St Mary and St Andrew's Catholic Primary School, Barton Newsham

St Mary and St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School, Barton Newsham Station Lane, Barton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5DY

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors have turned a corner in the development of the school. They have come through a period of complacency and now ensure that leaders are improving the quality of teaching and learning in the school.  Governors have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They hold leaders to account by asking incisive questions at meetings.  Leaders have addressed the dip in pupils’ performance in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 in 2018. However, some of the most able pupils are not challenged to develop their reasoning skills to the highest standards.  Leaders have ensured that staff understand the increased demands of the national curriculum. They set high expectations for pupils. Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.  Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. They have excellent relationships with one another. Pupils are proud to be part of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

family at St Mary and St Andrew’s Primary.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. There is a strong nurturing ethos in the school.  The early years leader has sustained the high quality of teaching and learning in Reception. Achievement at the end of the early years has been consistently strong.  Teachers design interesting tasks to engage pupils in learning. There is a range of activities, such as trips and visitors, that enhance the curriculum.  Strong professional development for staff has been successful in improving the quality of teaching and learning.  Subject leaders ensure that learning is sequenced well so that pupils build on their previous learning in subjects such as science, music and French. However, leaders have not developed the curriculum in geography and history in as much depth.  Some of the most able pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 make exceptional progress. However, in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

key stage 1 and lower key stage 2, pupils’ use of punctuation is too variable.  Leaders have ensured that there are risk assessments in place to safeguard pupils. Staff are vigilant and pupils feel safe. 26 to 27 March 2019

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by developing the effectiveness of subject leaders so that there is greater consistency in promoting the depth of pupils’ learning, including in geography and history.  Improve teaching and learning by ensuring that: – there is greater consistency in the level of challenge for the most able pupils in mathematics in order to develop their reasoning skills – pupils’ use of punctuation in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2 is more secure, especially for the less able pupils. 26 to 27 March 2019

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Following the previous inspection in 2011, senior leaders and governors allowed an element of complacency to creep into the school. When the revised national curriculum was introduced, leaders were slow to implement changes to the school’s curriculum. Consequently, the progress of pupils in recent years has been less positive than it was in the past.  Since her promotion in 2016, the headteacher has brought stability during a time of change at the school. She has managed staffing changes well and has made astute appointments to create a forward-thinking culture. There are now higher aspirations of pupils and staff which are leading to positive changes. The provision for current pupils at the school is good.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The plans that they have put in place have been effective in bringing about improvements. For example, the mathematics leader has taken effective action to address the lower-than-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

expected performance in mathematics that was experienced at the end of key stage 2 in 2018. She has provided all staff with support in how to teach problem-solving and reasoning skills.  The English leader has ensured that standards of attainment in key stage 1 have been improved by introducing a new reading scheme that more closely matches younger pupils’ reading skills. She has also introduced a new approach to spelling to improve this aspect of pupils’ writing across the school.  Leaders focus well on the needs of those pupils who require support in their learning. However, they do not question the progress of the most able pupils in enough detail. Consequently, the level of challenge for the most able pupils is not consistent across different classes, particularly in mathematics.  Teachers who are in the early stages of their career have been supported effectively by experienced teachers. Leaders have prioritised staff development so that teachers have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

a good understanding of the content of the national curriculum in all subjects. Staff appreciate the opportunities they have to develop their skills.  The headteacher has created a nurturing ethos to ensure that there are excellent relationships among the staff and between staff and pupils. Staff speak highly of the consideration that she has for their well-being.  Leaders have ensured that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. The curriculum is enriched by opportunities for pupils to explore and develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  Leaders have used the sports and physical education funding to great effect. Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities that they have. Leaders are now being more discerning in the choice of competitions and sporting activities that pupils participate in during school time. This has ensured that there is less disruption to other aspects of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the curriculum. 26 to 27 March 2019  The quality of subject leadership varies in its effectiveness. For example, in geography and history, pupils’ work covers the content of the national curriculum without developing the depth of pupils’ skills and understanding. This contrasts with other areas, such as French and music, where pupils’ skills are developed well.  The special educational needs coordinator has ensured that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been identified well. She ensures that funding is used to provide support to match pupils’ individual targets.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have been active in setting the school’s unique Christian vision. Leaders have been successful in ensuring that pupils apply these values in their everyday interactions with each other. Governors are proud of the school’s nurturing culture. They prioritise the development of pupils’ character and personality within their vision. This shines through in pupils’ behaviour, humour and willingness to learn.  Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are well informed by senior leaders’ succinct and accurate evaluations of the school’s effectiveness. Governors visit the school frequently to check on the validity of the information that they receive.  Governors question well in their committee meetings to provide leaders with a high level of challenge. The minutes of these meetings show that they ask focused questions about pupils’ progress, the quality of teaching and learning, and the design

