Our Lady and St Joseph's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Brooms

Our Lady and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Brooms St Ives Road, Leadgate, Consett, County Durham DH8 7SN

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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 Good

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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

 Leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently strong. Standards attained by pupils at the end of key stage 2 have declined over time.  Governors have not acted quickly enough to address the decline in pupils’ achievements, or to ensure that the school’s curriculum enables all pupils to make good progress.  Although now improving, the progress made by pupils across a range of subjects, including phonics, has been variable over time.  Leaders have not ensured that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are met fully.  Teachers do not plan lessons with precision to meet the different needs of pupils. Staff do not consistently adjust learning activities when pupils have misunderstood or are ready to take on more challenging work.  Staff do not meet the development needs of children in the Reception year fully. Children do

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

not make consistently strong progress. Staff miss opportunities to develop children’s interests and thinking.  Leaders do not make the best use of the information they gather from their monitoring to improve the progress pupils make.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Staff are addressing weaknesses in progress in English with determination. Pupils in key stage 2 are now improving their writing and reading skills rapidly.  The personal development programme is a strength of the school. Pupils show respect and consideration for each other and for others who have different backgrounds to their own.  Pupils attend school regularly and have positive attitudes to learning. They conduct themselves well and are keen to do their best.  The school keeps pupils safe. Pupils trust staff to help them if they have a concern. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, including in the early years, so that pupils make consistently good progress, ensuring that: – teachers use assessment information to plan work which meets the needs of pupils and which builds on pupils’ prior learning – staff check regularly that pupils understand what is expected of them when they complete their learning – the quality of phonics teaching continues to improve so that a higher proportion of pupils attain the expected standard by the end of Year 1.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by: – focusing checks on the quality of teaching and learning on the impact they have on pupils’ progress – working with appropriate agencies to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met fully – ensuring that governors continue to challenge leaders to improve the school’s performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have not addressed the decline in pupils’ achievement at key stage 2 over the last two years quickly enough. They have not ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is consistently strong. Pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable from their starting points.  Since September 2018, recent improvements in the quality of teaching have led to some pupils making stronger progress in reading and particularly in writing at key stage 2. However, gaps in the achievement of pupils remain.  Leaders have put in place systems to check the quality of teaching and develop the skills of staff. However, leaders have not focused their work strongly enough on the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.  Despite their efforts to involve other teams and agencies and seek further financial support, leaders have not ensured that the needs of a small number of pupils with SEND are met. As a result, a small number of pupils struggle to engage fully in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

learning.  Leaders and governors have begun to focus explicitly on the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, particularly in literacy and numeracy. Leaders have put in place a plan that enables them to track the impact of their work to improve these pupils’ outcomes. As a result of leaders’ actions, disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading and writing, particularly at key stage 2, has improved.  Leaders and governors have demonstrated commitment to help pupils to keep physically fit. Specialist sports coaching is provided throughout the year. Pupils engage in a wide range of sporting activities, developing fitness levels and acquiring skills incrementally as they grow older.  Leaders have acted promptly, following the previous inspection in December 2018, to improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Leaders and staff have reaffirmed their expectations of pupils’ conduct. As a result, pupils apply themselves to their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

learning and are considerate and respectful of others around the school.  Leaders have ensured that pupils experience a broad curriculum. However, historical weaknesses in the curriculum have limited pupils’ readiness for learning in secondary school.  The personal development programme, together with the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. It reflects the religious ethos of the school. Pupils are well supported to develop an understanding of, and respect for, those who are from different backgrounds to their own.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are committed to supporting the school to meet its aims, but, historically, have not challenged leaders sufficiently well when pupils’ achievement declined. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019  Governors, since September 2018, have begun to challenge leaders more directly. They are beginning to make a positive contribution to improving the school.  Governors have now made sure that school leaders address the decline in outcomes at key stage 2 as a priority. As a result, progress in reading and writing in particular is improving.  Governors are now keeping a closer eye on how effectively additional funding is used to secure strong progress for disadvantaged pupils.  Governors ensure that leaders sustain the effective personal development of pupils which reflects the school’s values and beliefs and prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders ensure that the relevant checks are carried out to ensure that only suitable adults work with pupils. Leaders ensure that the additional welfare requirements for children in the early years are met.  Safeguarding leaders have suitable training and are knowledgeable about the range of possible risks to pupils’ well-being. They ensure that staff have up-to-date training, are vigilant and know how to raise any concerns they may have about a pupil. Safeguarding leaders are tenacious in working with other teams and agencies to ensure that pupils who are at risk of harm get the help they need.  The programme for personal development and well-being supports pupils in understanding how to keep safe and well. They have a strong sense of right and wrong. Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of how to keep safe when using digital technologies. Pupils trust staff to help them if they have a concern. They

