Saint Augustine Webster Catholic Voluntary Academy

Inspection of Saint Augustine Webster Catholic Voluntary Academy Baildon Road, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire DN15 8BU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is David Sidaway. This school is part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-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 (CEO), James McGeachie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Stevenson. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Saint Augustine Webster Catholic Voluntary Academy are happy and safe. They are proud of their school. Pupils attend well and come to school eager to learn. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils are kind to each other and bullying is not tolerated by either staff or pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, the school has continued to improve rapidly. Leaders’ expectations are high. The school has a clear understanding of the barriers that some pupils face. They ensure that these do not prevent pupils from thriving at school. Following checks made recently by leaders, improvement plans to improve the quality of education are underway. They recognise that some areas of the curriculum, including the early years, can improve further.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on various roles and responsibilities across the school. These include being part of the chaplaincy team, and reading and sports leaders. Older pupils are proud to help younger children in the school. Pupils make a tangible contribution to school life through these roles. This contributes strongly to pupils’ personal development.

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better?

The school is determined to provide the best education and care for pupils. The curriculum is ambitious for all. It outlines the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn in each subject. In most subjects, pupils learn more, do more and remember more over time. Teachers help pupils to practise and remember their prior knowledge, skills and vocabulary across most subjects. However, there is a small number of subjects that are still developing. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn and remember the curriculum fully.

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better?

The reading curriculum is well organised and sets out what pupils should know and by when. Pupils who are at the early stages of reading or who speak English as an additional language receive the support they need. Through their time at school, they become confident and fluent readers. Staff training ensures that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Children in the Nursery class learn to identify the sounds they can hear in the indoor and outdoor learning environments. The formal phonics programme starts as soon as children join the Reception class. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Older pupils enjoy reading their class novel with their teacher.

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better?

Teachers check that pupils have understood what they have been taught. However, they do not use this information consistently to inform their teaching. This means that some pupils have misconceptions that are not addressed.

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better?

The school ensures that the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately by well-trained staff. Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to tailor their delivery of the curriculum. Pupils 7 and 8 November 2023

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with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates. Where necessary, pupils benefit from well-considered intervention programmes. The impact of these is monitored closely by leaders to ensure that pupils with SEND make significant progress from their different starting points.

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Staff in the early years have designed a curriculum that supports the children’s needs well. During adult-led sessions, pupils learn important knowledge that prepares them for the next stage of their education. However, the children do not have the opportunity to practise and embed what they have been taught when they move into independent activities. The relationships between adults and children are strong. Children show positive attitudes towards their learning. They are developing the behaviours they will need to move seamlessly into key stage 1.

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The school’s high expectations and established routines ensure pupils’ excellent behaviour. Staff help pupils to develop a mature understanding of relationships and feelings. They model the nurturing and caring behaviours that they want pupils to demonstrate. Respectful, positive relationships are evident between all adults and pupils. Pupils attend school regularly. They enjoy school and do not want to miss out on vital learning. Leaders monitor pupils’ behaviour and attendance incisively and are immediately responsive to any concerns.

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There is an extensive range of opportunities which cater exceptionally well for pupils’ wider development. These opportunities help pupils to develop their sense of responsibility. For example, they can become play leaders and/or organise events to raise money for charities and good causes. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is enhanced through a cohesive programme of assemblies that complement the taught curriculum. Leaders have a genuine commitment to ensuring that pupils access a wide set of experiences during their time at school. Recently, these have included participating in a local speech and drama festival. Leaders also provide well for pupils’ mental health, with activities that help them to manage their emotions and the opportunity to talk to adults if they are worried.

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Leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. They lead with integrity and with a sense of moral purpose. The school is well supported by colleagues from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. Staff feel that they are well trained. The school considers their workload. Leaders and those responsible for governance have led the school’s significant improvement in recent years. This improvement is evident in all areas of the school. Governors provide effective challenge and support to school leaders. The school is already addressing important priority areas, such as the quality of education and the early years, to ensure that they continue to improve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 7 and 8 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not used consistently to inform teaching. This means that sometimes pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment to inform their teaching and address any misconceptions that pupils have.  Some activities and resources given to children in the early years do not reinforce the new knowledge that children have been taught. As a result, opportunities for children to practise and embed new knowledge and skills are missed. The school should ensure that the activities and resources children access independently give them the opportunity to practise and embed what they have been taught.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Nigel Stevenson James McGeachie Headteacher David Sidaway

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CEO of the trust

Website http://www.staugustinewebster.com

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 June 2021, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative providers of education.  Saint Augustine Webster Catholic Voluntary Academy is a Catholic school. The school’s previous section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 7 and 8 November 2023

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, and senior leaders responsible for safeguarding, early years, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors visited lessons, reviewed curriculum plans and spoke with curriculum leaders and teachers. They also talked to pupils about their learning and looked at the work they have completed.  Inspectors also reviewed curriculum planning in art and design, and physical education, and talked to pupils about their learning.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. Education, health and care plans and other support plans for pupils with SEND were reviewed. Inspectors visited lessons to see how pupils with SEND are

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supported to learn.  Inspectors met with the leader responsible for reading to discuss the support for pupils at the early stages of reading.  The team scrutinised the school’s records of bullying and spoke to several groups of pupils, including some single-gender groups, to understand their experience of school.  Inspectors met leaders to discuss pupils’ behaviour and reviewed the school’s data on external and internal suspensions.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the deputy CEO. The CEO and trustees were not available to talk to during the inspection, either in person or virtually.  Inspectors scrutinised records relating to attendance and records of pupils who have joined or left the school roll.

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Inspection team

Stuart Voyce, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Devaney Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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