St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Hindley

Inspection of St Benedict’s Catholic Primary School Hindley Abbott Street, Hindley, Wigan, Lancashire WN2 3DG

p.1

Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

p.1

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 Good 13 and 14 December 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy in school. They spoke enthusiastically about the range of clubs and opportunities available to them. Pupils feel privileged to represent the school in a variety of sporting events. They are proud of their recent successes in football competitions. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, to develop their interests and improve their physical health.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are thoughtful and caring. They value being part of their local community. Pupils enjoy activities such as singing to residents at the local care home. They enjoy putting smiles on people’s faces.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years quickly learn how leaders and staff expect them to behave. Older pupils also understand leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour. Children and pupils behave well. They make sure that they are ready and respectful.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for. They know that staff listen to them if they have any worries. If bullying happens, staff deal with it quickly and well. This helps pupils to feel safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

p.2

better?

Leaders have developed a well-organised curriculum. Their curriculum enables pupils to learn in a logical way. It builds children’s knowledge from the early years as they progress into key stage 1 and beyond. Curriculum leaders are ambitious for their subjects and for all pupils. However, a small number of pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they do not benefit from leaders’ ambitious curriculum as well as they could.

p.2

better?

Curriculums in many subjects are well established. Leaders have ensured that staff know how to deliver these curriculums well. Leaders have broken down the important knowledge that pupils need to acquire into well-ordered steps. Teachers introduce and revisit this knowledge in a systematic way. They check that pupils know and can remember what they have taught them. Pupils build their learning securely and achieve well in these subjects.

p.2

better?

In a small number of subjects, leaders’ curriculum improvements are more recent. Some leaders are finalising the order in which pupils will learn new knowledge. Leaders’ approaches to assessment are also at an earlier stage in these subjects. However, leaders’ improvements to these subjects mean that pupils remember essential knowledge better than they did in the past. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.2

3

Leaders have improved the teaching of reading. They have introduced a new phonics curriculum and trained staff to deliver it well. Leaders have also invested in books that match the sounds that children and pupils have learned. Children in the Reception Year take part in their phonics sessions enthusiastically. They quickly learn new letters and the sounds that they represent. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted some pupils’ learning. This means that some pupils in Years 1 and 2 have missing phonics knowledge. Leaders support these pupils to catch up well. However, some staff do not support these pupils as effectively as they could. This slows some pupils’ progress in developing secure reading knowledge.

p.3

3

Staff immerse children in the early years into a world of much-loved stories. Teachers support older pupils to sustain this early love of reading. They provide pupils with a broad range of high-quality books. Pupils become competent readers. They apply their reading knowledge well when learning new information in other subjects.

p.3

3

Children in the early years listen carefully to adults, and work and play together well. They are keen and inquisitive learners. Older pupils build on this positive start. They are attentive in lessons and do not disturb each other’s learning.

p.3

3

Leaders make sure that staff know how to identify pupils or children in the early years with SEND. Staff provide effective support for these pupils in class. This helps pupils with SEND to achieve well.

p.3

3

Leaders and staff place a strong focus on pupils’ wider development. Pupils know how important it is to look after their physical and mental health, for example how to make healthy food choices. Pupils readily take on extra responsibilities. In this way they learn how to become responsible citizens.

p.3

3

Staff enjoy being part of the school team and their morale is high. Leaders support staff to develop a healthy work–life balance.

p.3

3

Governors are proud to serve the school community. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education across all subjects effectively.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders have a clear understanding of the safeguarding needs of pupils. They ensure that staff are well trained and know how to identify and report any concerns about pupils’ safety. Leaders are diligent in following up these concerns.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff also know how to identify pupils who may need help with their mental or emotional health. Leaders put effective pastoral support in place for these pupils quickly. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.3

4

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when working or playing online. They know that they should speak out if they are made to feel uncomfortable by other pupils or adults.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the reading curriculum are not delivered consistently well by all staff. This is particularly true for pupils receiving extra support to build their phonics knowledge. Leaders do not ensure that these pupils build up secure reading knowledge as quickly as they could as a result. Leaders should make sure that staff get the support that they need to deliver the reading curriculum equally well.  A small number of pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. Their learning is disrupted as a result. Leaders should continue to work with parents and carers, and other agencies to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly so that they can achieve as well as they can.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10226281 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Headteacher Janice Taberner (executive headteacher) Christina Fisher (head of school) Website www.saintbenedicts.wigan.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 15 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The leadership team has been restructured since the previous inspection. The headteacher is now an executive headteacher with responsibility for two other schools in the local authority. The deputy headteacher is currently the head of school.  This school belongs to the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection took place in January 2018.  Leaders make use of one unregistered alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 December 2022

p.5

6

 Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other leaders in the school.  An inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with representatives of the archdiocese and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. They talked with the curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors spoke with leaders from other areas of the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. An inspector also spoke with parents as they

p.6

6

dropped their children off at school.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload. Inspectors also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They reviewed documentation and spoke to leaders and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors 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 observed pupils’ behaviour at play times and lunchtime.

p.6

Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

James Marsh Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7