Holy Rosary and St Anne's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Holy Rosary and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Leopold Street, Chapeltown, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS7 4AW

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2023

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Outcome

Holy Rosary and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Elizabeth McDonagh. This school is part of St Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Peter Hughes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Shaun Vickers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel very happy at this school and attend well. They proudly celebrate the rich mix of cultures that make Holy Rosary and St Anne’s unique and special. They know that the school and the academy trust have high expectations for them, including for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most pupils live up to these expectations and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very polite and courteous. They understand the school’s rules and the reasons for them. During social times, pupils conduct themselves well, chatting sensibly and playing with their friends. In lessons, most pupils listen carefully, follow instructions and are keen to complete learning activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Large numbers of pupils attend the wide range of activities which the school provides outside the school day, including the reading café and musical theatre. Pupils benefit from the high standard of choral singing that comes from being the lead choir school for Leeds Cathedral. They make the most of the opportunities that the school provides to participate and compete in a wide array of sports. Pupils proudly take on leadership roles, such as being playground buddies and eco-warriors. Elected representatives, including school councillors and bistro buddies, gather and communicate the views of their peers well. The school takes account of their suggestions, for example by providing a daily salad bar at lunchtime. These activities build pupils’ interests and develop their self-confidence. Academy 19 and 20 October 2023

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

The school and academy trust have devised an ambitious curriculum which sets out in detail what pupils should learn from the Nursery Year to Year 6. When making curriculum decisions, the school has carefully considered the learning needs of its pupils. The curriculum takes full advantage of the variety of cultural backgrounds represented in the school as well as the rich heritage of the local area.

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

The school ensures that teachers know what to teach and when. By regularly revisiting previous learning, teachers help pupils to remember and build on essential knowledge in each subject as they move up the school. Teaching staff frequently check how much pupils have learned and remembered. They use this information well to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff make sure that these pupils have all the help that they need to follow the same curriculum as their classmates.

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

The school and academy trust have prioritised reading. From the Nursery Year, children begin to learn letters and the sounds that they represent. All staff who teach early reading undertake training and are experts in how to implement the school’s chosen curriculum. Pupils, including children in the early years, read books which staff match to their stage in reading. Staff quickly spot pupils who are having difficulty. They give these pupils the help that they need to keep up with the reading programme. Most pupils become confident and accurate readers.

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

Pupils’ progress in reading continues as they move through key stage 2. They develop fluency and comprehension and achieve very well. The school makes sure that pupils enjoy reading a wide range of books, not only for pleasure but also to enhance learning across all subjects.

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

In some subjects, the school has chosen learning activities for teachers to use to help them to implement the curriculum. Often, these activities are appropriate. However, in some subjects, the tasks that teachers set pupils do not match the curriculum’s high ambition. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Teachers make sure that learning is fun. Most pupils enjoy their work and behave well. However, on occasion, some pupils struggle to concentrate, take turns, share resources and follow instructions, and this can disrupt learning.

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

The school’s provision for pupils’ wider personal development is broad and rich. Its ‘virtues to live by’, including ‘courtesy’, ‘respect’ and ‘kindness’, are evident in the everyday interactions between pupils and between pupils and adults. If pupils are on the point of giving up, staff remind them of the benefits of ‘resilience’ and ‘perseverance’.

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

Staff teach pupils to eat healthily and to keep themselves physically and emotionally safe. Appreciation of the beauty of diversity, including of race, culture, religion and types of family, is evident in all aspects of the school. Academy 19 and 20 October 2023

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Staff feel that they are valued members of a supportive team. They are proud to work at the school. All decisions which the school and academy trust make take into account the impact on staff’s workload and well-being. The school works very well with parents to enhance pupils’ learning and wider development. The school and academy trust have strong systems in place to ensure that agreed policies and procedures are implemented and having the intended impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, some learning activities do not reflect the curriculum’s high ambition for all. As a result, some pupils do not reach their full academic potential. The school should ensure that learning activities allow all pupils to achieve their best.  On occasion, some pupils find it difficult to focus in lessons and this can disrupt learning. The school should develop strategies to better enable all pupils to demonstrate positive approaches to learning.

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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 predecessor school, Holy Rosary and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, to be good in February 2013.

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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. Academy 19 and 20 October 2023

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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’ 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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). Academy 19 and 20 October 2023

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CEO of the trust

Website www.holyrosaryandstannes.org.uk/

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Leeds. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2018. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place in the academic year 2024/2025.  The school is part of St Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Trust.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science and physical education. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ Academy 19 and 20 October 2023

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work. She discussed learning with some pupils. She also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector observed individual pupils reading to teachers and/or teaching assistants.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector had discussions with pupils about school life.  The inspector had discussions with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. She also had discussions with the designated safeguarding leads, the SEND coordinator, the SEND support officer and a cross-section of the school’s teaching and support staff.  The inspector had discussions with members of the trust board, including the chief executive officer. She had a discussion with the academy council (local governing

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body), including the chair.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to school improvement, self-evaluation, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and the checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and responses to Ofsted’s pupil’s survey.

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Inspection team

Liz Kelly, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Academy 19 and 20 October 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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