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is variable.  The work set by teachers does not consistently challenge pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Teachers do not take sufficient account of the information they have about pupils’ prior achievement to plan work that meets pupils’ needs.  Staff make variable use of the information they gather through questioning to inform the next steps in pupils’ work. Some pupils, including some of the most able, report that they often find work too easy. Consequently, pupils’ progress is not consistently good.  Staff miss opportunities to check whether pupils have understood aspects of their learning or to correct them when needed. As a result, pupils’ learning is sometimes hindered because they have not understood the key requirements of tasks to be able to proceed successfully. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019  Since September 2018, staff have refocused their attention on developing pupils’ skills

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

for writing. Tasks now support pupils to improve the breadth of their vocabulary and their experience of different texts. In particular, at key stage 2, the quality of pupils’ writing is improving strongly. However, these recent gains have not fully addressed pupils’ previous underachievement.  Staff have raised their expectations of pupils’ accuracy in writing, linked to grammar and spelling. This has contributed further to improvements in pupils’ work.  Staff have increased their focus on developing pupils’ reading skills. By doing so, staff are beginning to address the weaknesses in pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils read frequently. High-quality texts are used to strengthen pupils’ understanding by reading in a range of genres. As a result, pupils enjoy reading.  Staff plan activities to develop pupils’ knowledge across the curriculum. However, teachers do not adjust the demands of tasks for pupils with different starting points

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

with enough precision. Occasionally, the tasks set for pupils do not give pupils enough opportunities to build on their previous learning.  Staff have a shared approach to their expectations of pupils’ conduct during lessons. Pupils respond positively to staff instructions and try hard to complete their tasks.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The positive relationships between pupils and staff help pupils to grow in self- confidence and self-awareness. Pupils are ready learners, punctual and keen to contribute to lessons. They are proud of their work. Their conduct and positive attitudes enhance their learning.  In their interactions with each other and adults in the school, pupils show consideration for each other and accept each other’s differences. At breaktime and lunchtime, pupils chat and play happily together and are keen to include others in their games.  Pupils understand that not everyone has the same background and beliefs as they do. Pupils are open and curious about how others live. They learn about others’ beliefs and traditions with interest.  Pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They can relate their learning about the importance of being kind and respectful towards others to the harm bullying

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Personal development and welfare

causes, to the rights of others in society and to discrimination.  Pupils understand how bullies can use digital technologies to hurt others. Pupils are confident in keeping their personal details secure online. Their strong relationships with staff give them confidence to seek help if they have a worry. Some pupils take responsibility to help others by letting staff know if they have concern about a peer. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the day, both in lessons and during breaktimes and lunchtimes. They work well independently, but also cooperate well with others during shared tasks and activities.  Pupils encourage their peers to behave well by helping others to join in games and other activities at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They understand that some pupils have very different needs from their own and are consistently kind and considerate to others.  Pupil enjoy coming to school. Few pupils are persistently absent from school and the number of pupils who do not attend regularly has reduced during the course of this academic year. The vast majority of pupils attend very well.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Over time, pupils’ combined attainment at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has declined. In 2016, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was above the national average. In 2018, pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 was below the national average. Half of pupils did not meet the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. No pupils achieved at a higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The lower overall attainment was due to significant decline in reading and writing standards. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils was also low. Too many pupils were not prepared well enough for the next steps in their education.  Overall, and for groups of pupils such as boys and disadvantaged pupils, progress declined in reading and writing and was well below the national average by the end of key stage 2 in 2018. Pupils’ progress in mathematics, while broadly average, was not

