Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Church

Inspection of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, Church Bradshaw Row, Church, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 4HG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They said that this is because teachers make this school special. Pupils explained to inspectors that using kind words and actions helps them to be happy in life. They feel that they can be different in school and that everybody is treated equally and with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over recent months, leaders have raised their expectations of what pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Pupils enjoy learning and they are keen to try their best. However, leaders’ work to address the historic weaknesses in the curriculum are at an early stage of development in some subjects. As a result, there remain weaknesses in how well the curriculum is designed and delivered, including in reading and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful to school visitors. They know the school rules. If incidents of bullying or bad behaviour do happen, they are dealt with quickly and effectively by staff and leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a huge range of trips, visits and activities that link their learning to the wider world. For example, pupils can play sports, become a school leader, go on residentials to outdoor adventure areas, or be inspired by visitors such as Olympians and artists.

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better?

Leaders are aspirational for pupils, including children in the early years. They have strengthened the curriculum to ensure that it is suitably ambitious. Leaders have considered what pupils need to learn to be successful. Despite these improvements, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

Some subject leaders have the expertise necessary to lead their subjects with confidence. However, other subject leaders lack the knowledge and skills needed to support staff to deliver curriculums as intended. This means that, in these subjects, teachers do not receive the support and guidance that they need to design and deliver learning consistently well. This is not the case in the early years. Children in the early years benefit from a strong curriculum that prepares them well for the demands of key stage 1.

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better?

Teachers’ checks on how well pupils are learning are not effective in some subjects. As a result, some teachers do not routinely identify gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. In the Reception and Nursery classes, children are getting the right support to close any gaps in learning that they have when they join the school.

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better?

Recently, leaders have made a number of changes to the school’s phonics programme. While the weakest readers are now receiving more focused support, some staff are still getting to grips with how best to teach the programme. This 7 and 8 March 2023

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means that some pupils do not learn to read as quickly or as confidently as they should.

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Older pupils enjoy reading. They have access to a wide range of engaging books. Staff encourage a love of reading. Older pupils spoke confidently about the books that they read in school and at home. Leaders have ensured that reading is prioritised. Pupils benefit from hearing stories being told by enthusiastic staff.

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Leaders have strengthened their systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are skilled at helping pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. This is especially true in the early years. However, due to weaknesses in how well the curriculum is delivered, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

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Staff form positive and nurturing relationships with pupils. Pupils pay close attention in class and engage in the activities that their teachers provide for them. Classrooms are calm. Pupils said that behaviour in school has improved. Pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders help pupils to be positive role models in their local community. For example, pupils raise money to support local causes such as their local church. Pupils are keen to be involved in a range of religious celebrations in their community with those of different faiths.

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Staff prioritise pupils’ well-being and mental health. Pupils are helped to regulate their emotions and develop resilience. Pupils are beginning to secure a deeper understanding of British values and a greater knowledge of how to stay healthy. They recognise that everyone should be treated equally.

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Governors and leaders have an accurate view of the school. They are clear about the actions that they need to take to improve the quality of education for pupils. Some staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that there is a strong safeguarding culture. All staff are trained well in how to identify the risks and potential dangers that pupils may face.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils may encounter. They know pupils and their families well. Leaders have established highly effective partnerships with external agencies, including counselling and mental health services. Those responsible for governance have received appropriate and up-to-date safeguarding training.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe and who to go to if they need help. For example, pupils learn about the negative consequences of online bullying. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders lack the knowledge and skills needed to support staff to deliver the curriculums as intended. This means that, in these subjects, teachers do not receive the support and guidance that they need to design and deliver learning consistently well. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are helped to gain the expertise that they need to support pupils’ learning.  Leaders have not ensured that some staff have the expertise to deliver the phonics programme. This hinders some pupils from becoming confident and fluent readers. Leaders should ensure that staff are skilled in delivering the phonics curriculum effectively so that pupils become fluent readers.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies sufficiently well to address pupils’ misconceptions. This means that the gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

well to identify and address gaps in learning.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sacredheartschoolchurch.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 November 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Salford. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in May 2015.  Leaders use one registered alternative provider for a small number of pupils.  Since the previous inspection a new headteacher has been appointed.

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and other staff. Inspectors spoke with representatives of the local authority, a representative from the diocese and the chair of the local governing body. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. Inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss curriculums, visited lessons, reviewed samples of pupils’ work, spoke with teachers and spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. Inspectors also heard pupils read.  Inspectors met with pupils from all year groups. Inspectors visited some extra- curricular activities that were taking place after school. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour at social times.  Inspectors met with those responsible for governance, leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school. Inspectors checked on leaders’ safeguarding procedures, including recruitment checks made on new staff.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, leaders’ behaviour and attendance records, and minutes of meetings

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held by those responsible for governance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and pupils. Inspectors also considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments received via Ofsted’s free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Thomas Fay, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Kenyon Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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