Our Lady and St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Our Lady and St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Primary School Fourth Avenue, Teignmouth, Devon TQ14 9DT

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is friendly and welcoming. Pupils are happy. They feel safe and cared for. Pupils know that everyone should be treated equally. Pupils understand what bullying is. They know that staff will deal with issues if they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school rules of, ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe’. Most pupils follow these rules and, as a result, they are calm and considerate. However, at times, some pupils do not display the same self-control and, as a result, low-level disruption affects learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils are proud of their roles as buddies to younger children in the early years. The relationships they build extend into friendships beyond school. Parents and carers appreciate how staff take time to support the needs of the pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new leadership team is ambitious for all pupils. It has taken significant steps to raise aspirations and improve the experience for all pupils. However, pupils are not yet learning as well as they could. Leaders and the trust understand there is more work to be done to improve outcomes for pupils.

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

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum to better meet the needs of pupils. They are ambitious for what they want pupils to learn. However, leaders agree that in several subjects and in the early years, delivery of the curriculum does not always match their high expectations. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Reading is a strength of the school. Children in the early years begin to learn phonics from the day they start nursery. This means they are ready for more formal phonics lessons when they start Reception class. Assessment in this subject is used well and teachers are quick to understand when children need extra support. Leaders make sure children get the support they need to catch up quickly. As a result, pupils become fluent and confident readers. Across the school, pupils enjoy reading. They read a wide range of authors. Books are well matched to their reading ability.

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The mathematics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Pupils have positive attitudes in mathematics. Some pupils talk about how they use concepts that they have previously learned and apply these to new ideas. The wider curriculum is coherently designed. In history, for example, pupils make links between different ancient civilisations. Pupils enjoy learning about history and talk in detail about the historical facts they have learned. Pupils sometimes produce work that reflects the aspirations of leaders. However, this is not consistent. Sometimes errors, such as grammatical or mathematical errors, are not corrected. Teachers do not use assessment effectively to identify pupils’ misconceptions. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge and errors in work continue over time.

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The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the school. Most parents with children with SEND agree that the school gives them the support they need. Leaders are knowledgeable about pupils with SEND. They assess and evaluate the provision so it meets the needs of the pupils. Leaders work closely with outside agencies and parents to provide appropriate support for pupils with SEND.

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Children in the early years are happy and play well together. Children use the recently developed outdoor area to climb and take part in role-play activities. However, not all activities are purposeful or appropriate for the age of the children and what they can do. As a result, some children do not receive the level of challenge they require to deepen their learning.

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The conduct of most pupils around the school reflects leaders’ expectations. However, some pupils do not always show positive attitudes to learning. When this occurs, low-level disruption in classrooms disrupts pupils’ learning.

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Leaders uphold the school’s values well. They learn the importance of humility. Pupils learn to be active citizens. They learn about the hardships that historic and modern-day refugees face. Pupils are taught religious thinking and they understand morals and values well.

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Staff appreciate that leaders are approachable. They value the training and time provided to develop teaching expertise and subject leadership.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders promote a strong safeguarding culture. 27 and 28 June 2023

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Leaders and the trust provide regular safeguarding training for all staff. This means staff are confident in identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns. As a result, safeguarding records are robust.

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Leaders make sure all appropriate safeguarding checks have been carried out to ensure adults are safe to work with children. The trust carries out regular safeguarding assessments of the school to check systems are robust.

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Pupils learn to stay safe through the curriculum. They understand the meaning of consent. Pupils also understand the difference between positive and negative relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning do not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge sufficiently well. This means that some pupils move through the curriculum with ongoing gaps and misconceptions in their learning. Leaders must ensure that teachers are equipped to use assessment strategies well to ensure that pupils’ learning is secure before introducing new concepts.  Leaders’ systems and processes for creating a culture where good behaviour is the norm are not well established. As a result, behaviour in some classes disrupts learning. Some pupils struggle to demonstrate appropriate self-control. Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise and knowledge they need to support pupils to behave in line with school expectations.  The implementation of the early years curriculum is not meeting the needs of all children. Some activities are not purposeful. At times, learning lacks the challenge

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

necessary to help pupils to deepen their learning. This means that some children are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Leaders need to make sure that staff are knowledgeable about the areas they teach. Staff need to present information clearly so children have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in Year 1.

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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Plymouth Cast multi-academy trust.  This is a Roman Catholic school. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in June 2016.  The school uses unregistered alternative provision.  The school has nursery provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than the national average.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met the designated safeguarding lead, checked the single central record of adults working in the school and looked at safeguarding records.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before school. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 June 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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