St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Hunslet

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Hunslet Joseph Street, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS10 2AD

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2023

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Hunslet continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Joseph’s is a school once experienced then never forgotten. Leaders have the highest of aspirations for all pupils. Likewise, pupils, staff and families know how precious education is. All care for each other and take pride in their school; an oasis of calm in a busy community. Once you are part of the school, you are part of the St Joseph’s family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils sparkle like diamonds with enthusiasm. They are polite, curious and open- minded. Behaviour in classrooms, at playtimes and at lunchtime is highly positive. Pupils know the school rules. The staff are supportive and helpful, both in class and on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the rich extra-curricular offer. Clubs are accessible to all. Pupils speak with excitement about the educational visits that they have enjoyed. Visits that link to mathematics and history build on the topics covered in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The staff know and meet the needs of pupils. This allows all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to access a broad and balanced curriculum throughout their time in school.

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

St Joseph’s has a curriculum that focuses on meeting the needs of its pupils. In subjects such as mathematics, reading and history, the curriculum is strong. The school has thought carefully about these subjects and what they want pupils to know. As a result, lessons focus on the ‘sticky’ knowledge. This is knowledge that pupils are able to recall and apply in new situations. However, in some other subjects, such as geography, this is not yet the case.

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

In lessons, activities are purposeful. They capture and hold pupils’ interest. Teachers then develop these further through lively and interesting discussions with pupils. For example, in history, pupils examine and debate photos and resources from different periods of 18 and 19 October 2023

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history. Staff give pupils thought-provoking feedback on the work they have done. Pupils are able to react quickly and positively to advice.

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Staff and pupils enjoy reading together. Staff provide effective support to pupils who are in the early stages of reading. Staff model how to read with all year groups. Pupils then read aloud with passion.

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The school is outward-looking. Staff work with the local authority and use expert advice to enhance the curriculum. Leaders work with a cluster of local Catholic schools. This has been influential in helping teachers to develop professionally. Overarching work with the local authority is also a source of reassurance and challenge for leaders as they develop carefully selected aspects of the school improvement plan.

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When children start school in the early years, staff work hard to make them feel happy and comfortable. As a result, children are confident and independent. The inside and outside areas are safe, well resourced and stimulating. Staff talk to children in a meaningful manner. They carefully link activities back to the main teaching points in reading and mathematics when working with children, both indoors and outdoors. Children in early years play, sing and learn well together.

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Pupils are calm and quiet in class. Staff manage pupils’ concentration well and if pupils do lose focus, they are quickly brought back to the task that they are doing. Staff reward positive behaviour through house points. Pupils are keen to do well in all aspects of the school.

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A balanced personal development programme is in place. It allows pupils to learn about different views, society, equality and British values. The extensive extra-curricular offer supports the taught curriculum. A wide range of activities, from sports clubs to designing and building an eco-friendly ‘green’ car, are on offer. Here, pupils worked with local industry to design, construct and then race a ‘green’ car. Pupils feel proud to represent their school in these different activities. Leaders are constantly looking at ways to refine and develop the offer. The school council plays a role in this. Their suggestions have resulted in a more diverse offer, which involves working to support local charities.

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The local governing body works closely with the senior leadership team. Its members are invested in the school and share the common purpose of meeting the needs of their pupils.

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The level of care and compassion that senior leaders offer to staff is greatly appreciated by the staff body. This is fundamental to the academic and wider successes the school has achieved.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school’s ambitious curriculum is not fully embedded. This means pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is not as secure as desired. The school must ensure that the revised plans are fully implemented as intended.

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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 September 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.

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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). 18 and 19 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stjosephscatholicprimaryschool.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The last section 48 inspection of the school was in December 2018. The timescales for reinspection have been extended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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 any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector conducted deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. The inspector met with curriculum leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 18 and 19 October 2023

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 Meetings were held with the headteacher, governors, senior leaders, the local authority, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. The single central record of recruitment checks was scrutinised. Inspectors reviewed the school safeguarding records.  The responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff, and parents and carers were also considered.

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Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 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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