Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, the Borough

Inspection of a good school: Saint Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, the Borough Little Dorrit Court, Redcross Way, London SE1 1NJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

p.1

Outcome

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, the Borough continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, the Borough is an inclusive place to learn. The school’s values of encouraging diversity, equality and empowering leadership are put into practice in all aspects of the school’s work. Pupils are supported to live these values through their kindness towards, and celebration of, each other’s achievements.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is positive and sensible in lessons and around the school from the early years to the end of Year 6. Pupils feel safe and bullying rarely happens. Adults resolve any issues quickly. Pupils attend school regularly and are very happy here.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve in their academic work, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school understands the individual needs of pupils and they receive extra help where needed. This includes in the school’s sensory room.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in all year groups study a broad and engaging curriculum. They go on numerous educational visits to enhance their learning experience. For example, visiting the British Museum and the London Central Mosque. Pupils appreciate the range of after-school clubs, for example the school choir and girls’ football.

p.1

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

The curriculum is ambitious and meets the requirements of the national curriculum. Generally, content is sequenced so that pupils build their subject knowledge, year on year. For example, in mathematics, children in the early years learn to recognise and count whole numbers. This knowledge is consolidated as pupils move up the school. By Year 6, pupils use their knowledge of numbers to complete long-division problems. The early years curriculum promotes learning in all relevant areas. Learning captures children’s 10 and 11 October 2023

p.1

2

curiosity, develops their spoken language and encourages their independence skills. Children gain the knowledge they need to be ready for Years 1 and 2.

p.2

2

Typically, leaders’ curriculum thinking helps pupils to build their subject knowledge between Years 1 to 6. Mostly, the essential subject knowledge and skills which pupils need to know and remember are outlined in detail. However, this detailed curriculum thinking is still a work in progress in some subjects and, as a result, pupils’ recall of what they have been taught in previous years is not as secure. This limits pupils’ ability to link new knowledge to their prior learning and impacts on their overall achievement in these subjects.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are taught the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Close working with families ensures that the needs of pupils with SEND are carefully identified and sensitively supported.

p.2

2

Adults check pupils’ understanding of what they are learning in lessons using carefully selected assessment approaches. These identify pupils’ misconceptions, which are subsequently addressed. Staff adapt their teaching and resources appropriately to enable pupils with SEND to access the intended curriculum. Adults personalise their teaching approaches appropriately to support pupils’ learning needs.

p.2

2

Reading is treated as a priority in the school. The teaching of phonics starts during the first week of children joining the Reception Year. All adults have received phonics training to teach early reading. Pupils build their reading confidence and fluency by the end of Year 1. Daily phonics teaching is in place for any pupils in all year groups who need additional support with reading. The books pupils read are matched to their phonics knowledge. Through carefully chosen texts for pupils to read, the school fosters a love of reading.

p.2

2

Pupils’ conduct is excellent and their attitudes to learning are positive. They play well together in the playground. Low-level disruption in lessons is rare. Adults rarely need to remind pupils how to behave. The impact of the school’s effective approaches to ensure that pupils attend school regularly is strong.

p.2

2

The school supports pupils to be prepared for life beyond primary school. Pupils’ aspirations and their ability to overcome challenges are encouraged. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught to respect different religions and cultures within their own community and the wider world. Educational visits are planned so that pupils have varied experiences, from shopping in a supermarket to a week-long residential trip. Leaders and the governing body care about staff well-being. Leaders are understanding, supportive and approachable and consider the workload of staff carefully when making decisions.

p.2

2

Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness and actively seek to engage parents in their children’s education. Leaders have planned priorities for school improvement and clearly defined actions. The governing body is well informed and maintains effective strategic oversight of the school. The governing body has received relevant training and understands statutory responsibilities well. 10 and 11 October 2023

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Where the school has not thought carefully about the crucial knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember, some pupils do not build securely on their previous knowledge and cannot recall prior learning securely. The school should identify the essential subject knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember in all subjects, so that pupils build up knowledge and skills equally well in all subjects.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 10 and 11 October 2023

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 October 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Tracey Cotterill

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 27 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This is a Catholic school within the Diocese of Southwark. A section 48 inspection was carried out by the Archdiocese of Southwark on 3 October 2017.  The chair of the governing body and another seven members of the governing body have been newly appointed since January 2023. The headteacher joined the school in September 2022.  The school organises and manages before-and-after school wraparound care on site.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 October 2023

p.5

6

 During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher, and other school leaders.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke with representatives of the local authority and the Diocese of Southwark via telephone.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke with teachers. The inspector spoke to some pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  The curriculum in science was also considered as part of this inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

p.6

6

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed behaviour in lessons and at other times of the school day and visited the school’s sensory room, which is used by pupils with SEND.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and pupils’ wider development, the school’s development plan and leaders’ evaluation of the school.  The inspector considered the views of pupils, parents and carers, and staff through both discussion and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Pamela Fearnley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7