly wide range of sports.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have prioritised the progress of disadvantaged pupils, using the pupil premium to support this group of pupils effectively. As a result, outcomes for disadvantaged pupils have improved since the last inspection. However, leaders could focus the pupil premium even more to ensure that the most able disadvantaged pupils attain as well as they possibly could.  The school’s curriculum meets the requirements of the national curriculum. However, it is not well enough matched to the needs of the pupils and assessment processes are not well enough developed. Consequently, although pupils cover a full range of subjects, their understanding and learning are not as secure as they could be.  Leaders’ plans for school improvement are not matched well enough to the needs of the school. While plans for improving the federation will have some impact on the school, the specific and unique needs of the school’s pupils are not identified clearly

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Governance of the school

 School governance has improved since the last inspection. Governors are well led and very clear about their roles in taking the school forward. They are effective in holding the executive headteacher to account for school improvement, evaluating and challenging the information he provides. Governors check on the accuracy of information through visits to the school and presentations by subject leaders at governing body meetings.  Governors undertake their responsibilities conscientiously, prioritising the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Governors review their performance regularly and this ensures that they are not complacent about the importance of discharging their responsibilities effectively to secure school improvement.  Governors are diligent in undertaking their duties in relation to managing the performance of staff. They monitor the use of the pupil premium funding and receive

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Governance of the school

regular updates on the outcomes for different groups of pupils, although the very small size of the school means that outcomes for all pupils are reviewed. They use this information to help set the long-term plans for the school but some impact is lost because plans are often directed at the federation rather than the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and governors receive regular training in safeguarding and very good practice ensures that safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour are discussed every week at staff meetings. Pupils and their parents agree that the school is a safe place to learn. Pupils told the inspector that bullying is very rare because pupils are so accepting of each other.  Leaders ensure that statutory requirements are met, but this does not fully reflect the sense of care and watchfulness that is ever-present. The very strong sense of community intertwines with the school’s commitment to Christian values, with practical support for pupils and their families offered during times of need.  Pupils are taught how to stay safe in a variety of situations and this teaching is often backed up in other ways, such as displays on staying safe when using the internet or visitors who promote cycling safety. Leaders are vigilant to any safeguarding risks and

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Safeguarding

act rapidly where they identify that procedures could be improved further. Leaders take particular care in respect of the use of the school’s minibus to transfer pupils between schools at the start and end of each day, ensuring that nothing is left to chance even though the journey may seem relatively short.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers and teaching assistants have high aspirations for every pupil. Their expectations of what pupils can achieve have risen considerably since the previous inspection. Relationships with pupils are very strong and the staff’s desire for each pupil to succeed is tangible.  Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together and their good communication ensures that gaps in pupils’ learning are addressed quickly. Teachers trust teaching assistants to assess pupils’ progress and contribute to designing the next steps in pupils’ learning, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. This ensures that little learning time is lost and pupils’ misconceptions are rectified without delay.  Teachers set challenging learning tasks for pupils and this is helping pupils to make good progress over time. Teachers monitor pupils’ learning closely during lessons and quickly identify if work is too hard or too easy, adjusting it accordingly to minimise lost

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learning time. Pupils are encouraged to review their own learning. For example, in a Year 5/6 mathematics lesson pupils moved on to more challenging work when they were confident, rather than wasting time on unnecessarily practising calculations.  Teachers’ good subject knowledge is evident in their accurate use of vocabulary, for example in the teaching of mathematics. Pupils are expected to be equally precise in their responses to teachers’ and teaching assistants’ questions, which are consistently of a very high standard and designed to develop and extend pupils’ learning.  Pupils receive good-quality phonics teaching and this provides them with a solid platform on which to build their wider reading skills. The teacher is attuned to each pupil’s needs and builds upon their understanding with grammar and spelling activities that are linked to the Year 1/2 class theme, currently pirates.  Pupils are willing readers who are keen to share their books with classroom visitors