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

strong enough to enable pupils to attain as well as pupils nationally.  At the end of key stage 1 in 2018, attainment at the expected standard in writing and mathematics was above average for pupils overall, including disadvantaged pupils. Attainment at the expected standard in reading was in the top 10% of schools nationally. These aspects indicate strong progress from pupils’ starting points as they entered key stage 2.  In 2018, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was well below the national average. In response, staff have increased their focus on improving pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils have begun to demonstrate stronger skills to decode words and make sense of their reading.  The progress made by current pupils in key stage 2 is improving. Since September 2018, the quality of pupils’ writing has improved rapidly. The strong improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

noted in a sample of pupils’ work is similar for different groups of pupils, such as boys and disadvantaged pupils and for pupils from different starting points. Most pupils with SEND have begun to make stronger progress. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019  Progress in reading is improving. Pupils read frequently, and they are enjoying their books. Close study of a range of texts helps pupils to build a stronger range of vocabulary, which they are able to use in their discussions in class.  Pupils, especially the most able, do not have sufficient opportunities to apply their improving skills by writing at greater length in a wide range of subjects. As a result, they do not develop their knowledge and understanding as well as they are able.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The profile of children’s skills on entry to the school has varied recently. A small proportion of children enter with skills that are lower than those typically seen for their age , for example in areas such as personal and social development. Fewer children joined the school this academic year with skills that are above those typically seen for their age. Leaders and staff have not responded to the changing needs of the children quickly enough to sustain the strong progress that previously ensured children were ready for learning in key stage 1. Children’s work and the school’s own checks on their progress confirm that a lower proportion of children are on track to achieve a good level of development this year.  Staff do not check consistently that children understand how to engage in learning activities and that children are making enough progress. Staff miss opportunities to sustain and develop children’s learning. When staff are working with a particular group,

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Early years provision Requires improvement

for example, they do not check well enough that other children in the class are meaningfully engaged in learning activities.  Leaders make use of parents’ information and notes of activities at home to build a full picture of each child’s development. However, staff do not make full use of this information to enable children to make consistently strong progress.  Leaders use external services to moderate their judgments on children’s development. This provides school leaders with confidence in the reliability and accuracy of their judgements. However, the information gathered through checks on children’s progress is not used well enough to plan activities which secure consistently strong progress.  Leaders’ work to develop children’s early reading and writing skills is improving well. Children show they can recognise sounds and letters and use this knowledge as they develop their reading skills to form letters, words and simple sentences.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Children respond positively to adults and to others around them. This helps children to develop a sense of self, to learn how to interact with others and to move around safely. By doing so, children develop their speaking skills to express themselves.  Children learn to take turns and are considerate of others. They are keen to show visitors what they are doing and are proud of their achievements.  Leaders ensure that all the welfare requirements are met fully. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and keep a keen eye out for any concerns they may have about a child. They know how to pass on any concerns they may have about a child’s welfare appropriately. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019

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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 ourladystjoseph@durhamlearning.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 December 2018

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Information about this school

 This school is a Roman Catholic voluntary aided primary school. It is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.  The vast majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The previous section 48 inspection of the school took place in March 2017. School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 2019

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Information about this inspection

 A range of pupils’ work was scrutinised. This sample included the work of pupils from different year groups.  The inspector talked with groups of pupils both in meetings and informally around the site, including at breaktime and lunchtime.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, those responsible for the governance of the school, middle leaders, non-teaching staff and teachers.  Telephone discussions were held with a representative of the diocesan education service. The inspector met with the school’s education development partner.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Short informal discussions were held with a few parents.  The inspector reviewed responses from staff to Ofsted’s inspection questionnaire.  The inspector considered a number of documents. These included the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans, records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching

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Information about this inspection

and other quality assurance records and minutes of governors’ meetings. The inspector scrutinised the school’s arrangements to safeguard pupils.

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Inspection team

Chris Campbell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector School, Brooms, 21 to 22 May 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

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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