St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School York Avenue, Hanwell, London W7 3HU

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 February 2022

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to St. Joseph’s and enjoy the community ethos it provides. They say school feels like another family to them. The school’s motto is ‘love, learn, believe’. This guiding principle is evident in the way pupils treat each other and their attitude to learning in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe. They are well behaved and usually kind to each other. Bullying happens rarely. Pupils say if it does happen, teachers are always there to help them. However, they are clear that most ‘conflict’ is just misunderstandings and not bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to do well. They have identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn across all subjects. Pupils are confident and articulate. They engage actively in discussions about their learning, demonstrating developing understanding. Pupils enjoy the regular opportunities they are given to take their books home and share their learning with their parents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is also enriched through opportunities to visit museums, galleries and other places of interest. Pupils appreciate these trips. They were interrupted due to COVID-19 restrictions but have started again. Clubs are accessible to all, and pupils talk enthusiastically about the variety that is on offer.

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

Pupils study a full curriculum that matches the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum. Subject leaders are knowledgeable and well trained. They have clear expectations for learning in their subject areas. They have chosen commercial curriculum schemes to support pupils’ learning in most subjects. In mathematics, art, history, geography, music and computing, plans identify the key knowledge and essential vocabulary for pupils to learn. This is well sequenced to assist pupils to use what they have learned before being taught new ideas. In the early years, children are taught the specific mathematical vocabulary they need. This is practised regularly to develop a 9 and 10 February 2022

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strong understanding of early number and prepares children for the next stage of their learning in Year 1.

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In some wider curriculum subjects, the impact of these plans is not as advanced. Pupils can recall the knowledge and facts they have learned. They use their books to help them remember. For example, in art, Year 1 pupils know about ‘complementary colour’. They understand this means colours ‘go well together’ and have thought about this when studying the work of Andy Warhol. Despite these strengths, pupils are not consistently making deeper connections or links between learning in all subjects. In history, for example, pupils understand the passage of time within the period they are studying. However, they do not understand how periods of history link together or the connections between them over time.

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Leaders have prioritised early reading. They identified that reading progress was not as good as it could be, and gaps had widened further due to COVID-19. A new reading programme has been introduced to address this, and staff have received training. The books used to teach reading are now matched to the sounds pupils know. This is giving them the opportunity to practise, and, as a result, greater fluency is developing. Those who are at risk of falling behind are identified and appropriate interventions are in place to enable these pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers. Texts used in English are carefully considered to develop a love of reading. There is a dedicated story time in the early years and Years 1 and 2. However, while longer stories are read to older pupils, this time is often interrupted by other learning. Pupils say they would like a daily story time and to have an adult read to them more, so they have

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. They access the same curriculum as their peers with key adults used to model the language and ideas being learned. As a result, support is unique to each individual and provides the specific help they need to achieve.

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Pupils are well behaved in lessons and outside in the playground. They are enthusiastic about their learning. A calm, purposeful atmosphere is evident in all lessons.

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Pupils’ wider development is prioritised. They are given opportunities to take on extra responsibility in school and help leaders make decisions about things that affect them. They are proud of the work that they do. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. They all participate in a ‘daily mile’ on the running track in the school grounds.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive of leaders’ consideration of their workload. They say that leaders are approachable, and they can and do go to them if they need help. They appreciate the time invested in training and report an ethos of sharing and support for each other.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 9 and 10 February 2022

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Leaders have rigorous procedures in place to keep pupils safe. Staff are well trained and can identify pupils at risk of harm. Any concerns are reported quickly. Governors are aware of their statutory safeguarding responsibilities and regular training is planned to provide updates.

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Leaders seek help and advice from the local authority and outside agencies. Consequently, pupils and their families get the assistance they need as quickly as possible.

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The curriculum has been designed to keep pupils safe. Learning provides pupils with the knowledge they need to help them make safe decisions. They know how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans identify the key knowledge and essential vocabulary for pupils to learn. This is well sequenced to help pupils learn more. While pupils are remembering key knowledge, they are not always connecting this knowledge over time. Leaders need to ensure that pupils can make and understand these links and that these connections are reinforced in teaching. This will maximise the impact of their well- planned curriculum and ensure pupils develop a deeper understanding over time.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be in October 2012.

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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 . 9 and 10 February 2022

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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. 9 and 10 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stjosephshanwell.org.uk Date of previous inspection 7 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-size primary school.  The school runs before-school and after-school provision.  The school’s last diocesan inspection was in May 2018.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and members of staff. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the diocese and met with two governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at 9 and 10 February 2022

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector also looked at curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work for history, geography, computing and music.  The inspectors considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The lead inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The lead inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions, and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Edison David Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 February 2022

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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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