St Edward's Catholic Primary School, Boston Spa

Inspection of St Edward’s Catholic Primary School, Boston Spa Westwood Way, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 6DX

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Catholic ethos is central to the life of the school. The development of pupils’ character through the virtues is strong. Pupils treat each other and staff with respect. Leaders and governors have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Parents also recognise this. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow in confidence throughout their time at the school. They enjoy coming to school and engage well with all that it has to offer. The personal development programme prepares pupils exceptionally well for their next steps. Pupils have a strong sense of equality and quickly learn to value people’s differences. Over time, pupils develop an increasingly mature understanding of what it means to be a good citizen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school regularly and often. They are well mannered, polite and want to do their best. Pupils know what is expected of them and happily follow the rules that are in place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils play a key role in supporting younger pupils. They explain how the whole school community works together to support each other. They are proud of their school and feel safe. Bullying rarely happens. Pupils are confident that if they had a concern, adults would act quickly to help them.

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better?

Leaders have planned a curriculum that meets the aims and ambition of the national curriculum. Planning is well sequenced and subject leaders have identified the knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember over time. However, sometimes teachers do not plan activities for lessons that match the planned curriculum. Occasionally, subject leaders lack knowledge on how to support staff in delivering their ambitious curriculum. In addition, in some cases, teachers do not adapt the curriculum to help pupils build on what they already know as they teach.

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better?

Children in the early years access an ambitious and broad curriculum. Classroom routines are well established. Staff use probing questions in a wide range of activities to develop children’s learning. Children engage well as a result.

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better?

From the moment they start school, children learn phonics every day. Phonics is taught consistently because staff are well trained. Pupils move at pace through the planned phonics programme and can quickly read books which are matched to the sounds they have learned. This means they become confident, fluent readers. Pupils who need to catch up are given the support they need. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

Attendance levels are consistently high. Leaders act quickly to manage any issues that arise. Pupils and staff know the expectations for behaviour, and pupils behave well. This results in a calm and orderly atmosphere in classrooms. Pupils listen 6 and 7 December 2022

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carefully to their teachers in lessons and are keen to do well. They work independently and have positive attitudes to their learning. There are rarely any incidences of poor behaviour. However, pupils know that teachers would take any action if needed. Pupils know they are rewarded for good behaviour. These rewards include team points and the ‘headteacher’s award’.

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The Catholic ethos permeates all aspects of school life. This is particularly true of how leaders plan to support pupils’ personal development. There is a very strong offer to promote physical health and mental well-being through focused theme weeks, including ‘positive psychology week’. Pupils study major world religions and have an excellent understanding of British values. Leaders plan a wealth of activities for pupils to engage with the community, including supporting local charities. For example, through Mission Christmas, pupils provided gifts for less-fortunate children. There are extensive opportunities for pupils to get involved in wider school life. School council, eco committee and digital leaders are just a few of the activities on offer. Pupils engage proudly with their roles and take their responsibilities seriously.

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Governors are committed to the school. They ask leaders questions about safeguarding and pupils’ well-being. Governors’ knowledge of some aspects of the quality of education is not as well developed. As a result, they do not offer the same level of challenge to school leaders on curriculum development as they do in other areas of their governance responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff and governors are well trained and have regular updates about safeguarding. All staff know what to do and how to report any concerns about a child’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out appropriate checks to make sure that staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children. Records of these checks are comprehensive and up to date.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils’ families well and act quickly to provide the support they need. High priority is given to teaching pupils about safety. Pupils have an excellent understanding of online safety and could give detailed examples of how to keep themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors do not have a sharp enough understanding of the curriculum to hold leaders to account for the quality of education effectively. Governors should ensure that they take the necessary steps to scrutinise better the decisions made 6 and 7 December 2022

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by leaders on curriculum development and the quality of education that the school provides for pupils.  Some subject leaders do not have enough expertise to ensure that the curriculum is implemented well. This affects how well they are able to support teachers to deliver the curriculum for their subject area. Leaders should ensure subject leaders and teachers receive the support and development they need to plan the right activities to deliver the planned curriculum with confidence to all pupils.

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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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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://www.st-edwards.leeds.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 July 2008, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school was judged to be outstanding at its most recent inspection of denominational education and the content of the school’s collective worship under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place on 28 March 2019. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. Meetings were also held with the early years leader, subject leaders and class teachers.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local governing body, a representative from the Diocese of Leeds and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors looked at curriculum planning, conducted joint lesson visits with leaders, had discussions with teachers, spoke to pupils about their work and looked at pupils’ books and samples of their work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at playtime and lunchtime. They spoke with pupils about their views on the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  During the inspection, a range of safeguarding information was scrutinised,

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including the school’s policies and records. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults. The lead inspector also met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included comments received via the free-text facility. They also talked to some parents in the school playground.

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Inspection team

Nicola Beaumont, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Bentley Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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