St Boniface RC Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Boniface RC Primary School

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Yew Street, Salford, Greater Manchester M7 2HL

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Outcome

St Boniface RC Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are nurtured and well cared for at St Boniface RC Primary School. Pupils said that they enjoy school and that they felt very safe because they know that staff look after them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s Christian ethos shines through all that everyone does. Adults and pupils are welcoming to all. Together, they make the school a warm and friendly place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations for pupils. Pupils know that adults expect them to behave positively, work hard and achieve well. Teachers deliver the planned curriculum effectively, making sure that pupils enjoy their learning in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around school. Adults sort upsets quickly. Pupils learn how to spot bullying. They said that bullying is rare. Pupils know that adults will always help them with any problems, if they occur. Parents and carers agree that any bullying is dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Trips and visits have always been an important part of school life. For example, pupils enjoy visiting the local convent or taking part in local music events. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, adults have been creative in maintaining extra- curricular opportunities. For example, they have delighted pupils by bringing the seaside to the playground with paddling pools and sand.

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

Leaders have designed an effective curriculum for pupils. They think carefully about the order that they teach new knowledge. The curriculum that they have in place enables pupils to succeed. It prepares them well for the next stages of their education. The curriculum also gets pupils ready for life in modern Britain. 9–10 June 2021

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The pandemic caused significant disruption to the school community. Leaders responded well to these challenges. For example, they appropriately adapted some of the curriculum content so that pupils could learn from home. They also decided to suspend some of the work that they were doing to improve the curriculum further. They have now resumed this work.

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The curriculum is particularly well planned in subjects such as English, mathematics, science, and art and design. Curriculum plans in these subjects set out in detail the knowledge that teachers will teach and in what order. However, similar revisions in subjects such as history and geography have been delayed due to COVID-19. These subjects enable pupils to achieve well but they are not planned in as much detail. The order of the knowledge that teachers want pupils to learn is not as clear. Added to this, some curriculum leaders are new to their role. Their knowledge about how to check the curriculum and find out what difference this is making to pupils’ learning is underdeveloped.

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Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They help pupils to see connections between their learning. In mathematics, for example, new work builds logically on earlier work. Pupils practise what they already know in mathematics to help them to remember important information.

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Books and reading are important in school. Leaders offer useful ideas to parents to help them continue pupils’ reading development at home. Many pupils in key stage 2 said that they enjoy reading. Leaders are promoting a strong culture of reading.

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As soon as children start in the Nursery Class, they learn letters and sounds by taking part in activities that encourage them to develop their listening skills. The early reading curriculum is well planned across the early years and key stage 1. Staff check on pupils’ phonics knowledge regularly. They make sure that phonics is being taught to all pupils at the exact level that they need. Teachers and support staff deliver the phonics and early reading curriculum well.

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Leaders and staff are committed to all pupils achieving their best. The youngest children attending the Nursery Class settle quickly. Staff support them effectively. Throughout the school, adults are quick to notice and help if a pupil is struggling. The large number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and those who are disadvantaged, have their needs met successfully. Leaders ensure that these pupils have the same opportunities to succeed and flourish as all other pupils in the school.

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Pupils behave well in school. Neither poor behaviour nor bullying hinder how well pupils learn the curriculum. They enjoy their lessons and, with the help of staff, they have settled back into the school routines well.

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As a result of the pandemic, leaders greatly increased opportunities for pupils to talk about their feelings and worries. Pupils have benefited from lots of extra activities to help them with their mental health and well-being. For example, they really enjoyed talking 9–10 June 2021

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about issues while in the outdoor learning environment, building dens and making food on a campfire.

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Leaders, staff and governors have worked effectively to improve the school during the pandemic. Governors have continued to challenge and support leaders during this difficult time. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They feel well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to keep pupils safe. The safeguarding and protection of pupils are important to them. They make sure that all their policies and procedures are in place and that everyone knows and understands them.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with other agencies to keep pupils safe. Adults make sure that pupils and their families are well looked after and supported. They act quickly if they have concerns.

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Safeguarding

Adults teach pupils how to stay safe and behave responsibly in different situations. This includes when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum planning and the organisation of many foundation subjects are effective. However, in a minority of subjects, leaders have not planned exactly what pupils should learn and in what order. This means that pupils do not make as much progress through the curriculum as they could. Leaders should continue with their work to revise the curriculum content in subjects such as history and geography to ensure that teachers know exactly what pupils must learn and in what order. This will enable pupils to know more and recall more as they move through the planned curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Several curriculum leaders are new to their roles and some lack experience. As a result, some curriculum leaders do not have sufficient knowledge of how to review and evaluate the quality of their curriculum subjects. Senior leaders need to build curriculum leaders’ knowledge and understanding of subject and curriculum development. This will ensure that their curriculum subjects continue to evolve and develop.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The transition arrangements were used on this inspection because revisions in some of the subjects in the school’s curriculum have not been fully put in place due to COVID-19. However, it is clear that leaders have already started to reinstate detailed plans put on one side during the pandemic. They are in the process of ensuring that all subjects are of an equally high standard. 9–10 June 2021

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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 or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 13 and 14 July 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.

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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 here .

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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. 9–10 June 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10193962 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 13 – 14 July 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is voluntary aided. It last received a religious education inspection carried out under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in July 2016. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of July 2021.  A small number of three-year-old children attend the Nursery provision within the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, about their work and school life. Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the SEND coordinator. They also held discussions with staff, which focused on well-being and safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors and a representative of the local authority. They reviewed a range of documents, 9–10 June 2021

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including those relating to school improvement, safeguarding and the checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day and considered the five responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also considered the 19 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and the 16 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors talked with pupils about the books that they like to read.  Inspectors looked in detail at reading, mathematics and history. For each of these subjects, inspectors held discussions with curriculum leaders and teachers, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work and talked with pupils. They also considered other subjects across the curriculum, including art and design, and geography.

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Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Williamson Ofsted Inspector 9–10 June 2021

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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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