St Philip's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Philip’s Catholic Primary School St Philips Avenue, Middleton, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS10 3SL

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Philips Catholic Primary School is a welcoming school. Pupils enjoy their education. They are motivated and eager to learn. Pupils are happy and feel safe in school. Relationships between pupils and adults are caring and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These expectations are realised as pupils learn well and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school environment is calm and orderly. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy, which is applied fairly and consistently. They show respect towards each other and adults. The rare cases of bullying are dealt with swiftly and decisively by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the responsibilities they carry out in a range of leadership roles as school councillors, sports leaders and librarians. In these positions, they act as positive role models for younger pupils. Pupils know what it is to be a good citizen and know the importance of respect and helping others. Pupils take opportunities to join in with a range of extra-curricular clubs, including different sporting and creative activities.

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better?

The school has introduced an ambitious curriculum. The important knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn is identified in the curriculum. For each subject, the curriculum is clearly sequenced for every year group, including early years. In the core curriculum of English and mathematics, pupils typically achieve well. However, in some foundation subjects, the curriculum is less securely developed and pupils do not learn as deeply where this is the case.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They regularly check what pupils know. Teachers use this information to plan the next steps for pupils. They provide opportunities in lessons for pupils to recap and remember prior learning. This helps them to embed important knowledge in their memory. For example, in geography, there are regular opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of maps.

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better?

Pupils with SEND have their needs accurately identified and their needs are met well. Many of these pupils require support for speech and language. Staff receive training to help them to support pupils with SEND. The school works closely with outside agencies to help these pupils.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. The school’s chosen scheme for teaching reading is used consistently by teachers. Pupils’ progress in reading is checked regularly. When pupils struggle or slip behind, they are well supported to keep up. Pupils read every day which helps them to develop their confidence with reading. A new library has been introduced in the school recently. Pupils are very 15 and 16 November 2023

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proud of the library and love to visit to enjoy high-quality books. Pupil librarians help to inspire a love of reading in their younger peers.

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Teachers have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. These expectations are met. Pupils respond positively to teachers’ instruction and direction. The majority of pupils have high attendance. The school has effective systems in place to ensure that those pupils who do not attend school regularly are encouraged to do so.

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Children in early years behave well. Clear routines have been established. They have a strong start to their education. The children grow in independence and resilience. They show sustained concentration when accessing well-planned activities. Adults focus on the development of children’s communication and language. The early years curriculum prepares the children well for the next stage of their education.

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Pupils learn how to live healthy lifestyles through the curriculum for personal, social and health education. They believe in treating people fairly and are tolerant of differences between people. They have a strong commitment to the school’s Christian ethos. However, pupils do not have a good understanding of faiths beyond their own and their understanding of different cultures is not fully developed.

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There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their interests and talents through a variety of clubs. Pupils are supported to develop character and a sense of community commitment. They know the importance of contributing to society through volunteering. Pupils raise money for charity.

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Leaders and governors are ambitious and have high expectations of all pupils. Parents speak highly of the school. Governors know the school well. They understand their role and make visits to the school to monitor the impact of decisions. The school benefits from collaborations with other schools and external agencies.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not securely embedded. As a result, pupils do not learn the curriculum as thoroughly in some subjects as they do in others. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is securely and consistently embedded in all subjects across the curriculum.  Pupils do not have a secure understanding about the breadth of different cultures and faiths in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum contains 15 and 16 November 2023

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opportunities for pupils to experience other cultures and faiths, so that they have a deeper understanding of different cultures and world religions.

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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). 15 and 16 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 July 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision for current pupils.  The school is part of The Diocese of Leeds (rc).  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in June 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.

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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. 15 and 16 November 2023

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design and geography. For the deep dives, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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 inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met representatives of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation

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relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, the pupils’ survey and the staff survey. The inspectors spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with groups of pupils, both formally and during less structured parts of the day.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 read to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Spencer-Brooke Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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