St Chad's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Chad’s Catholic Primary School South Hill, Blackburn Road, Chorley, Lancashire PR6 8LL

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They enjoy spending time with their friends. Pupils know that leaders expect them to learn all that they can. They try hard and support each other in class. Pupils, including children in the early years, successfully learn new knowledge and skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They explained that they can speak to adults if they are worried about anything. Alternatively, they can pop their concerns in an ‘Ask it basket’ and they know an adult will get back to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that behaviour was very positive. They explained that leaders and staff expect them to behave well at all times. Pupils said that occasionally they argue but that any disagreements get sorted out quickly. They said that if there are incidents of bullying, leaders deal with these quickly and make sure that they are not repeated. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in the many after-school clubs and activities on offer. They enjoy competing in sporting events against other schools. Recently, the girls’ football team enjoyed success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the wider world. Pupils enjoy writing to their pen pals in their twin school in Uganda. Older pupils enjoyed their recent residential visit. They explained how they had developed resilience by engaging in archery, canoeing and climbing activities.

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

Leaders have designed an interesting and relevant curriculum to meet most pupils’ learning needs. In the main, they have carefully considered the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn in each year group. Leaders have also designed a well-thought- 12 July 2022

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out curriculum for children in the early years. Leaders and governors ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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In the majority of subjects, new learning successfully builds on what pupils already know and can do. Subject leaders make careful use of leaders’ assessment systems to design the next steps in pupils’ learning. They use assessment systems well to check that pupils are learning and remembering the curriculum content. However, in one or two subjects in key stage 1, leaders have not fully considered the knowledge and skills that children acquire in the early years. On occasions, some teachers design learning without taking this into account. Very occasionally, pupils in key stage 1 repeat learning unnecessarily which has already been covered in the early years. Nevertheless, across the school pupils and children in the early years achieve well.

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Leaders have well-tested systems in place to support all pupils, and children in the early years, with their learning. They identify pupils’ additional learning needs at the earliest opportunity. Pupils with SEND benefit from effective and timely support that enables them to achieve well.

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Reading remains central to the school’s curriculum. Leaders have successfully trained all teachers and support staff in the agreed approach to the teaching of phonics. Pupils learn new sounds in a logical order. Teachers make sure that pupils take home books that build on the sounds that they learn in class. Older pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. Any pupils who fall behind with their reading and phonics receive targeted support to help them to catch up quickly.

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Around the school, pupils behave very well. Leaders ensure that pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Leaders and teachers establish their expectations for behaviour as soon as children start in the early years. Children in the Reception Year learn to take turns and they listen carefully to adults. Across school, pupils get on with their learning without interruptions from poor behaviour.

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Pupils, and children in the early years, benefit from a rich diet of wider curriculum experiences. Recently, pupils extended their understanding of democracy. Pupils met with their local member of parliament to bring about better recycling facilities in the town. Pupils learn a great deal about other faiths and cultures. For example, pupils have studied the work of a female artist from Afghanistan. As part of this work, they considered the role of women in society. Trips and visits are well planned to broaden the curriculum experiences that pupils receive.

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Governors know the school well. They skilfully hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils, and children in the early years, receive. Governors and leaders engage well with parents and carers to improve the school.

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Teachers and support staff enjoy working at the school. They spoke to inspectors with passion about their roles. They said that they benefit from suitable ongoing training so that they can do their jobs well. This includes training on developing the curriculum. 12 July 2022

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Staff are very complimentary about the support they receive from school leaders. In particular, they value leaders’ work to improve their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are vigilant in their duty to safeguard pupils. Staff receive regular and appropriate training in safeguarding procedures. This training provides them with the skills and knowledge necessary to spots signs of potential harm or neglect. Staff know how to record safeguarding concerns in a timely and effective way.

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Safeguarding

The family support workers and safeguarding leaders liaise with several specialist partner agencies. This work helps them to provide relevant and timely support to any pupils and families who need extra help.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about keeping safe. They learn about the danger of walking or cycling near busy roads. They learn how to stay safe online and while using social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects in key stage 1, leaders have not considered in enough depth the skills and knowledge that pupils acquire in the early years. This means that in one or two subjects, some pupils unnecessarily repeat work from the early years in key stage 1. Leaders should review their curriculum to check that pupils do not relearn knowledge that they have already acquired in the early years.

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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 2013. 12 July 2022

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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. 12 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226111 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 2 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic primary school. The most recent section 48 inspection was in April 2018.  A new chair of the governing body has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also met with a wide range of other members of staff.  Inspectors met with four members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. 12 July 2022

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 Inspectors spoke with parents after school to gather their views. Inspectors spoke with staff to gather their opinions about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  Inspectors examined a range of safeguarding information, including records of staff training. They checked how leaders ensure that staff are suitably qualified to work in school. Inspectors spoke to staff to check how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. They spoke with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. They spoke with curriculum leaders, teachers and visited lessons. Inspectors spoke

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with pupils and looked at examples of their work.  The lead inspector observed children in the Reception class and pupils in Year 1 read to trusted adults.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 12 July 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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