St Joseph and St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph and St Teresa’s Catholic Primary School Doncaster Lane, Woodlands, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN6 7QN

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are polite and welcoming. Pupils enjoy working together. There are daily opportunities for pupils to cooperate. One Year 6 pupil said: ‘You are never going to get anywhere if you don’t work together.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have worked hard to organise the mathematics, English and early reading curriculums. However, the rest of the curriculum is not as well planned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are proud of their pupil parliament. They use it to embed fundamental British values into the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons. They focus and respond to instructions and tasks, including the youngest children in the Nursery and early years. All staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils say bullying is rare, but if it happens, a teacher sorts it out straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In mathematics and English, pupils thought the challenge is ‘just the right level’. However, in the wider curriculum there was a lack of ambition, especially for the more able pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school, they are treated fairly and with respect.

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

The executive headteacher and head of school have been in post since September 2020. They prioritised developing the mathematics, English and phonics curriculums. Leaders have ensured these plans are building on what pupils already know. Teachers are using these plans with confidence. This is not the case for all subjects. Leaders recognise the wider curriculum is not as well planned. The development of these plans slowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In summer 2021, the school experienced high numbers of 2 and 3 November 2021

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positive cases. Leaders had to prioritise remote learning and covering staff’s absence, while managing high levels of anxiety linked to the spread of the virus.

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Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme. They are following the programme with rigour from the early years. Pupils are taught in small groups so that teaching matches their ability level. There is consistency in their approach. Most Year 1 pupils are working at the expected level in phonics. Those that are not receive one-to- one, catch-up interventions and additional reading sessions. However, some pupils in Year 4 who still need support learning phonics are not receiving any other intervention. Leaders say this is another impact of COVID-19 and staffing difficulties. Reading books match the sounds pupils have already learned. Adults support effectively when they hear pupils read, encouraging and praising when pupils sound out unfamiliar words.

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Leaders’ plans for the wider curriculum require further development. They began planning the history curriculum this term and have identified topics for each class. Leaders have not considered how the curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge year on year, as teachers can choose what they teach within the topic. This means there is a risk of gaps appearing in pupils’ learning. A curriculum leader has not had any training on how to lead and monitor a subject. Detailed planning for other subject areas has not yet begun. Leaders have now created a plan to ensure all curriculum areas build on what pupils already know.

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Leaders have a plan to improve the school, but it is not focused enough on developing the wider curriculum. Leaders must refine their improvement plan to reflect this. Advisers from the local authority and the diocese have confidence in the leadership team to make the necessary rapid changes. Governors should hold leaders to account for the progress of the wider curriculum development.

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Leaders have adopted the mastery approach. Pupils can explain this well. In mathematics and English, this approach is embedded, and tasks are suitably ambitious for all pupils. However, evidence in books indicates, in other subjects, some of the more able pupils are not being challenged.

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In discussion with the executive headteacher and head of school the inspector agreed that a deep dive in history may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know the immediate risks to their children. The learning mentor delivers interventions to support and manage pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Safeguarding

Analysis of records about bullying, behaviour, including racist or sexualised behaviour, show there are no trends or patterns. All staff contribute to these records.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure pupils are safe with robust absence procedures. 2 and 3 November 2021

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Pupils know how to stay safe online and know not to share passwords or personal details. Older pupils know to tell an adult if they receive an inappropriate image on an electronic device.

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The checks to ensure staff are eligible to work in this school are rigorous.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have rightly prioritised the teaching of reading and early phonics. Leaders have begun to apply the same rigour to planning the wider curriculum. This now needs applying across all subjects to ensure the curriculum is sequenced and organised. These plans must set out what pupils should know and in what order. Leaders intend to have these plans in place by March 2022.  A member of staff is new to subject leadership and has not had training to lead a curriculum area. Leaders should ensure that all those leading subjects have access to appropriate training. All curriculum leaders should have opportunities to monitor their subject.  Leaders have a whole-school development plan to improve the school. However, this plan is not precise enough. Leaders should ensure that the school development plan is sharper. Governors should evaluate the impact and pace of leaders’ actions to improve the curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have adopted the mastery approach to teaching mathematics and English. Leaders want to apply these same principles to the wider curriculum. This is not being consistently used. In some lessons, more able pupils are not being sufficiently challenged. Leaders should ensure that the mastery tasks are ambitious and challenge pupils to respond in depth, drawing on what they have learned.

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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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 in September 2016. 2 and 3 November 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 2 and 3 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sjst.co.uk Date of previous inspection 28 to 29 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic primary school. The last section 48 inspection was 7 December 2015.  The school is federated with Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary School. There is one governing body across both schools.  It is a smaller than average-size primary school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other leaders. Meetings were also held with representatives of the local governing body, the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum 2 and 3 November 2021

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plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils and teachers and looked at their work. The inspector heard pupils read.  The inspector examined safeguarding records, attendance figures and policies.  There were seven responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire.  The views of staff were considered from meeting with staff and from the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 November 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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