Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Twelve Apostles Catholic Primary School Nel Pan Lane, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 5JS

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 13 and 14 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to attend this most welcoming and nurturing school. They enjoy learning because teachers make lessons exciting. Pupils are extremely happy in school and they feel very safe. They talked about having lots of friends and they said that teachers and other staff look after them incredibly well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high aspirations for all pupils at this school. This is true for pupils’ learning, as well as their behaviour. Many pupils require additional help to enable them to learn well. Leaders and staff are experts at providing the correct support to allow pupils to achieve very highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overall, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. A small minority of pupils, who sometimes struggle with behaviour due to their additional needs, explained how staff help them to improve quickly. Pupils said that bullying is rare. They further stated that staff are quick to resolve any issues if they arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish carrying out roles of responsibility at school. This could include being a playtime leader or a school councillor. They thrive on raising money for charities. Pupils take part in clubs, such as knitting or eco club, and some join the choir. Visits, and visitors, contribute strongly to pupils’ personal development. They help pupils to become more resilient learners.

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better?

Over several years, leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad, balanced and very ambitious. Pupils’ learning goes beyond the scope of the national curriculum. In all subjects, curriculum plans show clearly and precisely what pupils need to learn and by when. Teachers skilfully ensure that pupils’ learning builds on what they already know. This enables teachers to introduce new learning at just the right time. Pupils achieve exceptionally well as a result. They talk with much confidence about their current learning and what has come before.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified early. They receive specialist support to help them learn exceptionally well. Leaders’ ambition for these pupils’ achievement is the same as for all other pupils. Staff understand the needs of pupils with SEND extremely well and ensure that they are fully met. Leaders ensure that these pupils have access to the full curriculum.

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better?

In lessons, teachers question pupils skilfully to check that they have understood new knowledge and concepts. Teachers are adept at helping pupils to recall prior learning. This reminds pupils of what they already know about a particular subject. Where pupils’ recall is less strong, teachers are skilled at taking a step back. They help pupils to embed knowledge before moving on to learn new content. This helps pupils to make links in their learning. It also helps them to know and remember more of the curriculum. 13 and 14 October 2021

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Enabling pupils to become expert readers is a key priority for leaders. Leaders consider reading to be the key skill to unlocking pupils’ wider learning. Consequently, leaders ensure that pupils learn to read as soon as they start school. For many children in the Reception class, this means that they receive appropriate initial support to develop their speech and language. They then move on quickly to learning phonics. Teachers make sure that pupils’ reading books are well matched to the sounds that they are learning. This allows pupils to develop reading fluency and confidence at pace. Pupils who struggle to read, and those with SEND, receive tailored support to help them to catch up quickly.

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Leaders’ management of pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Leaders and staff work closely with pupils, parents and carers, and other professionals to understand the additional support that some pupils need. This helps pupils to overcome any barriers to positive behaviour which might affect their learning. Any disruptions to learning in lessons are rare. Over time, the care and attention given to pupils has yielded impressive results. Pupils manage their behaviour very well. They are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities which support their wider development. They develop a very strong understanding of other faiths and cultures. They are acutely aware of important issues such as racism and why this should never be tolerated. The curriculum provides regular opportunities for pupils to develop their stamina and to ‘have a go’ at new experiences. Pupils at this school develop into well-rounded citizens by the time they leave the school.

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Staff delight in working at the school. They feel highly valued by leaders and governors. They appreciate the support given to them by leaders, for example when managing their workload and well-being. Leaders and governors engage very well with staff. Leaders equally act in the best interests of pupils and their families. This helps to create a purposeful ethos in the school, with highly positive relationships.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors take their responsibilities to safeguard pupils very seriously. They ensure that staff have regular, well-planned training and updates. This means that staff are alert to any signs that pupils could be at risk. When incidents occur, staff are quick to respond to make sure that pupils are safe. This includes working effectively with other agencies.

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Safeguarding

Staff are particularly alert to safeguarding matters which are prevalent in the local area. They work closely with pupils and their families to manage any risks. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum. For example, they learn about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. They also learn how to keep themselves safe when online. 13 and 14 October 2021

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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.

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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. 13 and 14 October 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 January 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Roman Catholic primary school.  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher have been appointed. Several new teachers have also been appointed.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The most recent section 48 inspection took place in September 2019.

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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 that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and science. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work 13 and 14 October 2021

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and spoke to teachers and pupils. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors also considered other subjects, including physical education, music and art and design. They met with subject leaders, reviewed pupils’ work, spoke to pupils about their learning and evaluated curriculum plans in these subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. They spoke to the headteacher and senior leaders throughout the inspection. An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met with six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He spoke on the telephone to a representative of the diocese and of the local authority.  The lead inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding. He also checked the single central record. Inspectors considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and questioned staff’s understanding of these procedures.

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Inspectors observed pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors also discussed safeguarding with pupils.  Inspectors considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Ian Hardman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Collette Mather Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 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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