Our Lady and St Brendan's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Our Lady and St Brendan’s Catholic Primary School The Bank, Idle, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD10 0QA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 10–11 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school. The new headteacher has made lots of changes since she started in September. Parents and carers are very pleased about this. There are new rules about how pupils should behave. Pupils enjoy coming to school more now that everyone behaves well on the playground. Pupils do not have any concerns about bullying. If any problems arise, leaders deal with them quickly. Many pupils now behave well in lessons, but some do not. Leaders are working hard to help everyone behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some other leaders also started in September. They have already made lots of changes to the way pupils learn to read. Governors have spent extra money buying lots of new resources. Pupils really enjoy all the new reading books. They like listening to stories and reading more often in class. Teachers sometimes give pupils reading books that are too hard. Pupils who are struggling to learn to read find it difficult to read these books.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have not improved the quality of teaching quickly enough since the last inspection to help all pupils to achieve well. The new headteacher is taking steps to make the necessary improvements.

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better?

There have been many changes in leadership since the last inspection. There have been different temporary headteachers. Some governors resigned when the last temporary headteacher left. This turbulence in senior leadership arrangements slowed down the rate of improvement. New leaders have ambitious plans for improving the curriculum.

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better?

The teaching of reading is improving. All teachers are clear about the letters and sounds that pupils need to know. The teaching of phonics started straight away in September. Leaders check that pupils are keeping up with the programme. Some older pupils who struggle to read are still finding it difficult. Some books include letters and sounds that pupils do not know. They cannot read these books fluently. This puts them off reading. It also means that pupils struggle to read in other subjects.

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better?

All teachers have started reading stories to each class. Pupils love this. There are lots of new books for more confident pupils to read. Some of these books are traditional children’s classics and others are modern, popular fiction. Pupils in Year 6 say that they like being able to choose from such a wide variety. The headteacher has started a community library. There are lots of books in the front entrance for pupils or parents to borrow. Most pupils are excited about reading.

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better?

Leaders have identified that teaching is not helping all pupils to achieve well. Some teachers provide the right support to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps them to do well. Other teachers need more 10–11 October 2019

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training. Leaders have plans in place for this.

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Leaders have improved the teaching of mathematics. Teachers sequence the curriculum to help pupils know more and remember more. Teachers’ expectations match or exceed the national curriculum for mathematics. Teachers build on what pupils already know and they link each lesson to the last.

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The curriculum is not as well planned in some subjects. Teachers do not use assessment well enough to check that pupils have understood. Teachers do not make sure that pupils are learning the most important content. Pupils cannot remember what they have learned in history and geography.

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Leaders are in the process of reviewing the curriculum. They are working to improve subjects other than English and mathematics. Leaders are training teachers to develop the subject knowledge needed to teach all subjects well.

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Pupils cannot remember what they have learned about different faiths or the beliefs that others may hold. This means that pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for life in modern Britain.

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Most pupils behave well in lessons, but this is not always the case. At times, some pupils disrupt learning for other pupils. Some teachers are good at helping pupils to calm down. Leaders are working hard to help all teachers improve these skills.

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Children are happy and safe in the early years. They are excited about learning. Children have lots to choose from and they play well together. They can take turns and share. Teachers give children lots of chances to practise their numbers, letters and sounds when they are playing. Teachers and other adults often step back and stay quiet. They do not interrupt children who are busy and concentrating unless it will help. Adults get this balance right. Some adults do not have the skills they need to help children who struggle with communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders have recently provided safeguarding training for all staff. Everyone knows the signs to look out for which suggest that pupils might be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Thorough safeguarding records are kept. Leaders include pupils’ views in these records. Pupils know whom to go to for help. There are regular visits from safeguarding staff from the diocese. They provide counselling for individual pupils who need support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils remember what they have been taught about staying safe. Police officers have given special assemblies to help pupils to keep themselves safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The additional needs of pupils with SEND are not being met in some classes. This includes in the early years. Some teachers have not had the training they need so that they know how to support pupils with SEND. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have the necessary skills to help pupils with SEND to achieve well.  Pupils in key stage 2 who have fallen behind with reading are not catching up quickly. Reading books are not matched well to pupils’ phonic knowledge. Leaders should ensure that all reading books, in key stage 1 and key stage 2, are closely matched to the letters and sounds that pupils know.  The wider curriculum is not sequenced well enough to ensure that pupils build on their prior learning and remember more. Leaders should implement their plans to review the sequence of learning in subjects beyond English and mathematics. They should ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and engaging enough for all

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils.  Some pupils do not have positive attitudes to learning. Their behaviour disrupts learning for others. Some teachers do not have consistently high expectations of pupils. Leaders should ensure that teachers deal with poor behaviour in line with the school’s policy so that pupils’ learning is not hampered by disruption in lessons.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you're not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 10–11 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110556 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2017

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Information about this school

 A section 8 monitoring inspection took place on 12 June 2018.  The new headteacher took up post in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the phonics and English leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader, the attendance officer and the learning mentor. The lead inspector also met three governors and representatives from Bradford Children’s Services and from the Diocese of Leeds.  A meeting was held with leaders who have responsibility for safeguarding. Pupils’ safeguarding records were discussed and evaluated along with records linked to recruitment and staff training.  Inspectors selected four subjects for closer scrutiny. These subjects were reading, mathematics, geography and history. Inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning and heard pupils read. Inspectors visited lessons and discussed pupils’ work with curriculum leaders. Inspectors also met with teachers, following visits 10–11 October 2019

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to their lessons.  Inspectors spoke to several parents before school and reviewed the 10 responses left by parents to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mujahid Ali Ofsted Inspector 10–11 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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