St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School Foliage Road, Brinnington, Stockport, Cheshire SK5 8AR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in June 2012 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school has not been inspected for seven years, which is longer than the five- year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 11–12 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Bernadette’s feel valued. Pupils who spoke to us said that they enjoy learning in the calm and welcoming atmosphere that leaders have created. Respect between staff and pupils is clear. Pupils said that leaders have high expectations of what they can achieve. Pupils, along with staff, parents and carers are proud of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. There are strong relationships between school and home. Pupils behave well in lessons. They take great pride in their work and achieve well. Pupils said that bullying did not happen at their school. They said that sometimes pupils fell out but teachers deal with any issues. Pupils’ overall attendance is improving. However, some are still absent from school too often.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs for sports and music. They are proud of their participation in clubs that develop mindfulness and resilience. One pupil told inspectors, ‘I feel I can achieve anything because I’m part of a team.’ There are also clubs to learn about life skills, such as cookery club, which pupils attend regularly and enjoy.

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better?

Published data shows that, over time, the achievement of previous pupils has been variable at the end of key stages 1 and 2. Leaders and governors identified what needed to be done. They have taken the appropriate actions to improve the curriculum. Leaders have raised aspirations for what pupils can achieve. The curriculum prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education. Current pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) also achieve well. This is because teachers and support staff meet their needs very well.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school. Pupils enjoy reading and achieve well in this subject. Teachers’ plans build well on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils’ reading books are matched closely to the sounds that they have been learning in class. By the end of Year 1, most pupils meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check. Teachers promote a love of reading across the curriculum. They choose books that make links with other subjects. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the stories they have listened to or have read themselves.

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better?

In all subjects, teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils already know. This ensures that pupils gain skills and knowledge in a logical order. Subject leaders have thought carefully about the key skills that pupils need to learn in each year group. Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They are clear about what they are going to teach and how this will help pupils to develop knowledge. Pupils have many opportunities to practise what they already know before they learn new things. However, as the curriculum has only recently been improved in some subjects, such 11–12 March 2020

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as music and science, pupils have not had opportunities to deepen their knowledge over time. Staff in early years plan learning opportunities that build extremely well on what children can already do. This ensures that children learn more and are able to do more by the time they enter key stage 1.

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Governance has recently been strengthened by new members of the governing body. Governors receive regular and detailed information from school leaders. Governors are proud of the work of staff and senior leaders in implementing the revised curriculum. Staff say that leaders consider their workload and well-being. They also told inspectors that they feel part of a team with clear direction.

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Pupils have opportunities which promote their ongoing personal development well. Pupils learn about diversity in modern Britain through well-designed links to other curriculum subjects. For example, in history, older pupils consider attitudes towards others while studying crime and punishment. They understand that respect for other people is important. Pupils are well prepared to be caring citizens of the future. The curriculum also enables pupils to explore and learn about different cultures, artists and musicians.

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Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that other pupils behave well. Pupils know that they should treat everyone with dignity and respect. In classrooms and around school, pupils are kind to each other and display good manners. Pupils’ behaviour is good and there is little disruption to learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make safeguarding a priority. They have ensured that staff receive relevant training. Staff are alert to any safeguarding concerns. There are clear systems in school for recording and reporting these concerns. Leaders keep an overview of vulnerable pupils. Parents commented on how well staff in school have helped them and their children through times when they needed support. Staff work very well with external agencies to make sure that pupils receive the support they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of pupils are persistently absent from school. This prevents these pupils from learning all that they could. Leaders should redouble their efforts to ensure that the attendance of this group of pupils continues to improve, so that they are able to achieve well.  The new curriculum is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning in the majority of subjects. Leaders should ensure that their revised curriculum plans are embedded in all subjects. This will enable teachers to plan learning that deepens 11–12 March 2020

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pupils’ knowledge and understanding over time so that pupils can achieve equally as well in all subjects.

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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 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 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122153 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-bernadettes.stockport.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2012

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Information about this school

 The last Section 48 inspection of the Education Acts 2005 and 2011 was on 5 October 2017. The school is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with the senior leadership team. Meetings were also held with five governors. We spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocese. We spoke to pupils to find out their views about school life. Inspectors also spoke to parents before school started.  There were no responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  We spoke to staff, governors and pupils about how the school keeps pupils safe. Inspectors examined the single central record. Inspectors also reviewed the checks undertaken to make sure that staff are suitable to work in a school and other documentation relating to safeguarding. 11–12 March 2020

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 We heard pupils read and talked with pupils about how the school teaches reading.  As part of this inspection, we did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing computing and history. For each of these subjects, inspectors undertook the following activities: discussions with senior leaders and subject leaders; visits to lessons; discussions with pupils about their experience of learning; discussions with teachers from the lessons visited and scrutiny of the work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Simon Hunter, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Young Ofsted Inspector 11–12 March 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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