St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Anderton

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Anderton Rothwell Road, Anderton, Chorley, Lancashire PR6 9LZ

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Anderton continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph’s is a friendly school. Pupils are well supported by caring staff who greet pupils warmly each morning. The pupils that I spoke to said that they feel safe and happy. Pupils rarely miss a day at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of themselves and the pupils they teach. Pupils work hard and stay focused on their learning. They enjoy working together. They share ideas and listen to each other. They respect the ideas and views of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They follow the school’s behaviour code. They manage their own behaviour well. Pupils know what bullying is. They said that it rarely happens. If it ever did, they are confident that staff would deal with it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff make sure that pupils have access to a wide range of activities in the playground. Pupils enjoy using the outdoor classroom and the polytunnel. They also appreciate the wide range of playtime equipment that they can use, especially the table tennis table. Pupils play well together and are happy in each other’s company. They have many friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told me that they value the roles and responsibilities they are given. They also enjoy representing the school in sporting competitions.

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

The school is well led and managed. Leaders act quickly to make sure that weaknesses do not take root. They are ambitious that all pupils will achieve their potential. Staff meet the needs of all pupils well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to be successful. Pupils achieve well in a range of subjects from the early years through to Year 6. They are well prepared for secondary school. 4–5 February 2020

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Leaders have identified what they want pupils to know at certain points in their education. They have used this to plan an ambitious and interesting curriculum which builds upon pupils’ skills and knowledge. Pupils enjoy their learning. They listen carefully to their teachers. Pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders have made sure that pupils develop a love of reading. Pupils read regularly and enjoy picking books from the school libraries. Leaders have also chosen texts carefully so that they are well matched to the curriculum. Pupils explained how a class novel had supported their understanding of the canopy layers in the rainforest.

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Children learn to read as soon as they enter the early years. The phonics curriculum is well ordered. Staff have been well trained so that they can deliver the phonics programme effectively. Staff provide extra support for pupils who need to catch up. As a result, most pupils achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Despite pupils having a secure knowledge of letters and the sounds that they represent, some pupils read books that are too difficult for them. This is because they do not have a secure enough understanding of those words that cannot always be sounded out.

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Leaders have strengthened the mathematics curriculum. It is clear what pupils should learn and how leaders expect staff to teach. From an early age, children enjoy mathematics. This is because staff plan fun and interesting activities. For some older pupils, activities are not well matched to their mathematical understanding. This means that they struggle to complete the work set. This stops them from building their mathematical knowledge as well as they should.

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The promotion of pupils’ personal development is strong. Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to reflect and put into practice the Christian values of the school. Pupils are tolerant of different faiths and families. They respect each other’s differences. Pupils told me: ‘Everyone is unique; even twins, who look the same, have different hearts.’

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Older pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities. This prepares them well for the next stage in their education. For example, the buddy system helps younger pupils to feel safe and secure.

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Pupils understand what it means to be mentally and physically healthy. Leaders have made sure that there is a good range of sports clubs and activities on offer. Pupils enjoy taking part in these and representing the school in different competitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that keeping pupils safe is a priority. Staff have regular training. This helps them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff know what to do if they think a pupil may be at risk. They act quickly if they have concerns about a pupil’s safety. 4–5 February 2020

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Policies and procedures are thorough and well established. Leaders make sure that all staff go through the required checks before they start work at the school. New staff have a good understanding of the school’s systems and procedures.

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Leaders know their pupils and families well. They work effectively with external agencies to make sure that pupils are kept safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Phonics is taught well. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. However, some of the books that pupils read are too difficult for them. This means that they are unable to read fluently. Teachers need to make sure that pupils know the words that cannot be easily sounded out more securely before moving on to books that contain such tricky words.  Activities in some mathematics lessons do not match pupils’ present understanding. Pupils do not have the knowledge to be able to tackle this new work. As a result, they are not able to further their mathematical understanding in line with the school’s planned curriculum. Leaders should ensure that the planned curriculum is delivered in the intended way in all classrooms. They should ensure that teachers check carefully what pupils can and cannot do before they move them on to new mathematical concepts.

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

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 22 November 2010.

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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. 4–5 February 2020

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

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If you are the school and you are 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. 4–5 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10111035 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 Deborah Butterworth

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School details

Website www.st-josephs-anderton.lancs.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 November 2010

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Information about this school

 The school had its most recent section 48 inspection, undertaken by the Diocese of Salford, in May 2016.  In 2018 and 2019, there was a higher-than-average level of pupil mobility.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. I also spoke with class teachers and support staff.  I met with several governors, including the chair of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.  I reviewed a range of documentation. This included school policies, behaviour records and published information about pupils’ performance.  I met with the designated safeguarding leader to check the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures and processes. I also checked the single central record and the checks made on newly appointed staff. 4–5 February 2020

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 I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. This involved meeting with subject leaders, talking to pupils and teachers, visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work and hearing pupils read.  I also observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime and as they moved around the school.  I spoke to parents and carers at the beginning of the school day and considered 40 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  I considered the 19 responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Steve Kirkpatrick, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4–5 February 2020

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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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