St Patrick's RC Primary School

Inspection of St Patrick’s RC Primary School Livesey Street, Collyhurst, Manchester M4 5HF

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

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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 16 and 17 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have positive attitudes to their work and take learning seriously. They are knowledgeable about equality issues relating to race, gender and disability. Pupils enjoy celebrating the culturally diverse nature of the school and local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. They know that they can go to any trusted adult if they have any concerns. Pupils also said staff always deal with any rare instances of bullying promptly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff have high expectations of their behaviour and achievement. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place where pupils learn well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are responsible and active citizens. They demonstrate this as members of the junior leadership team and the ‘ambassadors for change’ group. Pupils are familiar with social issues, such as the plight of refugees and asylum seekers, which they learn about through personal, social and citizenship aspects of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish educational trips. They visit places such as Chester to deepen their understanding of Roman history. Pupils are supported to pursue their interests. They compose poetry and ‘raps’ for events, including anti-bullying week, and have designed murals for the school with local artists.

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

Leaders want pupils to be good citizens who are understanding and sensitive to the needs of others. They also want pupils to develop the knowledge and skills that they need to live happy and productive lives. To this end, leaders have developed a well- ordered curriculum which engages all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders carefully organise pupils’ learning in a logical order to help them to know more and remember more.

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

Leaders’ and teachers’ work to develop pupils’ resilience and fluency in both reading and mathematics is reaping rewards. For example, children in the early years and key stage 1 learn phonics effectively, while older pupils perform mental calculations confidently.

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

Reading is central to the curriculum. The phonics programme is well sequenced and well implemented. Children in the early years enjoy reading every day. Children use their knowledge of phonics well to help them to read accurately and fluently. The books that teachers give pupils to read contain words with the sounds that pupils have been learning. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy reading different types of books from a wide range of authors. Those who need help to catch up with their peers are well supported. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum is well planned and implemented in most subjects. They have set out clearly the concepts, knowledge, vocabulary and skills that pupils must learn. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have been less able to provide training and support to ensure that all teachers assess what pupils have learned. As a result, in some subjects, teachers are not as clear as they could be about what some pupils know and remember.

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Pupils, and children in the early years, behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. They follow teachers’ instructions closely and enjoy discovering new things with their peers. Across the school, low-level disruption in class is rare. This means that pupils are able to learn effectively.

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Leaders have a range of activities to foster pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils are knowledgeable about international issues, such as climate change. Pupils regularly raise money for good causes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs and trips were suspended. However, these are now starting up again. Pupils enjoy tag rugby, football and music. They also visit local places of interest, including Manchester Central Library.

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Effective systems are in place which help teachers to identify pupils with SEND early. Well-trained, caring staff make sure that the curriculum is accessible and linked to pupils’ individual needs. Staff’s expertise, and well-developed relationships with parents, carers and specialist partners, help to ensure that pupils with SEND make progress through the curriculum.

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Staff morale is high. Teachers and teaching assistants are appreciative of the training that they receive. Staff told inspectors that leaders are mindful of their well- being and workload. Through a programme of focused training and development, staff have the confidence and subject knowledge that they need to teach different subjects.

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Governors carry out their duties diligently. They hold school leaders to account effectively. They know the school’s priorities, because they receive the information that they need to keep a check on how well pupils are learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Regular training and weekly updates help to ensure that all staff are conversant with the latest developments relating to keeping pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Staff adhere to the school’s comprehensive safeguarding policies and procedures. For example, they know how to spot potential signs of neglect and abuse. They take prompt action to record and report any concerns that they have about pupils. 16 and 17 November 2021

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Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, such as when using the internet. Pupils know exactly what to do and where to go if they need help from staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers’ assessment of what pupils know is not as precise as it should be. This means that teachers do not have a secure enough understanding of any missing aspects of pupils’ learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively in all subjects so that they can help pupils to know more and remember more.

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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. 16 and 17 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10204454 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-patricks.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher leads St Edmund’s Roman Catholic Primary School as well as St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Primary School.  The most recent section 48 inspection was in May 2019.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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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 executive headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the early years leader and other senior leaders. The lead inspector held a video conference with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. 16 and 17 November 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum planning and spoke to leaders about their subjects. They conducted lesson visits, spoke with pupils and looked at a range of pupils’ work. Inspectors also talked with class teachers and teaching assistants from the classes that they visited.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. Inspectors also spoke with parents, to gather their views about the school, and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were too few responses to the Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to consider. There were no free-text comments from parents. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors examined a range of policies, schemes of work and curriculum plans. They also scrutinised safeguarding information, including the school’s

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safeguarding policy. The lead inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding lead and the executive headteacher about the reporting and recording of any safeguarding incidents. Inspectors also talked with pupils about their safety, welfare and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Williamson Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 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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