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The designated leader ensures that all staff receive regular training about safeguarding matters. All staff have been trained to spot the signs and symptoms of abuse to ensure that pupils are kept safe from harm. Regular updates about safeguarding matters ensure that staff are vigilant.  The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose, for example when risk-assessing the supervision of pupils.  Pupils are taught well to understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils say that they feel safe at the school. They feel that they can approach staff with any concerns that they may have.  Staff know pupils and their families well. Leaders work well with other agencies to support families in need of early help.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Pupils acquire the skills to be able to read effectively because of the secure grasp of phonics that they develop in Year 1. Pupils who experience difficulty are supported well at an early stage to catch up. Consequently, they learn to read with a high degree of 26 to 27 March 2019 accuracy. As they move through the school, pupils develop increasing fluency and expression. Older pupils display a thorough comprehension of what they have read.  Leaders’ focus on spelling has ensured that pupils across the school write with a greater degree of accuracy. In Year 5 and Year 6, pupils’ command of vocabulary and sentence structure means that they are highly successful at writing in complex, descriptive sentences, especially the most able pupils. However, this contrasts with the experience of pupils in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2, where their use of basic sentence punctuation is less secure, particularly for less-able pupils.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers ensure that the mathematics curriculum is sequenced well. In the wake of disappointing results at the end of key stage 2 in 2018, there has been a focus on securing basic facts when starting new topics, before moving all pupils on to solve problems of increasing complexity. This has been successful in developing pupils’ recall of facts and when addressing any gaps in pupils’ prior learning. Teachers have also developed pupils’ mathematical problem-solving skills well. However, some of the most able pupils are not challenged to use their reasoning skills to achieve the highest standards.  Pupils’ science work shows how effectively leaders and teachers have thought about how to build pupils’ knowledge and skills from one class to the next. Older pupils describe their learning in terms of greater understanding of key scientific concepts. Teachers have arranged the content of the curriculum to develop pupils’ investigative

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

skills well.  Teachers assess pupils’ learning continually. Staff support pupils to address the misconceptions in their learning as the need arises. Adults consistently question pupils well to promote their understanding of what is being taught. For older pupils, this support enables them to reflect on how to improve their own learning.  Teachers design learning that is often quirky and engaging. As a result, pupils are eager to learn. For example, in one Year 5 and Year 6 lesson, pupils used popular songs to infer meaning and debate the singer’s intentions. However, in subjects such as geography and history, work does not develop pupils’ skills or depth of understanding beyond the coverage of the national curriculum.  Senior leaders have appointed staff with expertise in different curriculum areas to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum. This has led to strength in the curriculum for French and music. These subjects are interwoven into the curriculum and are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

planned to ensure that pupils develop their skills well. Further activities enrich pupils’ enjoyment, for example when singing in the school choir.  The small number of pupils with SEND are supported by staff who understand their needs well. Teachers assess these pupils’ needs effectively in order to identify their next steps in learning. Teachers set appropriately high expectations for the progress of these pupils. 26 to 27 March 2019

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  The excellent relationships that are evident between staff and pupils underpin much of pupils’ learning. Pupils value the relationships that they have with one another and describe the school as ‘a caring community’. They are proud to be part of the school and have exceptionally positive attitudes towards their learning. Leaders have fostered a nurturing ethos that ensures the pupils are ready to learn and that they are confident to express their ideas and feelings. Pupils demonstrate what it means to be successful learners.  As a result of outstanding personal development, pupils grow into well-rounded individuals. They are confident in their own abilities and show respect for one another’s differences and similarities. For example, older pupils have had the opportunity to learn sign language. They also have a good awareness of other faiths, as well as their own.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils have opportunities to debate issues and have a good understanding of British values. Leaders have ensured that trips, such as a visit to London, reinforce these values and an appreciation of their own culture.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves healthy and can explain the effects of exercise on the body. Their well-being day provided them with a range of memorable opportunities to look at mental health.  Pupils say that bullying does not happen at the school. Nevertheless, leaders promote antibullying messages to pupils through activities such as antibullying week.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils are delightful. They are mature, sensible and a credit to staff and parents alike. Their conduct in lessons and around the school is excellent. They are enthusiastic and motivated to learn and as such there is no disruption to lessons.  Leaders have provided highly effective support for a small number of pupils to improve the management of their own behaviour. These pupils say that staff have given them the time and support to be able to reflect on how their behaviour affects other pupils. They feel that their behaviour is improving rapidly because of the support from staff.  Staff ensure that any small incidents of misbehaviour are recorded in the school’s behaviour logs. These show that incidents are usually of a very low level and few in number. Pupils say that any incidents of misbehaviour are rare and that they are acted on swiftly by staff. The headteacher knows pupils well and ensures that all incidents

