St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Hullen Edge Road, Elland, West Yorkshire HX5 0QY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Over time, pupils’ progress has been too slow. Too few pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.  Under the determined leadership of the new headteacher, the quality of teaching is improving, but inconsistencies remain. Pupils’ progress is not consistently good.  Leaders’ use of the pupil premium funding has not made enough difference for disadvantaged pupils. The progress of this group is variable.  Middle leaders are new to their roles and in the early stages of leadership development. They know where improvement is required and have taken appropriate action, but further developments are needed to ensure that pupils make better progress.  Leaders’ curriculum plans are less developed in some subjects. As a result, pupils are not making strong progress across the curriculum.  Pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other faiths and cultures is limited. Leaders have not

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

ensured that the curriculum prepares pupils for life in modern Britain well enough.  Leaders have not secured an effective approach to the teaching of reading throughout the school. Phonics is not taught consistently well and the books that younger pupils read are not well matched to their phonics ability. This hinders their fluency and understanding.  Some teachers do not use assessment information effectively to plan lessons that meet the needs of all pupils. Teachers do not offer enough challenge to the most able pupils. This slows their progress.  Children in the early years are confident and ready to learn. However, some teaching does not support their learning well enough, especially that of the most able children. Provision lacks challenge so children do not make as much progress as they could.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new headteacher and deputy headteacher are providing strong leadership which is improving the school at a swift pace.  Leaders’ actions to improve attendance have been successful.  Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual development is highly effective.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and their conduct around school is exemplary.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better to improve pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that: – assessment information is used to plan lessons that meet the different needs of pupils, especially the most able, to enable them to make consistently strong progress – phonics and reading are consistently well taught – teachers manage the work of teaching assistants effectively to support pupils’ learning throughout the lesson – pupils’ letter formation, handwriting and spelling skills are secure – pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills are developed more effectively.  Improve the impact of leadership and management by: – continuing to develop the skills of middle leaders – developing and embedding an agreed approach to the teaching of reading, spelling and handwriting – further developing the pupil premium spending plan so that it gives a clear and measurable indication of how leaders and governors will check its effect on

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils – ensuring that the physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively – securing effective provision for all pupils in Year 1.  Further develop the quality of the curriculum so that: – pupils develop a better understanding of diversity and differences in society, including other religions and cultures, so they are well prepared for life in modern Britain – the sequence of learning better develops pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding across all subjects.  Improve the early years provision by: – ensuring that planned learning opportunities sustain children’s concentration and develop their reading, writing and number skills well – developing the quality of teaching so that children, especially the most able, make the progress of which they are capable – ensuring that adults intervene more effectively to move children’s learning forward.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Following a decline in pupils’ outcomes since the last section 5 inspection, the appointment of new leaders, combined with extensive external support, has eradicated inadequacies in teaching and leadership. However, leadership and management require improvement because there are still inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning. This means that pupils, especially the most able, are not achieving well.  Leaders have not ensured that the provision for pupils in Year 1 is consistently good. They are acutely aware that some pupils in this year group are not making enough progress but their actions are not having the required effect. As a result, some pupils have fallen behind in their learning.  Leaders are unclear whether the curriculum is meeting pupils’ learning needs. They have not made sufficient checks on the effectiveness of its implementation or measured its effect closely enough. In some subjects, learning is not sequenced

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

carefully enough. As a result, pupils do not acquire subject-specific knowledge and develop their skills well enough across the curriculum.  The curriculum does not prepare pupils well for the demands of life in Britain today. Pupils are unable to talk with knowledge or confidence about other faiths, different beliefs or cultures. Although leaders’ work to promote pupils’ spiritual development is highly effective, aspects of their moral and cultural development are less developed. This hampers pupils’ readiness for later life.  Despite the sharp drop in attainment at the end of key stage 2 in 2018, leaders have not developed and embedded an agreed approach to teaching reading throughout the school.  Leaders’ actions have secured improvements to the quality of teaching in writing and this is reflected in pupils’ current work. However, progress is not consistently strong for all pupils. Leaders have not secured an agreed approach to the teaching of spelling

