St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Selly Oak Road, King’s Norton, Birmingham, West Midlands B30 1HN

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious and want the best for each pupil. They have set high expectations to which pupils respond positively. Pupils like school and attend regularly. Pupils show a high level of respect towards staff. They say that teachers make learning fun. They understand that everyone is equal.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is a friendly and inclusive community. Pupils are happy and feel safe in school. If there is any bullying, pupils trust staff to deal with it quickly. Parents and carers appreciate all that staff and leaders do for them and their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to those expectations by working hard and behaving well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful places of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum extends beyond the classroom. Pupils have opportunities to develop their independence, character and resilience. Pupils learn about their responsibilities to each other and to the wider world. For example, the eco-warriors organised and led a clothes swap for charity.

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

Leaders have created an exciting curriculum. While all subjects are well established, others have been adapted to be even more ambitious. Leaders have sequenced the curriculum so that pupils can build their learning over time. They have created effective methods for pupils to remember what they have already learned. As a result, pupils usually achieve well. However, teachers do not always check pupils’ learning carefully enough. This means that staff do not consistently pick up and address any common spelling errors or misconceptions. Staff do not always know whether pupils have learned what was planned. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Leaders have developed effective methods for identifying pupils with additional needs. They work closely with parents and external agencies to support pupils with SEND. Teachers adapt work in lessons and provide extra resources. Pupils with SEND work alongside their peers and achieve well.

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In early years, leaders and staff are passionate about all children having the best possible start to their education. Activities and resources are carefully chosen. This means that work is well matched to children’s needs. They enjoy their learning. Staff find different ways to engage children. For example, when children were learning about the number 10, a surprise, fictitious letter from King Charles III arrived. He asked for help with a problem that included the number 10.

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Leaders demonstrate their love of reading. They provide many opportunities for pupils to develop their own love of reading. For example, pupils enjoy taking part in the exciting ‘reading roadshow’. They invite visitors into school to share a favourite book. Leaders make sure that staff have the expertise to teach reading effectively. They provide younger pupils with books that match the sounds they are learning in phonics lessons. Teachers regularly check progress in phonics and early reading. Pupils receive extra help if they start to struggle so they keep up with their peers. Older pupils become confident and fluent readers and share leaders’ love of reading. They are able to talk about favourite books and authors.

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Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the rules, rewards and consequences. They respond positively to these. Classrooms are calm learning environments. Pupils behave well in lessons, so disruptive or off-task behaviour does not disturb the learning of others. Pupils play harmoniously together on the playground. They show consideration for each other.

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Leaders prioritise opportunities for pupils to share experiences that broaden their personal development. Pupils begin to understand their own emotions and learn strategies that help to control these. Staff encourage pupils to be independent and help others. The Mini Vinnies’ ‘see, think, do’ approach encourages pupils to do good work in the local community, including fundraising for charity. Pupils are encouraged to take an active role in protecting the environment. For example, pupils suggested ways in which school lunches could be served in a more environmentally friendly way.

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Governors know the school well. They thoroughly check the information given to them by raising questions in meetings and during regular visits to the school. Governors are well informed about the work of the school.

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Leaders benefit from the collaborative work that takes place in the trust. Subject leaders work together to develop the curriculum. Senior leaders share ideas and support each other.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Safeguarding is a priority. Staff and governors are well trained. Safer recruitment training ensures that leaders know how to check that adults working in school do not pose a risk to children. Leaders know how to respond to allegations or concerns about staff. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Reporting and recording systems are effective. Leaders follow up all concerns swiftly. Leaders have developed effective relationships with external agencies. They are proactive in ensuring that pupils and families get the help they need. Pupils know whom to speak to if they are worried. They are taught how to keep themselves safe, both on- and offline.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that all staff use formative assessment effectively to check what pupils have learned. This means that errors and misconceptions in pupils’ work are not consistently identified and addressed. Leaders should ensure that all teachers use the assessment systems consistently to ensure that all misconceptions are addressed.

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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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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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

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The leadership structure of the school has changed since the previous inspection. There are currently two assistant principals in place of one deputy principal.  The school is in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham.  St Joseph’s is part of Lumen Christi Catholic Multi Academy Company.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character was in June 2017. 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.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 her evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 The inspector held discussions with the principal, other senior and middle leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, members of the governing body, and representatives of Lumen Christi Multi Academy Company and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with members of staff and talked to pupils formally and informally at various points during the inspection. The inspector took account of responses to a staff survey, as well the responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector spoke to staff and looked at records in relation to bullying, behaviour and safeguarding.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking the school’s approach

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to staff recruitment, scrutinising policy documents and meeting with safeguarding leaders.  The inspector reviewed the school’s extracurricular activities with leaders.

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Inspection team

Anne Potter, lead inspector 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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