St John Bosco RC Primary School

Inspection of St John Bosco RC Primary School Hall Moss Road, Blackley, Manchester M9 7AT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy all that this school has to offer. They take part enthusiastically in a range of clubs. This helps pupils to improve their physical health and discover new interests such as animation skills. Pupils in the choir are looking forward to performing in a national singing event.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know how leaders expect them to behave. Pupils’ behaviour has improved over time. They behave well. Pupils are happy in school. They learn in calm, orderly classrooms and they enjoy active play times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that bullying occasionally happens. Despite this, they feel safe in school. They know that any bullying incidents are dealt with well by staff and are seldom repeated. Leaders and staff take good care of pupils. They provide high-quality emotional support for pupils who need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have raised their expectations of how well pupils should achieve. They have improved the curriculum in some subjects. Pupils learn better than they did in the past. However, leaders’ development of the curriculum in several other subjects, including in the early years, is still at an early stage. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects.

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better?

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and high staff turnover, leaders have carefully considered the order in which to make improvements at the school. They have focused their attention on strengthening the curriculum in subjects such as English and mathematics. Pupils’ achievement in these subjects has improved. Leaders have also focused on improving the early years provision. However, the changes that leaders have made in the early years are not replicated fully across both the Nursery and Reception classes. Children in the Nursery Year are not as well prepared for their next stage as they need to be.

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better?

Leaders have introduced well-ordered curriculums in some subjects. They have trained teachers to deliver these curriculums well. This includes teachers who are new to teaching. Teachers understand the importance of finding out what pupils already know in these subjects before moving on to new learning. Teachers use assessment strategies well to plan the next steps of learning.

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better?

In several other subjects, leaders’ work to improve the curriculum is in its infancy. Leaders have not finalised the key knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which it should be taught. They have not supported teachers to develop their knowledge of these subjects. Consequently, teachers do not always design appropriate learning to help pupils to develop a rich body of knowledge. This means that pupils, including those with SEND, struggle to make links with what they know 29 and 30 March 2022

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already. This hampers their achievement and, on occasion, causes some pupils to lose interest in their learning. That said, in most lessons pupils listen respectfully and have positive attitudes towards their learning. They learn without disruption.

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Reading is a high priority. The early reading curriculum is delivered well by well- trained teachers. Children learn about the sounds that letters represent as soon as they enter their Reception Year. Leaders keep a close check on pupils’ progress in phonics. They ensure that pupils read books that match their phonics ability. Adults provide extra support for pupils who need to catch-up. They help younger pupils to develop confidence and fluency. However, teachers do not develop children’s language and communication skills in the early years consistently well.

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Teachers share high-quality texts with pupils. They take a genuine interest in what pupils read. For example, they challenge pupils to read books by a wide range of respected authors. Pupils develop into keen readers. They excitedly read books for pleasure and to broaden their general knowledge.

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Leaders have ensured that staff have the expertise to identify pupils with SEND accurately. However, leaders have not provided staff with the training that they need to put effective support in place for these pupils. This hinders how well pupils with SEND, including children in the early years, progress through the curriculum.

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Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development is strong. Pupils spoke positively about the support that they receive in school, including for their mental health. Pupils think of others. They readily donate money and gifts to those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils are keen to play their part in the school community. They are proud to represent their classmates on the school council and to act as eco-councillors, reading buddies and digital leaders. Older pupils enjoy debating and discussing issues such as equal rights. They are taught to respect other people’s opinions and viewpoints.

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Governors have strengthened their knowledge of the school. They understand what is going well and what still needs to improve. They increasingly offer leaders well- informed support and challenge as a result. Governors recognise that the pace of curriculum improvement has increased the demands placed upon leaders and staff. That said, staff morale is high. Staff appreciate the support given to them to manage their workloads.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that school staff have the appropriate expertise to keep pupils safe. Staff, including those who are new to the school, know how to identify when pupils are at risk of potential harm. They know how to record and pass on their concerns. Leaders work effectively with a range of agencies to support families and protect pupils. 29 and 30 March 2022

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Pupils understand the potential risks when they use technology. They know what makes a positive friendship both online and offline. Older pupils deepen their understanding of healthy relationships. They know that they should speak out if they are made to feel uncomfortable by other pupils or adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In several subjects, leaders have not determined the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and the order in which this should be taught. Consequently, pupils do not have secure knowledge on which to build as they move through year groups. Leaders need to rapidly review the curriculum for these subjects to ensure that key knowledge is clearly defined and that this content is well ordered.  Leaders have not provided staff with enough guidance to deliver the curriculum well in several subjects. In these subjects, leaders have not ensured that pupils benefit from a curriculum that helps them to build up a rich body of knowledge. As a result, pupils’ achievement across subjects and year groups is uneven. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained to support pupils, including pupils with SEND, to know and remember more. This is particularly significant given the number of teachers who are at the early stages of their teaching

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

careers.  The curriculum in the early years is in the early stages of development and implementation. Leaders have not ensured that all staff are clear about what key knowledge children should have at different points in the Nursery and Reception Years. In particular, children across the early years are not developing their language and communication skills equally well. Leaders need to make sure that staff know what learning to focus on so that children, including those with SEND, are well prepared for Year 1.

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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 . 29 and 30 March 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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212217 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Lorraine McCauley

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School details

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

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the school was last inspected there have been significant changes in staffing, including the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. Several of the newly appointed staff are at the early stages of their teaching careers.  This school belongs to the Diocese of Salford. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2020.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision. 29 and 30 March 2022

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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 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 spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. Inspectors spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also met with representatives of the local authority and the Diocese of Salford.  Inspectors checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They looked at a range of documentation and spoke to leaders and staff. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about how safe they feel in school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with

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Information about this inspection

teachers and talked with pupils. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects. They looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning in these subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunch and break times. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. Inspectors also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. Inspectors also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation shared by school leaders, including the school development plan, minutes from meetings of the governing

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Information about this inspection

body and leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jean Tarry Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 March 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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