St Patrick's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Langley Moor

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Goatbeck Terrace, Langley Moor, Durham DH7 8JJ

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Outcome

St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Langley Moor continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel very happy, safe and welcomed in this small school. They say that kind and friendly staff look after them well. Inspectors agree. Pupils and staff are positive and cheerful. They listen to other pupils and adults. They are respectful and polite. Many parents and carers feel that the school is a caring place for their children to attend. One parent told us, ‘I couldn’t be happier to have chosen the school. Every child deserves to be at a school as caring and committed to an all-round education as St Patrick’s.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to respect the rights of others. They learn about different faiths and cultures. As one pupil said: ‘Everyone’s different and everyone is special. You can be who you want to be.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for every pupil. Pupils are keen to learn and enjoy their lessons. Pupils say that they take part in fun lessons and learn lots of new information and ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is. They say that it happens very rarely. If it does happen, pupils know whom to speak to. They say: ‘It is sorted out and it stops.’ Across the school pupils behave well and respond to praise and encouragement. 3 December 2019

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are determined to make sure that the curriculum is the very best for every pupil. They have identified this as a top priority in this year’s school improvement plan.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

All pupils including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are able to access all of the curriculum and make at least good progress. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has worked particularly hard to make sure that pupils with SEND are not faced with any barriers that might stop them learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff in the school have looked at what it takes to make learning successful. They have used this knowledge to help decide what pupils will learn in each subject. In subjects such as history and physical education (PE), staff have mapped out the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember. The way staff have worked on these subject areas is very effective. Leaders now need to continue this work across the full range of subjects on the curriculum. A plan is already in place to make sure this happens.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils in history and PE are able to remember lots of different things that they have learned. For example, pupils studying the Vikings could explain they didn’t have horns on their helmets. They could also explain that Santa Claus was a Viking.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and teachers have made a great start on the curriculum and lots of work has happened. However, leaders for each subject have not had regular opportunities to check the impact of their work.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils develop a respect for other faiths and cultures. They have a good understanding of tolerance. They also have a sense of democracy, through activities such as voting for the school council. Pupils enjoy going to a range of out-of-school clubs including football, choir, fencing and Lego club.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and teachers encourage pupils to be confident readers. Children get off to a flying start in reading when they join Reception Year. They enjoy listening to stories and rhymes. Teachers make regular checks on the sounds pupils know. They use this information to plan what to teach next. Pupils who find phonics difficult receive the help they need to catch up. Pupils use their phonic skills to sound out unfamiliar words. They learn to read ‘tricky’ words. Pupils enjoy reading. By the time pupils move into Year 6, a large proportion are confident readers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils in lessons across the school listen and work hard in their lessons. At break times and lunchtimes, pupils are happy to play together. 3 December 2019

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In reception children are eager to try out their own writing. They practise the new sounds they have learnt during their phonic sessions. The curriculum for Reception Year children plans for their interests and different starting points.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Pupils’ welfare and safety are of the utmost importance to all staff in the school. Pupils learn and remember how to keep themselves safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained and understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep thorough safeguarding records. Staff know their pupils and their families very well and take prompt action when they have concerns. This makes sure that families get the help they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders should make sure that the curriculum developments that are in place, for example in history and PE, are rolled out fully to ensure that there is a high-quality curriculum in all subjects.  Leaders and teachers have taken a range of actions to make sure that all pupils are ultimately receiving an appropriately ambitious curriculum. However, further opportunities for subject leaders to monitor and evaluate the impact of their work now need to be put in place.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or 3 December 2019

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the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Langley Moor to be good in July 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 3 December 2019

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School details

Unique reference number 114268 Local authority Durham Inspection number 10110766 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Carol Bainbridge

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School details

Website www.stpatrickslangleymoor.org.uk/ Date of previous inspection January 2016

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Information about this school

 St Patrick’s is a much-smaller-than-average primary school. Pupils are taught in mixed- age classes from Year 1 through to Year 6. Children in Reception Year are taught in a single-age class.  The proportion of pupils receiving support for SEND is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The school is a faith school.  The school extends its services by providing a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, along with subject leaders for history, English and PE. We also met the lead for early years and the SENCo. 3 December 2019

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 We met the chair of the local governing body and one governor. We spoke to a representative from the local authority and the Catholic diocese for Newcastle and Hexham.

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 We met with the member of staff who maintains records of recruitment checks and training records. We also met the safeguarding lead. We looked at attendance information, behaviour logs and safeguarding records.  We selected three subjects for closer scrutiny. These subjects were reading, history and PE. We spoke to pupils about their learning and heard pupils read. We visited lessons and discussed the curriculum with individual subject leaders. We met with teachers following visits to their lessons.  We spoke informally and formally with pupils about behaviour and how they keep themselves safe in the school. In addition, we observed pupils’ behaviour at various times across the day, including at breaktimes and in the breakfast club.  We spoke to several parents before and during the school day and reviewed 21 responses left by parents through Ofsted’s Parent View survey. In addition, we reviewed 21 additional free-text comments.

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 There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Anne Vernon, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Dawn Foster Ofsted Inspector 3 December 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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