St. John the Baptist Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School Beckbridge Lane, Normanton, West Yorkshire WF6 2HZ

p.1

Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

p.1

Outcome

St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at the school. Pupils are happy and safe. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. They develop positive relationships with pupils. Pupils play well together at social times. They live by the shared values of mutual respect and kindness that the school has taught them. Pupils are proud of the charitable work they do and activities like litter picking. They like to contribute to their local area.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn well. The school makes sure that routines and expectations are established right from the early years. Children are keen to do well. This stays with them as they progress through the school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Families are extremely positive about the school. They especially praise the support provided for vulnerable children and pupils with SEND.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The trust works closely with the school. They provide effective ongoing training and support for staff, including around curriculum development.

p.1

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

Pupils enjoy reading. Most pupils learn to read quickly. Staff understand how to help them. Each day, pupils hear adults demonstrating how to read well. There are also lots of opportunities for pupils to practise reading aloud. The books that pupils read match the sounds they know. This all helps them to become confident, fluent readers.

p.1

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

In foundation subjects, the curriculum is planned well. The school has broken down the learning into the small steps pupils need. In some subjects, there are aspects of the curriculum that need further refining. Some of the end points that pupils are working towards are not defined clearly enough. This makes it harder for staff to accurately check 28 and 29 November 2023

p.1

2

if pupils are remembering the most important knowledge. The school is aware of this and already working with the trust to make improvements. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They help pupils to learn and use new vocabulary.

p.2

2

Pupils with SEND are very well supported. This is a truly inclusive school. There are clear strategies for identifying pupils’ needs. Pupils access appropriate interventions, such as speech and language therapy. Leaders check that interventions are meeting pupils’ needs. The school works closely with external agencies, such as child and mental health services. Staff work closely with families too.

p.2

2

In the early years, the curriculum is strong overall. As in the wider school, some parts of the curriculum need refining to make the learning journey clearer. The school is already working on this. The early years staff have ongoing support and training. This helps them to get the most out of each activity so that children learn new knowledge and vocabulary. Children learn familiar nursery rhymes and stories. They engage well and play well together.

p.2

2

The curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is well-thought- through. Pupils remember some aspects of the PSHE curriculum, such as staying safe online, in more depth than others, such as democracy. Pupils show respectful attitudes to towards other cultures and faiths. However, they do not remember enough of their leaning about other religions. The school has identified this and redesigned the curriculum to better meet pupils’ needs. The new curriculum is strong but has not had the time to impact on what pupils remember. There are a wide range of enriching activities, including educational visits help pupils to learn the curriculum. For example, pupils remember visiting a coal mining museum as part of studying history. They can explain how it helped them to understand children’s experiences of working in mines. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being school ambassadors. They are proud to do so.

p.2

2

There is an emphasis on developing the confidence of all pupils by allowing opportunities to read and perform in front of audiences.

p.2

2

The school seeks opportunities to help staff develop. The trust provides staff at the school with lots of opportunities to work collaboratively with the central team. This support is rapidly strengthening subject leadership. Staff say that workload is well managed. They are proud to be part of the school. Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. They challenge and support leaders to help continually improve the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, some parts of the school’s curriculum, including aspects of the early years curriculum, do not identify clearly the most important knowledge for pupils to learn. Where this happens, staff cannot emphasise the most important knowledge to 28 and 29 November 2023

p.2

3

pupils and check they remember it. The school should continue to refine the curriculum so that there is consistent clarity and detail within and across 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 May 2014.

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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 28 and 29 November 2023

p.3

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 13 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school is part of Bishop Konstant Catholic Academy Trust.  The school has a nursery. Children attend from age three.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

p.4

Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.4

Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.

p.4

Information about this inspection

 This was the first inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held several meetings with the headteacher during the inspection. 28 and 29 November 2023

p.4

5

 The inspector met with members of the governing body, the chief executive officer of the trust and other trust representatives and a representative from the diocese.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. The inspector also spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at the school gate.  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.5

5

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at breaktime. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.  The inspector reviewed the parental responses received through the Ofsted online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector also considered the responses received through Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

p.5

Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 28 and 29 November 2023

p.5

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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

p.6

6

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

p.6