Our Lady and St John Catholic College

Inspection of Our Lady and St John Catholic College North Road, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 1PY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 16 and 17 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy attending Our Lady and St John Catholic College. Teachers build positive relationships with pupils. Leaders work closely with local primary schools so that younger pupils are well supported during their transition to secondary school. This helps Year 7 pupils to settle in and feel welcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have carefully designed curriculums to enable pupils to build their knowledge over time. In some subjects, this work is still quite new, so some older pupils have gaps in their learning from previous years. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have started to raise their expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Most pupils behave well. However, the poor behaviour of a small minority of pupils spoils the learning experiences of their classmates. Other pupils choose not to attend all of their lessons. Instead, some of these pupils deliberately disrupt the lessons taking place around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils feel safe in school. Leaders take bullying seriously when it is reported and deal with it effectively. However, some pupils are less willing to report concerns about poor behaviour or bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a range of sports clubs, dance and drama. Pupils also enjoy water sports on the local lake and visits to art galleries.

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better?

Leaders have made improvements to the quality of education that pupils receive. They have taken effective steps to develop the curriculum across the school. Pupils in key stage 3 are achieving better than they did in the past. They study a broad range of subjects, which means that they are better prepared for the demands of the key stage 4 curriculums.

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better?

There have also been positive changes to the curriculum offer in key stage 4. Leaders have increased the breadth of subjects so that pupils can study subjects that prepare them well for their next steps. The proportion of pupils choosing to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects, although low, is steadily increasing. Despite these changes, by the end of key stage 4, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is because pupils have too many gaps in their learning as a result of a weaker curriculum in the past. This stops pupils from gaining all of the knowledge that they need to be successful.

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better?

In some subjects, leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn and the order in which this content should be taught. This is helping pupils to build their knowledge over time. However, in other subjects, particularly in key stage 16 and 17 May 2023

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4, leaders’ work to develop the curriculum is at an earlier stage. In these subjects, leaders have not devised curriculums that take into account the considerable gaps and misconceptions that key stage 4 pupils have in their subject knowledge.

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In those subjects where the curriculum is designed well, teachers explain new concepts and ideas to pupils expertly. Some teachers are becoming adept at identifying and addressing pupils’ misconceptions. However, in other subjects, teachers do not design learning activities that build on pupils’ prior knowledge. Added to this, some teachers are not using assessment strategies as effectively as they should to check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before introducing new learning. This hampers how well pupils achieve in these subjects.

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Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. For example, staff have been trained well to support pupils to develop their reading knowledge and subject- specific vocabulary across the curriculum. There are a range of initiatives in place, such as regular reading sessions in the recently refurbished library, which are aimed at promoting pupils’ love of reading. However, these are all relatively new. It is too early to see if the new approaches are having the desired impact.

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Leaders have introduced appropriate systems to identify and support pupils in key stage 3 who have gaps in their reading knowledge. Staff are successfully supporting these pupils to catch up quickly with their peers. However, leaders have not extended this support to pupils in key stage 4. This means that some older pupils do not read as well as they should. As a result, some of these pupils struggle to access the wider curriculum.

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In the main, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders identify these pupils’ additional needs quickly and accurately. Staff are furnished with appropriate information to enable them to support pupils with SEND well. However, some staff do not use this information to successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum. This, coupled with the weaknesses in the curriculum in some subjects, means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should.

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Leaders have recognised that, following the COVID-19 pandemic, some pupils find it difficult to manage their behaviour, particularly during lesson transitions and social times. In addition, some pupils choose to truant lessons, and when challenged, do not routinely follow staff’s instructions. To address this decline in the behaviour of some pupils, leaders have introduced a new behaviour policy. This is beginning to improve the behaviour of some pupils outside of lessons. However, some staff are less confident in managing pupils’ behaviour in the classroom, which means that some lessons are disrupted.

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Pupils’ wider personal development has been another priority for leaders. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. As a result, leaders have devised opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development that include a range of extra-curricular activities to develop pupils’ leadership skills. Pupils also acquire knowledge about the different further education and career options available to them when they leave school. However, leaders have not 16 and 17 May 2023

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ensured that staff deliver some aspects of the provision for pupils’ personal development consistently well.

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Governors have relevant expertise and hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. However, leaders and those responsible for governance have not acted as quickly as they should to address the decline in pupils’ behaviour.

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Many staff appreciate leaders’ efforts to take their workload into account. These staff said that leaders are mindful of their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training. All staff understand the local community well and remain alert to the risks that pupils and their families may face. Staff understand the procedures they must follow if they have a concern about a pupil. Leaders follow up appropriately on any concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work effectively with external agencies to ensure pupils and their families receive the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and in the community. Pupils know the signs of healthy relationships and the risks of drug and alcohol misuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not behave as leaders expect in lessons and other pupils choose to truant lessons. This hinders these pupils’ learning and that of their classmates. Leaders should ensure that staff are fully equipped to implement the new behaviour policy consistently well. This is so that pupils are supported to behave appropriately and that rates of internal truancy are reduced.  In a few subjects, leaders have not thought deeply enough about the knowledge that pupils in key stage 4 need for subsequent learning. As a result, some pupils’ struggle to make sense of new learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge prior to introducing new concepts.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies as effectively as they should to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions. Some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge as a result. Leaders should ensure that, in these

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

subjects, teachers use assessment strategies well to check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 A few teachers do not deliver aspects of the provision for pupils’ wider personal development as leaders intend. This reduces pupils’ readiness for their next steps. Leaders should ensure that teachers deliver the programmes to support pupils’ personal development consistently well so that they are better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268371 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders use two registered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.  This is a Roman Catholic school in the Diocese of Salford. The most recent section 48 inspection was in July 2017.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority. The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the Diocese of Salford.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, history, modern foreign languages, physical education and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils from Years 7 to 11 about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-

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evaluation document, leaders’ improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with leaders of the alternative provision that is used by the school.  The lead inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding and scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and procedures. Inspectors discussed matters relating to safeguarding with pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Overland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Ruddy Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 2023

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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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