Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary

Inspection of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary 19 Cirencester Street, Paddington, London W2 5SR

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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 17 and 18 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here belong to a happy and inclusive school. They treat each other with respect and kindness. Pupils value the help they get from their teachers and from other adults. Indeed, staff care deeply about the pupils and want to give them the best possible start in life. Leaders also build trusting relationships with pupils’ families. This is a true community school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. They believe all can achieve well, and seek to instil self-belief in pupils. Pupils enjoy learning and work hard. They particularly enjoy trips to museums and other places of cultural interest. These enrich pupils’ education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Leaders have established a clear set of routines that help to create a calm and orderly school. Central to these routines are the school’s three golden rules: ‘safe, learn, respect’. As pupils get older, they take an increasing responsibility for their own actions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders give high priority to pupils’ personal development. Pupils take on responsibilities acting as school councillors, eco-warriors and rights respecting officers. They are taught about democracy through the election of a school mayor. Also, pupils take part in charity work, both locally and globally. Leaders provide a range of clubs that pupils can join, including various sports and art.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have identified the essential knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. The curriculum is well sequenced. Pupils build up their knowledge and understanding as they move through the school. In early years, leaders have established a rich and purposeful learning environment. Children’s learning centres around core texts such as ‘The Gruffalo’. This helps to motivate children and engages them in their learning. They also learn the mathematical knowledge they need for Year 1. From Year 1 onwards, further development of the curriculum in some subjects would help deepen and extend pupils’ learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority for leaders. From the start of Reception, pupils learn to read using phonics. By the end of Year 1, a high proportion of pupils read with accuracy. Pupils continue to develop their fluency in Year 2 and many begin to read with expression. Pupils who need extra help with their reading get it. They work individually and in small groups with adults and practise sounds which they find difficult. This helps them to secure their phonic knowledge. Leaders select texts that reflect pupils’ backgrounds. Pupils develop a love for reading through library and author visits, a world book week and various reading competitions. They enjoy reading, and read a wide range of books and poetry. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Teachers structure learning well. They revisit what pupils have learned before and build on this. Sometimes, in Years 1 to 6, teachers’ choice of activity is not as effective as it could be in securing pupils’ learning. However, pupils remember what they have learned. They produce work of a high quality. Leaders do not tolerate disruption to learning. Adults use the school’s behaviour policy to good effect in ensuring this. Leaders work well with external agencies to improve the attendance of those pupils who are often absent.

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Leaders identify pupils’ needs with speed and precision. They ensure that they provide the specific help that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) need. Leaders involve appropriate external agencies in the training and development of staff. Adults who support pupils with SEND do so with skill. A high proportion of pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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Leaders provide well for pupils’ broader development. In early years, children learn to cooperate with each other and show resilience. They make good use of a suitable range of equipment and resources. This supports their physical development. Leaders have established a comprehensive personal development programme in Years 1 to 6. Pupils learn about important issues, such as relationships and equality and diversity, in a considered and age-appropriate way. Leaders use assemblies to provide pupils with time to reflect on the world and consider other people.

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Leaders are giving pupils a high-quality education. They involve parents and carers in their child’s education. Leaders also help to secure appropriate support for the most vulnerable families. Governors share leaders’ commitment to pupils and the wider school community. They fulfil their role and responsibilities well. Staff enjoy working here. They are part of a collaborative team. Leaders value staff, prioritise their well-being and ensure that their workload is manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff receive regular training and updates. They are knowledgeable about local safeguarding risks and alert to the signs of risk in pupils. Staff report any concerns about pupils swiftly. Leaders have developed effective relationships with a wide range of external agencies. They are relentless in their efforts to secure the help pupils need. Also, they work with parents to raise their awareness of risks to their child. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Leaders ensure that pupils build up their safeguarding knowledge in an age-appropriate way. 17 and 18 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not planned precisely enough for progression in pupils’ acquisition of knowledge and skills. As a result, pupils do not systematically develop an increasingly deep and more complex understanding of these subjects as they move through the school. Leaders should ensure that they develop the curriculum in these subjects further, so that teachers are provided with the information they need to develop pupils’ subject knowledge and skills with increasing depth and complexity. Leaders should also ensure that they provide teachers with pedagogical training and development so that teachers know how best to secure pupils’ knowledge and understanding in these subjects.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10287184 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Timothy John Howard

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  The school is of the Roman Catholic denomination. It is in the Archdiocese of Westminster. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in May 2019.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other school leaders, members of the governing body, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject 17 and 18 May 2023

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about some other subjects and considered curriculum documentation for geography and music. They also considered the curriculum in the early years, and the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. They looked at safeguarding documentation and record-keeping, including the single central record. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors spoke to additional groups of pupils in relation to personal development.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys, and to the online survey for parents, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Ian Rawstorne, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Daniel Burton Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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