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

which remains a weakness in pupils’ writing. Their efforts to improve pupils’ letter formation and handwriting are not having the desired impact and this is hampering the progress of some pupils.  Over time, leaders have not used their pupil premium funding effectively enough to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Two recent pupil premium reviews have helped leaders and governors to review their approach. Subsequently, leaders have identified the barriers to learning for this group as well as the actions needed to improve pupils’ progress. Written plans are still not precise enough to enable leaders and governors to evaluate the effect of their actions.  Leaders are unable to evidence the effect of the PE and sport premium well enough. This is because they have not undertaken sufficient checks on the quality of teaching in PE, and the levels of pupils’ engagement, attainment and participation in sporting

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

activities and competitions. Written plans lack precision and do not meet online reporting requirements.  Although new to their roles in September 2018, middle leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility. They have already shown some positive effect in addressing immediate priorities. However, their work is in the early stages of development and they need continued support to further develop their leadership skills and show sustainable improvements.  Recent changes to the teaching of mathematics are beginning to have a positive effect on pupils’ progress. However, the current approach does not provide the most able pupils with enough challenge throughout the lesson and the subject leader does not have a secure grasp of this.  Since her appointment in January 2018, the headteacher has worked with determination and urgency to improve the school. The majority of parents who

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

expressed their views in discussions and through questionnaires were appreciative of the changes she has made. One parent said, ‘We love the school’s positive and ambitious attitude.’ The school aims to ‘create a happy community with a strong sense of belonging,’ and the headteacher has achieved this. A very small minority of parents feel communication between school and home could be improved.  Senior leaders make effective use of external views to check progress and inform their self-evaluation. Leaders have put appropriate plans, training and support in place to tackle a historical legacy of underachievement, but there remains much to do.  Leaders keep a close eye on the progress of pupils and undertake frequent checks on the quality of teaching in lessons and the work in pupils’ books. They provide accurate and helpful feedback about how to improve and undertake follow-up checks to make sure staff have followed their advice. This is helping to improve the quality of teaching

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and learning.  School leaders have ensured that a range of extra-curricular activities is available for pupils before and after school, including dance, drama, choir, netball and football. Older pupils also benefit from residential visits. For example, Year 5 have just returned from a ‘retreat’ in Ampleforth with pupils from another local school, which has broadened their life experiences.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body has benefited from an external review and support from a national leader of governance to improve the effectiveness of its work. Governors receive a broad range of information from school leaders and external consultants, highlighting where improvements are needed and where progress is evident. Consequently, their knowledge of the school is improving.  Governors have high aspirations for pupils and use the information they receive to offer leaders appropriate challenge and support. They ask probing questions about the impact of new initiatives on pupils’ learning and progress and hold leaders to account for improvements to the quality of teaching. This is leading to better progress for pupils.  Governors check the effect of the pupil premium spending strategy. The recent external reviews have sharpened their knowledge. For example, governors know that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is not good enough but are also aware that things

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Governance of the school

are now moving in the right direction. They are well equipped to check this aspect of the school’s work.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have ensured that there is an up-to-date safeguarding policy which reflects current legislation and guidance. It is easily accessible on the school’s website for parents and carers. Staff understand the policy and implement it consistently.  Staff know what to do if they have a concern because they are trained well. Adults are vigilant and identify and monitor concerns closely. The learning mentor and headteacher work well together to ensure that pupils are safe, and communication with parents is effective. The school’s electronic recording system is well maintained and used consistently by all staff. Leaders monitor this closely and address concerns swiftly. They are tenacious in ensuring that pupils receive the support they need when staff have identified concerns. Leaders have established a strong safeguarding culture within the school.

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Safeguarding

 Leaders make appropriate checks on the suitability of all who work or volunteer in the school. They record these checks in a well-maintained single central record.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 There has been a considerable change in staffing this year. The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving swiftly but remains variable. This results in uneven progress across different subjects and classes.  Some teachers are not using pupils’ prior knowledge to plan learning that will help them to make strong progress from their different starting points. Too often, there is a lack of challenge for the most able pupils. Consequently, not all pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  The teaching of mathematics is improving but the most able pupils say their work is too easy. Sometimes, teaching does not help those with low prior attainment to grasp concepts well enough before moving on. Teachers plan plentiful opportunity for pupils to develop their problem-solving skills. However, pupils have underdeveloped reasoning skills and, as a result, are unable to explain their thinking clearly at times.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to develop their writing skills in other subjects, such as history, geography and religious education, but the quality of their writing varies in these subjects. Teachers are not using pupils’ learning in phonics well enough when encouraging younger pupils to write independently. Pupils’ handwriting and spelling are weak across the school and this is slowing the progress of some pupils, especially the least able.  Phonics and reading are not taught consistently well. The quality of provision is inconsistent, resulting in some pupils not making enough progress to achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Reading books vary in quality and do not always appeal to pupils. They are not precisely matched to younger pupils’ phonics knowledge and, as a result, achievement varies. Some pupils do not read to an adult as regularly as they should.  Teachers do not deploy teaching assistants carefully enough to support different

