St Philip Neri With St Bede Catholic Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Philip Neri with St Bede Catholic Voluntary Academy Rosemary Street, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG19 6AA

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Outcome

St Philip Neri with St Bede Catholic Voluntary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this large primary school are happy and safe. Parents and carers appreciate the family ethos and nurturing environment. They say that staff know their children well. Leaders take steps to support pupils to achieve their best. The school’s motto, ‘We put Christ at the centre of our lives’, is expressed through the school virtues. School leaders place a high priority on the promotion of pupils’ spiritual life and well-being. The school provides a wide range of experiences designed to enrich the curriculum. Pupils say that they enjoy the trips to the coast and to landmarks in their local area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to read through dedicated phonics sessions. They enjoy a wide range of books in lessons and are enthusiastic about their well-stocked, attractive library. In other areas of the curriculum pupils develop relevant knowledge and skills. In science, pupils enjoy participating in investigations. In history, they explore various sources. Pupils take pride in their work and are confident when recalling their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. There are few incidents of disruption. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. Pupils are not concerned about bullying and say that staff deal quickly with any incidents.

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

Children learn phonics from the start of Nursery. Staff are well trained. They are confident in teaching pupils to match letters and sounds and to blend words. Pupils access books that match the sounds that they know. Leaders are keen to promote a love of reading across the whole school community. Leaders identify pupils who need additional support with reading. However, the impact of this extra help is not always clearly checked and understood. This means that pupils do not always catch up as quickly as they should. The science curriculum is carefully mapped out. Leaders make sure that children in the early years gain the important scientific knowledge that they need to be ready for Year 1. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Pupils can confidently describe the small steps when undertaking scientific investigations. In geography, leaders make sure that pupils benefit from opportunities to complete fieldwork. Pupils say that they enjoy learning how to use maps, compasses and grid references. Younger pupils talked with enthusiasm about their recent trip to Skegness. In both subjects, staff use quizzes to assess pupils’ developing understanding.

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The leaders of the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have a detailed understanding of pupils’ needs. They have established effective relationships with external professionals and parents. Staff are well trained. They receive useful information on what pupils with SEND feel they need to succeed. However, it is not always clear how teachers should adapt their teaching for these pupils. As a result, there is some inconsistency in the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.

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Pupils benefit from a rich range of wider opportunities. Leaders have deliberately planned trips to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders ensure that pupils can access sporting and artistic clubs through a rota system. They encourage pupils to present in services of celebration and obligation. Pupils serve at the altar, sing in the choir and offer prayers. The school’s junior chaplains act as role models. This work helps to improve pupils’ self-confidence and self-esteem. Leaders recognise the importance of oracy. They have developed various opportunities for pupils to speak in public and engage in debates.

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There are few incidents of challenging behaviour or bullying. Where behaviour does not meet expectations, there are clear processes that staff follow. Pupils understand the importance of tolerance and equality. They behave respectfully towards each other.

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Staff express their support for the work of school leaders. They appreciate the steps that leaders take to manage their workload. In particular, staff appreciate the introduction of a simplified system designed to identify whether pupils are learning and remembering more. Staff value that leaders are approachable and that they can raise concerns. The governing body supports leaders’ efforts to promote well-being. They appreciate the support of the trust for leaders at all levels.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Well-trained staff identify pupils who need early help or are at risk of abuse, neglect or harm. Leaders take appropriate action to ensure that pupils remain safe. They ensure that there is a clear record of any concerns. In cases where pupils require additional support from external agencies, actions are rigorously pursued. Annual training includes updates and guidance on important national issues such as online safety risks.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about age-appropriate healthy relationships and specific problems in society, such as addiction. This is part of their learning about how to keep themselves and others safe. 17 and 18 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders ensure that pupils who need help to improve their reading get it. However, they do not always ensure that this additional support matches pupils’ identified needs. Leaders must make sure that additional early reading support addresses precisely any gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge so that all pupils catch up quickly.  Leaders do not ensure that teachers are clear about which strategies to use to fully address the specific learning needs of pupils with SEND. Consequently, teachers do not always make effective adaptations to support these pupils’ learning. Leaders must ensure that teachers receive effective advice on how best to support all pupils with SEND so that these pupils can progress as well as their peers.

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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 September 2017.

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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.

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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

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10241734 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school was subject to a Statutory Inspection of Catholic Schools in October 2017. The next inspection of this kind should have taken place within approximately five years of this date. Leaders are aware of their statutory duty to ensure that this inspection takes place as soon as possible.  The school does not make use of 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.  The inspector met with senior leaders to discuss a range of aspects of the work of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives into early reading, science and geography. For each deep dive the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  To examine safeguarding practice, the inspector considered staff training, records of work with external agencies and employment checks.  The inspector spoke with staff about workload and well-being and considered responses to Ofsted staff survey.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Hollis-Brown, 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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