Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary

Inspection of a good school: Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary College Road, Spinkhill, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S21 3YB

p.1

Inspection dates: 14 and 15 February 2023

p.1

Outcome

Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this happy and welcoming school. Teachers’ expectations of pupils are high in all classes. Most pupils live up to these expectations. Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. Pupils know that their teachers care about them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. They uphold the school’s Catholic values and motto of ‘believe, achieve and be the best you can be’. Pupils know what bullying is but are not concerned by it. They know that staff will act immediately to stop any occurrence of bullying.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard in a broad range of subjects. They achieve well, particularly in reading, by the end of key stage 2. Most pupils are well supported in the classroom by staff. However, leaders do not always check that some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) consistently receive the extra help that they need.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, social and moral development well. The school’s assembly programme helps to develop pupils’ appreciation of different religious festivals and important national events. Pupils enjoy participating in special projects such as displaying their artwork to help fund a local food bank. Many pupils enjoy taking part in after-school clubs, including opportunities in sports, music and drama.

p.1

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and ambitious. They want all pupils to succeed. Subject leaders work well together. They have identified the important knowledge pupils need to know and remember. They have ensured that their plans start in the early years and end in Year 6. Leaders promote pupils’ development of writing well. They have incorporated opportunities for writing across a range of different subjects. In Year 6, for example, pupils produce high-quality written work on the civilisation of Ancient Egypt.

p.1

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

Leaders have designed the early years curriculum to prepare children well for the next 14 and15 February 2023

p.1

2

stage in their education. Children respond positively to staff’s well-planned activities. They benefit from a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment.

p.2

2

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this well to plan pupils’ learning and when questioning pupils. Subject leaders have developed effective systems for checking pupils’ understanding. Most pupils enjoy and achieve well in mathematics. They present their work well. Most pupils can articulate their mathematical reasoning with confidence and accuracy. Occasionally, pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed as swiftly as they could be in this subject.

p.2

2

Reading is a high priority. Staff enthusiastically promote a love of reading, particularly during story time. Younger pupils especially enjoy anticipating what comes next in these sessions. Leaders have recently invested in new books to enhance pupils’ enjoyment of reading. Many books promote important social qualities such as empathy and the importance of equality.

p.2

2

The teaching of phonics and early reading is strong. Leaders have ensured that early reading is taught systematically. Staff are well trained in, and passionate about, helping pupils to learn to read. Pupils learn to read right from the start in Reception class. Leaders organise phonics groups carefully to ensure that pupils are taught the right sounds at the right time. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils are learning. Reading skills are further promoted by the school’s ‘book bag’ home-reading scheme. Pupils use their phonic knowledge with accuracy when reading unfamiliar words. Staff make regular checks to identify pupils who need extra help and ensure that they receive it. As a result, most pupils read with confidence and fluency.

p.2

2

Leaders know the needs of pupils with SEND well. Relationships between staff and pupils with SEND are positive and encouraging. However, leaders’ oversight of pupils with SEND is variable. Not all parents have been involved in reviewing their child’s progress. Parents and carers who expressed an opinion have mixed views about how well they feel the school supports their child. They do not all feel that the school communicates well with them.

p.2

2

The planned curriculum for pupils’ personal development is ambitious and well led. Pupils have opportunities to discuss issues such as anti-bullying. They learn about positive relationships and respecting different faiths and cultures, including Sikhism for example. Pupils have a strong understanding of equality and how to celebrate what makes people unique.

p.2

2

Governors are committed to the school. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. The morale of staff is positive. Staff appreciate the steps taken by leaders to support their workload and well-being. Staff would like further support to help manage instances of challenging behaviour. Leaders recognise this and have plans to address it.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and15 February 2023

p.2

3

Leaders place a high priority on the safeguarding and well-being of pupils. They track pupils’ mental and physical well-being. Pupils who need extra help are supported by the school’s counsellor. Pupils say they feel safe at school. They know who they can talk to about any worries they may have. Pupils learn how they can keep themselves safe, including when using the internet.

p.3

3

Staff are well trained. They understand well their responsibilities for reporting concerns. Leaders ensure that pupils who need it receive the right help at the right time. They work effectively with external services including social care and the police.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The leadership of the school’s provision for pupils with SEND is too variable. The curriculum is not always suitably adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Some parents are not involved as well as they could be in the review process. As a result, leaders cannot be sure that all pupils with SEND learn as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that all pupils with SEND get the help they need to achieve well and that parents have the reassurance they need.

p.3

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Primary School, to be good in October 2013.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 14 and15 February 2023

p.3

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. 14 and15 February 2023

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 5 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative education provision.  The school is a single academy in the Immaculate Conception Academy Trust. The school joined this trust in December 2014.  The school last received a section 48 inspection in June 2017.

p.5

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 headteacher and other members of the school’s leadership team.  The inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair. He also checked governors’ records of meetings.  To check the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, the inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher who are also the school’s safeguarding leaders. 14 and15 February 2023

p.5

6

The inspector reviewed the school’s policy and scrutinised safeguarding records. He also reviewed the school’s single central record for the recruitment of staff. The inspector checked staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, he met with staff leading subject areas, looked at curriculum plans, 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 reviewed curriculum documentation for a range of other subjects, including French, art and design, music and computing.  The inspector met with the school’s special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. He scrutinised leaders’ records for these pupils.  The inspector listened to a small number of pupils in key stage 1 and Year 3 read to an

p.6

6

adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during playtime. He also attended an assembly delivered by a local police officer.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and spoke with some parents on the school site. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Chris Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and15 February 2023

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