Our Lady's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School East Meadway, Tile Cross, Birmingham, West Midlands B33 0AU

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Outcome

Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are well cared for, respected and valued by all staff. Pupils feel safe in school. They say that everyone looks out for each other. A pupil said: ‘It’s special here, it’s like our home. Even if you’re not baptised, you’re still part of our second family.’ Another said: ‘We welcome anyone who joins our school. We respect all differences. We respect everyone for who they are.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these high expectations. They have very positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. They listen attentively to their teachers. They work and play happily together. Older pupils are excellent role models for younger pupils. Pupils enjoy the varied roles and responsibilities they hold, such as school councillors, class buddies and religious education ambassadors. Bullying is rare, but when it does happen, staff deal with it straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to see themselves as citizens in the wider world. They are taught how to bring about change and contribute positively to society. Pupils recently visited the Houses of Parliament.

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

Leaders want the very best for all pupils and staff. They are striving to ensure that everyone receives an appropriate curriculum. Leaders train curriculum leaders to help them develop their leadership skills effectively. They have been well supported to develop and improve their subject areas.

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

Leaders plan strong links between different subjects. This develops pupils’ knowledge and skills across the breadth of the curriculum. Leaders have improved teachers’ subject knowledge, especially in mathematics and reading. However, curriculum plans are not yet 11–12 February 2020

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being consistently implemented in all classes and in all subjects. This is because some of the changes to the way that subjects are being taught are relatively new. Curriculum leaders have not yet fully checked the way teachers are delivering these curriculum plans. As a result, there are inconsistencies in how effectively they are being implemented.

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Staff want pupils with SEND to do well. This is also the case for pupils who are disadvantaged. Leaders make sure that these pupils receive the support they need. Teachers plan activities so that pupils can access the curriculum in a way that matches their individual needs.

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The development of reading is a priority for the school. The library is well stocked and is used regularly. Pupils are able to choose books that they want, for example ‘The catcher in the rye.’ Pupils enjoy the stories that their teachers read to them. These books are well selected and are often linked to learning in other subjects, such as history.

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Phonics lessons take place every day. From the very start, children in the Reception class develop their reading skills well. Adults check the progress pupils make through the well- planned phonics programme. Teaching provides pupils with the skills they need to read fluently. The books pupils read are well matched to their reading ability. Where pupils are at risk of falling behind, support is in place to help them catch up quickly. The majority of staff have been well trained to teach phonics. However, some staff are not as skilled as others in teaching phonics.

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The early years is a warm and vibrant place for children to learn. Staff develop children’s communication and language skills well over time. Staff work closely with parents and carers, who value this and feel listened to. They are confident that their children are being well looked after. Children in the early years make good progress across all areas of the curriculum. They enjoy positive relationships with adults. They are happy and eager to learn.

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Governors are passionate that pupils should receive the best quality of education. They hold leaders to account for standards and pupil enrichment. The governors ensure that leaders consider staff workload. They offer bespoke counselling for any member of the school community that may need it. Governors say that ‘this is a school full of joy’. Staff agree that leaders think about ways to minimise workload.

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Pupils have a good sense of their place and role in modern Britain. Leaders promote pupils’ character very well. Pupils raise money for charities, such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, including governors, make sure that appropriate checks are made on all adults who work with pupils at the school. Staff receive regular training. They understand what to do if they have concerns about a child. Safeguarding concerns are followed up in a timely way. Staff work well with a range of external agencies to support vulnerable pupils 11–12 February 2020

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and their families. This extra help supports pupils’ well-being. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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Pupils’ attendance and punctuality has improved significantly. Leaders have put effective systems into place to ensure that pupils are in school more often.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leaders have implemented their ambitious curriculum plans. However, in some subjects, new developments are in their infancy. As a result, there are inconsistencies in the delivery of some curriculum plans. Senior leaders need to make sure that subject leaders take steps to iron out any variability in the delivery of curriculum plans across year groups.  School leaders have thought carefully about the support that teachers need to implement curriculum plans effectively in different subjects. This has had a very positive impact on the development of pupils’ knowledge and skills, particularly in mathematics and science. However, there are still staff who need support and training to improve their knowledge of phonics. Leaders need to ensure that all staff are equally effective in supporting pupils to learn to read.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 21–22 April 2016.

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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. 11–12 February 2020

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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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122563 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 April 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is a Roman Catholic school.  The school has a breakfast club. The school manages this provision.  A section 48 inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School as a Catholic school took place in April 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I did deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. I visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, examined curriculum plans and talked with pupils and staff about the way these subjects are delivered. I also spoke with pupils, staff and parents about school life.  I met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and the subject leaders for reading, mathematics and science.  I met with four governors and spoke to a representative of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. 11–12 February 2020

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 I scrutinised the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children prior to employment. I looked at documents relating to safeguarding, and talked to parents, staff and pupils.  I considered the eight responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  I observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, on the playground, in the dining room and while they were moving around the school.  I scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including the school’s own evaluation and development plan, the headteacher’s reports and external reports.

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11–12 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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