St Theresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Theresa's Catholic Primary School Barwick Road, Crossgates, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS15 8RQ

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Outcome

St Theresa's Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Theresa’s Catholic Primary is a popular, welcoming and well-led school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), know that leaders want them to succeed and become respectful and active citizens. Pupils learn to understand the school’s Christian values of faith, hope and love. These are at the heart of everything that happens in school. These values help pupils to establish a strong sense of community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being with their friends in school. They get on well with each other, regardless of their background. They have many adults to speak to if issues arise. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They are confident that staff sort out problems. Pupils develop strong relationships with staff. This makes them feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy visiting places like Whitby Abbey. Staff make sure that everyone is included on visits. Pupils enjoy talking about what they have learned on the visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers say they feel part of the wider family of St Theresa’s. They are happy that their opinions matter. Parents and carers appreciate the support they receive from teachers. For example, they come into school for events like learning how to help their children at home with phonics.

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

Leaders have designed an exciting curriculum that is relevant to all pupils, including those with SEND. The result is an ambitious curriculum. It builds pupils’ knowledge well from early years through to Year 6. For example, children in Reception learn about Remembrance Day. They talk about members of their family who died in war. In history, pupils in Year 6 study the Second World War and its links to the First World War.

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

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. Pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers. Activities are well chosen to match pupils’ needs. In lessons, 14 and 15 June 2022

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teachers make checks to ensure pupils understand what they are learning. Any pupil who is struggling receives support in the lesson or in extra teaching sessions. Leaders have provided teachers with the support they need to deliver the curriculum well. Teachers make sure that learning builds on what pupils know and remember. In the core subjects of English and mathematics, teachers revisit and check that pupils have remembered essential knowledge from previous learning. As a result, pupils remember well. They understand how prior knowledge links to their current learning. For example, pupils use their knowledge of multiplication tables with confidence to help them subtract fractions. They use and apply their knowledge of number to solve problems. Pupils explain their mathematical reasoning well.

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In some foundation subjects, such as geography, leaders have recently revised their curriculum plans, so that they link to other subjects in a meaningful way. Teachers do not have as precise a knowledge of how well pupils have remembered this revised curriculum, long term. Leaders are aware of this and have begun to develop a new assessment system that matches the revised curriculum for the foundation subjects.

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Across the school, reading is taught well. Leaders recently introduced a new phonics programme to help pupils learn to read. All staff received training in the programme. Teachers make sure that children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, gain knowledge of the letters and sounds they need to read words. Pupils who need extra help receive well-tailored extra support. Pupils take home books that enable them to practise the sounds they learn in class. This helps them to read with accuracy and fluency.

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Throughout the entire school, pupils show enthusiasm for learning. Behaviour in lessons and around school is good. This is because teachers plan exciting activities which stimulate pupils’ curiosity. As a result, pupils focus on their learning with few distractions or interruptions. This includes children in the early years. Children work well together to plant and grow herbs. The environment in the early years is inspiring. It is helping children to learn new vocabulary, such as the names of the herbs they grow.

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Pupils show enjoyment and fascination when learning about their own and others’ beliefs. They enjoyed learning about the festival Diwali and visiting a synagogue. Leaders have made sure that every pupil in key stage 2 has participated in competitive sport this year. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to represent their school before they leave in Year 6.

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Governors are well informed by leaders. They provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders, and are active in their support for their school. Staff appreciate leaders’ actions to support workload and well-being. This includes teachers at the early stages of their career. Staff morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know pupils, families and the community well. They talk with parents regularly and offer high levels of support. All staff receive regular training. As a result, they know how to identify and record safeguarding concerns. Leaders ensure that 14 and 15 June 2022

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vulnerable pupils receive the timely support that they need. This includes support with mental health.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes the dangers associated with the use of social media and online gaming.

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Leaders make sure that appropriate checks are carried out on all adults working in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the foundation subjects, the system for assessing what pupils have learned and remembered is less developed than in the core subjects of English and mathematics. As a result, teachers are not able to be as precise in their identification of gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to take appropriate action. Leaders know this and have begun to make changes to the assessment system of the foundation subjects. Leaders should continue with this work, so that assessment and follow-up actions are as strong as they are in the core curriculum.

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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 good in January 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 . 14 and 15 June 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. 14 and 15 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226887 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school belongs to the Diocese of Leeds. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2017.  Since the school was last inspected, a new chair of the governing body has been appointed.  The school manages a before- and after-school care club.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other leaders. The inspector spoke to many members of teaching and non-teaching staff, in addition to six governors, including the chair of the governing body. 14 and 15 June 2022

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 The inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the school’s policies and procedures and other records were reviewed. The checks that the school makes when appointing new staff were scrutinised.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. She also spoke to pupils about their learning, safety and behaviour. Records of attendance and behaviour incidents were reviewed.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text

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comments. Staff and pupil survey responses were also reviewed.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 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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