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

such as the inspector. They use their phonics knowledge to attempt new or unfamiliar words with good accuracy. Teachers take every opportunity to promote pupils’ reading, for example by asking them to share what they have written with classmates. In another example, a pupil from Year 1 read a pirate story while another pupil acted this out while wearing an eye patch and sailing around the outdoor provision in a pirate ship. Although many are not listened to reading at home, pupils’ enthusiasm for books and reading is evident and this is helping to improve their outcomes.  Teachers expect pupils to show pride in the presentation of their written work, and this is helping to raise standards. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to write for extended periods across a range of subjects and this is helping to embed pupils’ grammar skills, while promoting their use of a wide range of vocabulary.  Pupils enjoy studying a variety of subjects through themes and topics. However, their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

learning is not as strong in some areas of the curriculum because not all of the topics have relevance to their own, often limited, life experiences. Teachers are not so adept at identifying gaps in pupils’ learning in these subjects because assessment practices in other subjects are not as sharp as they are for English and mathematics.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  From their entry into the school, pupils are taught to respect each other, with teachers and teaching assistants acting as excellent role models. Pupils’ acceptance and tolerance of each other as well as of people of faiths, cultures and lifestyles which may be different from their own, is evident in their words and actions. This was very clear to the inspector both at St Margaret’s and when he visited the Years 3 and 4 pupils who attend All Saints Catholic Primary School on a daily basis.  Pupils are enthusiastic learners who are eager to share their work with the adults in school. Pupils’ successes are celebrated in the marking and feedback from teachers in pupils’ books, celebratory displays and commendations in weekly newsletters and assemblies. Pupils show resilience when faced with challenging tasks, knowing that it is

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Personal development and welfare

acceptable to make mistakes and to learn from these.  Pupils have a good understanding of fundamental British values. They know how to take care of themselves and show an immense level of thoughtfulness and consideration towards each other. Pupils know how to stay safe in a variety of situations and can explain that the school’s rules are there to protect them. They and their parents trust school staff to deal with any fall-outs quickly and effectively, with incidents of bullying being very rare.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good throughout the day. Their behaviour in the dining hall is particularly good, with low noise levels and pupils of all ages showing very good self- discipline while they are waiting for their dinners. Playground behaviour is good, with illustrations of older pupils caring for and supporting younger pupils. For example, Year 6 lunchtime buddies keep a watchful eye for pupils who may have no one to play with and older girls, playing traditional circle games, invite Year 1 pupils to join in.  Pupils are inquisitive and their attitudes to learning are very strong, so that little learning time is lost through poor behaviour or low-level disruption in classrooms. Teachers are quick to address any signs of misbehaviour and pupils are quick to respond because relationships are so positive. The school’s behaviour log shows that there are very few incidents, but leaders regularly analyse this information for any

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Behaviour

trends or patterns, nonetheless.  Leaders have successfully addressed a legacy of low attendance. In 2016, attendance was broadly in line with the national average and there was no persistent absenteeism. Holidays during term time are not authorised and have reduced significantly during the last two years.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils enter the early years at levels of development that are often below that which is typical for children of the same age. By the time they leave the early years, children have made good progress, with the majority achieving a good level of development.  The proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in the national phonics screening check increased significantly in 2015. The majority of pupils reached the required standard as a result of leaders identifying a need to improve the standard of teaching in this subject.  Standards in key stage 1 have improved because pupils make good progress over time. In 2015, all pupils reached the standard expected of pupils of their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ progress was equally strong in 2016, with the majority of pupils reaching the expected levels of attainment.  Leaders and teachers monitor each pupil’s progress every half term to ensure that no

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Outcomes for pupils Good

pupil falls behind. In-house assessment information shows that virtually all pupils made progress that was at least good in reading, writing and mathematics last year. Pupils’ books confirm this, with good evidence of progress through the year. Work in current pupils’ books show that, even at this early stage in the term, pupils of all ages are making good progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress and attain well from their starting points because teachers and teaching assistants assess their progress closely. Good-quality additional support is provided when class teaching is not enough on its own. The school works closely with external agencies to support pupils and their families to ensure that the outcomes for this group of pupils remain strong.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well over time, with their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics often matching or exceeding that of non-disadvantaged pupils

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Outcomes for pupils Good

nationally. Leaders and governors monitor the progress of this group of pupils very closely and challenge any signs of pupils’ underachievement.  The most able disadvantaged pupils, while attaining well, could progress even quicker and attain at an even higher level. Opportunities are lost to provide this group of pupils with additional learning and experiential opportunities that could help them to progress more quickly and attain at even higher levels.