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

groups during lessons. Too often, adults have little impact on pupils’ learning while the teacher addresses the whole class. Some teaching assistants lack the skills to identify which pupils require their attention and which do not. Occasionally, this leads to ineffective interactions with pupils.  Teachers are not paying enough attention to the sequence of teaching and learning across the full range of curriculum subjects. This, sometimes, leads to pupils repeating the same curriculum content rather than building on prior learning to secure gains in their knowledge and skills over time.  Additional adults support the learning of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Carefully selected programmes of support are helping pupils to make better progress. However, when the teacher does not provide the right activity or resources in lessons, pupils are over-reliant on the help of adults to complete their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

work. Consequently, their progress is uneven.  Relationships are overwhelmingly positive. Adults are kind and caring and pupils appreciate the help they receive. They listen attentively and join in enthusiastically, which contributes positively to their learning and progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Leaders have not embedded a curriculum that secures pupils’ moral, social and cultural development well enough to ensure that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils have little knowledge about other faiths and cultures. This limits their ability to understand, tolerate and respect the views and beliefs of others.  Pupils’ attitudes towards difference are underdeveloped. They show too little understanding of the diversity that exists in society today. They lack knowledge about aspects of equality and, as a result, are not always as tolerant as they should be.  Pupils have acquired basic knowledge about healthy lifestyles through the science curriculum but show limited understanding of this in practice. For example, pupils routinely select chocolate bars and crisps for their mid-morning snacks. Leaders have

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Personal development and welfare

established links with ‘Food for Life’ to develop this aspect of the school’s work, but it is too soon to see the impact of their actions and work with parents.  Pupils’ spiritual development is a strength of the school. Pupils are able to reflect on their own beliefs and enjoy their roles as ‘Faith Life Leaders’.  Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand the need to keep personal information safe and they are aware of the dangers posed by strangers.  Adults meet pupils’ pastoral needs very well and, as a result, pupils are happy, confident and self-assured.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Adults apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Pupils understand it and conduct themselves exceptionally well. They talk politely to each other and to adults, showing respect and courtesy. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and confidently chatted to inspectors about a wide range of topics.  In recent years, pupils’ attendance has steadily declined. Leaders actively discourage parents from taking holidays in term time. Leaders make effective use of additional support from the education welfare officer when required. Pupils like coming to school and attendance is now in line with the national average.  Pupils manage their own behaviours well with little direction from adults needed. They play together harmoniously in a large outside environment. Pupils told inspectors they would like more provision and/or organised activities at playtimes.  A minority of parents are concerned about the way leaders promote good behaviour

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Behaviour

and deal with bullying. Inspection evidence indicates that leaders are taking appropriate and effective action on the rare occasions where pupils’ behaviour is anything less than good.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In recent years, pupils’ standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 have declined and did so markedly in 2018 when a well-below-average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. For these pupils, progress was slow. Their low attainment meant that they were not well prepared academically for secondary school.  Due to a legacy of underachievement arising from previous inadequacies in teaching and leadership, and the remaining variability in the quality of teaching, current pupils’ progress, although improving, is not consistently good across the school. Older pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding and this continues to hamper their achievement over time. However, effective teaching in Years 5 and 6 is now helping pupils to make stronger progress and to arrest the school’s decline in outcomes.  Achievement in key stage 1 requires improvement, particularly in Year 1. In Year 1,

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

some pupils do not build well on the skills, knowledge and understanding they secure in the early years, especially those in the mixed Reception/Year 1 class. In 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check declined and was below average. By the end of Year 2, a below average proportion of pupils reach the expected standards, particularly in writing. This does not represent good progress from pupils’ previous starting points.  The most able pupils do not achieve well because their work lacks challenge. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 has been below average. In 2018, in writing, no pupils reached the higher standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make variable progress, depending on the quality of teaching they receive. Although the progress of disadvantaged pupils is

