Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Floatshall Road, Baguley, Manchester M23 1HP

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Outcome

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School describe their school as ‘joyful’. They are happy in school and they attend well. Staff make all pupils feel welcome. Pupils who are new to the school, including those who have arrived from other countries, settle quickly and make friends. Children in the early years were confident when talking to visitors about their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the difference between bullying and falling out with their friends. They are confident that staff will listen to any concerns they have. Leaders deal effectively with any incidents of bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Behaviour around the school and in lessons is exemplary. Pupils are polite and courteous towards each other and towards adults in the school. They rise to leaders’ high academic expectations and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils and their families well. Parents and carers recognise this and appreciate the support that leaders provide when families need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils take part in the clubs and activities that leaders provide after the school day. These include choir, board games and a variety of sporting activities. They learn about being active and responsible citizens as ‘Mini-Vinnies’ and eco-councillors.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that covers the full breadth of the national curriculum. In most subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that they want the pupils to acquire and the order in which staff should teach it. This helps pupils to connect new learning to what they have learned before. The curriculum in the early years is centred around high-quality texts which the children enjoy. It prepares them well for Year 1 and beyond. 12 and 13 July 2023

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Teachers implement subject curriculums skilfully. They present information clearly and use well-chosen activities to enhance pupils’ learning. Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have learned before. In most subjects, they check on what pupils have remembered from earlier learning. They use this information to fill any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to address their misconceptions.

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Leaders have placed a high priority on ensuring that pupils learn to read fluently and with understanding. All pupils start the phonics programme as soon as they begin in the Reception class. Some pupils start to learn the rudiments of phonics in the summer term of Nursery if they are ready. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to teach the phonics programme with confidence. They ensure that staff help those who are falling behind with their reading so that they can keep up with their peers. Leaders have now ensured that teachers match the books that pupils read closely to the sounds that they are learning. As a result, pupils read with confidence and have full access to the curriculum.

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Older pupils enjoy reading for pleasure. However, leaders have not ensured that staff encourage pupils to read a broad enough range of high-quality texts from a range of types of books.

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Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies to identify pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly and accurately. However, some teachers do not receive sufficient information and guidance from leaders about the various starting points of these pupils. This makes it more difficult for staff and leaders to meet the differing needs of a small number of pupils. Consequently, some pupils with SEND are not learning as well as they could.

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Pupils know that staff expect them to behave well in lessons. They engage well with their learning and respond quickly to teachers’ instructions. As a result, learning is uninterrupted. In the early years, children adapt quickly to school routines. All pupils enjoy the rewards that their good behaviour brings.

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Leaders provide a broad range of opportunities to enhance pupils’ wider development. Pupils enjoy visiting art galleries and the theatre. They enjoy performing in front of an audience. They learn about different cultures and religions. They respect the differences between people and know that they are all created equal. Older pupils enjoy taking on positions of responsibility, such as reading and mental health ambassadors.

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The governors are highly committed to the school. They have an accurate view of the quality of education that the school provides and where it can improve.

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Staff appreciate the support and training opportunities that leaders provide. They feel that leaders’ decisions are considerate of the impact on their workload and well-being. 12 and 13 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide regular, up-to-date training for all staff. They have made sure that staff know how to recognise the signs of abuse or neglect. Effective processes are in place to identify, record and respond to any concerns that may arise about a pupil. Staff follow these procedures diligently. Leaders work closely with external agencies to provide the support that pupils and their families may need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves and their friends safe. They have learned how to stay safe online and how to provide basic first aid.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the information that teachers receive about some pupils with SEND is not sufficiently detailed. From time to time, it does not provide teachers with enough useful guidance to help these pupils to learn as effectively as they could. This means that some pupils with SEND do not make the progress that they should. Leaders should ensure that they give staff enough information and guidance to give pupils with SEND access to the full curriculum.  Leaders have not ensured that staff encourage pupils to read a variety of genres and authors. Some pupils only read a limited selection of texts. This prevents them from experiencing a rich range of themes, vocabulary and language structures. Leaders should ensure that staff encourage pupils to read widely across a range of literary texts.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2014. 12 and 13 July 2023

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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. 12 and 13 July 2023

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School details

Website www.sacredheart- baguley.manchester.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in November 2021.

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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 and other members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She met with the special educational needs coordinator. She also had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.  Inspectors reviewed a range of evidence, including the leaders’ self-evaluation document, development plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. 12 and 13 July 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives into the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. They met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. The lead inspector also discussed the curriculum in other subjects with leaders.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  The lead inspector scrutinised the school’s safeguarding policy and records. She met with leaders, staff and pupils to understand how the school keeps pupils safe.  The lead inspector heard pupils from key stages 1 and 2 read to a trusted adult.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Niamh Howlett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Morley Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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