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Early years provision Good

 Provision in the early years is good because the early years leader has a very good understanding of the needs of the children who attend. She is quick to assess children’s development needs, adapting tasks and activities swiftly to ensure that no learning time is lost. Her skilful questioning ensures that children are constantly encouraged to think about what they are learning and to challenge themselves further.  Children benefit from the very positive relationships they have with adults and their older classmates. Although the leader sets tasks to meet early years’ development expectations, children are competitive and seek to match the achievements of older pupils in their mixed-age class. As a result, they often make more than the progress expected.  Children are quick to learn and exhibit the school’s caring and aspirational values which are ever present in the classroom. They are courteous, friendly, inquisitive and eager

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Early years provision Good

to share their work and ideas with others. Children are determined and resilient when things do not go as planned. For example, a child was keen to show the inspector how accurately he could count 25 coins he had discovered when searching for buried treasure. After patiently counting only 23, he ensured that he checked again to find all 25 coins successfully.  Children, including those who are disadvantaged, make good progress from their starting points. Learning journey documents show that children have already made a strong start after only a few weeks at school. Children’s outcomes from 2016 show that they were well prepared for entering Year 1. Key skills such as phonics are taught well and children are regularly encouraged to write without direct adult support to develop their confidence as learners. The leader ensures that children have many opportunities to develop their speaking and listening skills through role play and the sharing of their

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Early years provision Good

work with classmates at the end of each session.  Children are safe in the early years and statutory duties are met. Teachers’ relationships with parents are strong and this ensures that any issues are dealt with promptly and effectively.  The leader plans the indoor provision well to meet the learning needs of the children. The outdoor provision is used very effectively to support and further extend children’s learning and particularly their physical development. Topics and themes support and bring excitement to children’s learning of reading, writing and mathematics. However, at times the curriculum is not broad enough and not well enough assessed to ensure that pupils’ learning and development are as well embedded and deepened as they could be.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address headteacher@st-margarets.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18–19 September 2014

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Information about this school

 St Margaret’s Catholic Primary School is very much smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is federated with All Saints Catholic Primary School, which is situated over a mile away, at the other side of the town. The schools share the same governing body. The executive headteacher took up post in the days immediately preceding the previous inspection.  Leadership roles are shared across the school in the federation. The assistant headteacher acts the leader of St Margaret’s. Subject leadership roles are shared between the two schools. The special educational needs coordinator covers both schools.  Year 5 and 6 pupils from All Saints are transported to, and educated with, pupils of the same age on the St Margaret’s site. St Margaret’s Year 3 and 4 pupils are transported to, and educated with, pupils of the same age on the All Saints site.  Pupils attending St Margaret’s are taught in mixed-age classes. One class covers early

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Information about this school

years, Year 1 and Year 2. A second class covers Years 5 and 6. Children in the early years attend full time.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and there are very small numbers of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is significantly above the national average, as is the proportion who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The small size of particular year groups means that data for pupil performance does not appear in published form. This is because it may be possible to identify individual pupils from this information.  The school does not meet the requirements on the publication of information about the content of the curriculum for every year group in every subject, including the phonics and reading schemes used, the business interests of members of the governing body,

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Information about this school

the school’s accessibility plan or providing a link to the Department for Education school and college performance table service on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all year groups. He observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils reading. He talked to pupils about their school and looked at examples of their work. He visited All Saints Catholic Primary School and spoke with pupils from St Margaret’s who are educated there.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, subject leaders and representatives of the governing body.  The inspector spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. There were insufficient responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View) to create an information report. There were no responses received for either the staff questionnaire or the pupil questionnaire.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including: the school’s own self- evaluation of current performance and plans for improvement; the school’s most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils; information relating to the

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding of pupils; and the school’s most recent information relating to the attendance of pupils.

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Inspection team

Stephen McMullan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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