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Behaviour

are resolved.  Older pupils take a lead in supporting younger pupils, for example when lining up after playtime. They are excellent role models. 26 to 27 March 2019  Pupils’ attendance over time has been consistently higher than the national average. The level of persistent absence is well below that seen nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current pupils in key stage 2 make good progress in their reading. This reflects the published data in 2018, where progress was broadly in line with the national average. In key stage 1, pupils progress well in their acquisition of phonics skills. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check has been consistently higher than that seen nationally in recent years. Current pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 read well.  The work of current pupils in writing shows that pupils generally make good progress. Some of the most able pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 make exceptional progress to achieve high standards in their work. For some pupils in key stage 1, and for some of the less able pupils in lower key stage 2, progress is not as strong as it could be, because basic punctuation is not consistently used in an accurate way. Despite this, their work shows good progress for all ability groups.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The current progress and attainment of pupils in mathematics is much better than the published data for 2018 would suggest. Having analysed pupils’ test papers to identify why progress and attainment dipped in 2018, leaders have taken effective action to ensure that current pupils demonstrate a much stronger grasp on how to apply their number skills to solve mathematical problems.  Pupils’ progress in subjects across the curriculum is never less than good because of the way in which learning has been sequenced to match the content of the national curriculum. However, where pupils have opportunities to study subjects in greater depth, such as in French and science, their work is of a better quality. Pupils’ work in geography and history covers the national curriculum but does not enable pupils to develop their skills and understanding in as much depth.  Pupils with SEND make the same good progress as other pupils in the school. From the

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Outcomes for pupils Good

sample seen during the inspection, this was especially strong in mathematics.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 The early years leader has high expectations which have helped to sustain children’s high attainment. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of the provision because she understands each child’s individual needs. In recent years, she has ensured that speech and language skills have been targeted so that children make stronger progress from the point at which they enter their Reception Year. Adults have received appropriate training, and they have a notably positive effect on children’s learning.  Although there was a dip in attainment in 2018, this is not typical. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development over time has been consistently above that seen nationally. The work of current children shows that they make strong progress and that they are achieving high standards across different areas of learning. Children are taught in a mixed-age class, which encourages them to aspire to the

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Early years provision Outstanding

26 to 27 March 2019 higher expectations set for pupils in Year 1. As such, children are well prepared to move into the next year of their education.  Adults ensure that all children gain a secure grasp of phonics by teaching sounds systematically through imaginative tasks. Children read extremely well as part of their classroom activities. Children’s writing also demonstrates an exceptional grasp of phonics and sentence structure, especially for the most able children. The work of current children shows that many are exceeding the expectations for their age in writing.  Children’s mathematical vocabulary is well developed. Children discuss their work with precision and clarity. Their work exemplifies very strong progress in number and their verbal responses show a well-developed sense of number and measures.  Staff development and the considered recruitment of skilled staff has continued to ensure that the quality of adult interactions is extremely high. They maximise children’s

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Early years provision Outstanding

learning through skilful questioning and by supporting children to explore different options in their practical learning. Staff record practical activities in books that chart the varied and interesting opportunities that children have, such as fundraising by making cakes for a charity coffee morning.  Staff use the environment flexibly to support children’s learning well. Learning focuses on developing pupils’ individualism and character through well-thought-out tasks that enable pupils to investigate and explore for themselves. For example, in the role play area, children negotiate which role they will play. This then informs their actions and behaviours as they work as vets or as office staff. Children cooperate exceptionally well because of the excellent relationships that they have with each other.  Children’s behaviour in lessons, at playtimes and when moving around the school is excellent. The relationships between staff and children are also excellent. The

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Early years provision Outstanding

behaviour of children shows that they feel safe to approach adults and to explore their own learning. All of the statutory welfare requirements for the early years are met.  The early years leader ensures that staff work well with parents and other agencies to support both children and their families where the need arises. They have good links with the local authority speech and language service, who help staff to support children’s learning. 26 to 27 March 2019

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-mary-st-andrews.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Email address head@st-mary-st-andrews.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 November 2011

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Information about this school

 St Mary and St Andrew’s primary school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Since the last inspection, there has been a change in leadership and in almost all teaching staff at the school.  The school is currently undergoing a renovation of its outdoor play facilities at the rear of the school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is well below the national average. 26 to 27 March 2019  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The school operates mixed-age classes throughout.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of schools with a religious character, was undertaken by the Diocese of Lancaster in May 2017.  The school provides daily onsite childcare for pupils before and after school. This provision is managed by the governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in each class, which included joint observations with the headteacher.  A range of pupils’ work in writing, mathematics and from across the curriculum was examined as part of the inspection.  The inspector heard pupils from across the school read, both individually and during class activities.  The inspector spoke with pupils formally in groups and informally around school.  The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Although there was no survey for this inspection, the inspector took account of the views of 35 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, during the inspection.  The inspector made observations of pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at lunchtime and when pupils were moving around the school.  Meetings were held with four governors, senior leaders and subject leaders.  The inspector considered a range of documentation, including the school’s evaluation

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Information about this inspection

of its own performance and its areas for development.  The inspector looked at attendance and behaviour records, including incidents of bullying.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding documentation and considered how this related to daily practice, including through speaking with staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Bentham, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 26 to 27 March 2019 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

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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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