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

improving, outcomes lag some way behind those of other pupils nationally. Additional support programmes are helping pupils with SEND to make better progress but it remains uneven.  Pupils’ progress in English is improving but is not yet good. In reading, fluent readers talk confidently about the books they enjoy and show a developing understanding of the text. However, pupils with poor decoding skills have limited comprehension skills and lack the required fluency to enjoy their reading books. They do not spot their own mistakes or recognise when their reading does make sense. In writing, achievement is hampered by weaknesses in pupils’ spelling skills, letter formation and handwriting.  In mathematics, pupils’ progress is also improving. Pupils are now more confident in solving mathematical problems, for example. Even so, sometimes, work is not well matched to pupils’ varying needs. For some it is too hard and for others, too easy.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

Pupils’ reasoning skills are not well developed.  Pupils’ progress and attainment across a range of national curriculum subjects are uneven. Pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and skills do not build well across the curriculum.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The early years requires improvement because the quality of teaching and learning is inconsistent. Children enter the school with knowledge, skills and abilities that are broadly typical for their age. Children, especially the most able, are not making consistently good progress from their starting points. This is because they are not appropriately challenged through high-quality teaching and learning opportunities within the provision.  Leaders’ work to strengthen the assessment of children’s learning is developing well. However, at times, teachers do not make effective use of this information to plan tasks that meet children’s different needs. When planned activities place insufficient demands on children, they do not persevere and become quickly distracted. As a result, their reading, writing and number skills are not improving quickly enough.  Adults design learning experiences which stimulate children’s interest, such as the

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Early years provision Requires improvement

jungle safari role-play area. However, their initial excitement and enthusiasm are not sustained. Too often, adults do not intervene effectively to show children what to do, or re-shape the activity to move learning forward. Consequently, children’s concentration wanes and they drift off to less purposeful play.  Teaching does not develop writing effectively enough. Children do not secure correct pencil grip and correct letter and number formation. This hinders their readiness for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum.  When adult interaction is most effective, staff focus on developing vocabulary, modelling good language and using carefully crafted questions that encourage children to extend their responses. For example, one adult was helping children to work out how they could make their ‘cement’ stronger, using probing questions. However, this is not consistent practice.  Leaders have identified that, although a large majority of children achieve a good level

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Early years provision Requires improvement

of development, they are not always ready for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum. This is because their basic skills are not secure and they do not demonstrate resilience and perseverance.  Leaders have an over-generous view of the effectiveness of early years provision. Consequently, actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning for children are not accurately identified.  Children’s behaviour is good. They have formed positive relationships with each other and play well together. Children are chatty, confident, keen and eager to learn.  Children’s personal, social and emotional needs are well developed. Staff involve parents in the assessment of children’s learning. Teachers are quick to communicate any gaps in children’s knowledge and understanding so that parents can help to address these at home.  Safeguarding is effective and leaders have secured effective procedures for identifying

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Early years provision Requires improvement

children in need of early help. Positive relationships with parents and external agencies ensure that children in the early years receive the support they need.

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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

Chair Helen Broderick (co-chair) Deborah Banasko (co-chair) Headteacher Lianne Lomas

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School details

Email address admin@st-patricks.calderdale.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. In key stage 1, pupils are grouped in a mixed Reception/Year 1 class or a mixed Year 1/Year 2 class. In key stage 2, pupils are grouped in a mixed Year 3/Year 4 class and a mixed Year 5/Year 6 class. In addition, there is a school-led nursery on site.  The headteacher took up post in January 2018. The deputy headteacher and mathematics leader were appointed in September 2018.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.  The school operates a breakfast and after-school club known as Pats’ People.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited lessons in all classrooms, many together with the headteacher.  They observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to individual pupils read from Years 1, 2, 3 and 4. They spoke with pupils formally in groups and informally around the school.  Inspectors examined a range of pupils’ work in mathematics and English alongside subject leaders. In addition, they scrutinised a sample of work across the curriculum in each year group.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, mathematics and English subject leaders, PE and sports premium leader and the curriculum leader. Discussions took place with three governors, a representative from the local authority and the school’s cluster officer.  The opinions of staff were considered via the 15 responses made to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and through formal and informal discussions.  A wide range of documents was examined, including the school’s evaluation of its own

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Information about this inspection

performance, the school’s improvement plan, minutes of governing body meetings, external reports and information relating to pupils’ attainment and progress. Records relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour were also checked.  Inspectors considered the 57 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and 18 free-text messages were taken into account. Inspectors spoke with parents in the playground to gather their views about the school.  A telephone call took place with another school.

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Inspection team

Jo Bentley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynda Florence 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

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

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 .

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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