St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 4TY

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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 Requires improvement 6 and 7 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious to provide a high-quality education for pupils. Expectations are high. Leaders have worked to devise and implement a consistent approach to learning. Leaders have thought about the school’s overall curriculum and how pupils build knowledge in different subjects. This helps pupils to connect and remember key subject content. Children get off to a strong start, particularly in reading and mathematics in early years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and play well together at breaktimes. They behave sensibly. Pupils said that they feel safe in school. Parents, carers and pupils felt that whenever any incidents of bullying occur, adults manage these well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy assemblies, in which they explore various themes relevant to life in modern Britain. For instance, pupils recalled a previous assembly and spoke confidently about why discrimination is wrong.

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better?

Leaders sequence subject knowledge so that pupils build on what they have learned before. Teachers provide time in lessons for pupils to go over prior knowledge and assess what they remember. This helps pupils to understand and recall what they are learning currently. For example, pupils in Year 5 explained how their learning about conflict during Tudor times helped them understand about other conflicts, such as the Second World War. Leaders have strong subject knowledge. As a result, their subject plans typically identify the most important information that pupils need to remember. Occasionally, some subject planning is not as coherently sequenced and structured or does not cover in detail what children in early years need to know to be ready for subject learning in Year 1. Leaders have plans already in place to address this in order to sharpen these subject plans.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading. Leaders prioritise reading across the school. The phonics programme is embedded and taught from the Nursery Year onwards. Staff receive training and deliver the programme well. Teachers check that children keep up with the programme. Any children who are struggling receive additional phonics teaching to help them catch up. Leaders are committed to helping all pupils get better at reading. Teachers and staff provide books and resources that carefully match the sounds pupils know.

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better?

Leaders work with parents and external organisations to make sure that all pupils receive the right support. Staff receive training to support pupils with complex needs. Typically, teachers and teaching assistants make sure that the curriculum is adapted and that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn alongside their peers.

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better?

Pupils’ typically calm and orderly behaviour helps make sure that learning proceeds smoothly and without interruption. Pupils are attentive and motivated in class. 6 and 7 October 2021

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Children in the early years settle into school quickly. Children behave very well because they are interested and keen to learn. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the rewards systems in the school. Pupils said how much they like the rewards system because it motivates them to behave well.

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Leaders provide a range of wider opportunities beyond the subject curriculum to encourage pupils’ personal and social skills. Pupils take part in a range of clubs, including sports, cookery and coding. Some of these were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic but have resumed. Leaders plan assemblies to encourage pupils’ sense of spirituality and moral understanding. Leaders aim to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils learn about different types of families as part of personal, social and health education and spoke knowledgeably about the protected characteristics.

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Governors have sufficient knowledge and skills to carry out their role. They work well with leaders to improve the school. Governors monitor leaders’ work through regular visits to the school. Leaders and governors are committed to supporting staff to manage workload and well-being. The school’s section 48 inspection is considerably overdue.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff receive safeguarding training. Staff know the signs to look for that may indicate that a pupil needs help. Staff know the procedures for reporting concerns and do so swiftly. Leaders maintain records of any concerns raised, including how these are followed up. Leaders work closely with outside organisations to safeguard pupils’ well-being. Pupils know that they can speak to an adult if they are worried. However, a few pupils said that they would be reluctant to do this.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subject plans, leaders have not identified the most important content that pupils need to remember and the order in which it needs to be learned, including in early years. As a result, pupils do not remember the most important content in order to be ready for future learning. Leaders should make sure that all subject plans, including in early years, are coherently sequenced and structured.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 6 and 7 October 2021

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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. 6 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200571 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 7 and 8 December 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic school under the Diocese of Westminster.  There is a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school, overseen by the governing body.  The historic grounds include premises for some external organisations. Leaders have made sure that the site is secure.  The school’s next section 48 inspection is overdue. The school received its most recent section 48 inspection in March 2009.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior and other school leaders. 6 and 7 October 2021

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 Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body and from the local authority.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, history, and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records and documentation. They looked at the processes for carrying out pre-employment checks on staff. Inspectors also spoke to leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors checked responses to Ofsted surveys. These included 17 staff and 26 pupils’ online survey responses. We also looked at 16 responses to the survey for parents, including 12 free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Andrea Bedeau, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicholas Cornell Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 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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