St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Lowerhouse Lane, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 6HZ

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Outcome

St Augustine of Canterbury RC Primary School, A Voluntary Academy, continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Sinead Colbeck. This school is part of Romero 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 (CEO), Des Callaghan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Angela Ager.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Saint Augustine’s is a welcoming and inviting place to learn. Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. They described their teachers as friendly, fun and kind. Pupils know how to share any concerns or worries that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils’ achievement and well-being. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They are well prepared for life beyond primary school. Pupils behave maturely and respectfully. They strive to uphold the school values of compassion, teamwork and success. Pupils readily talk to visitors and they are eager to share their learning. Pupils listen to each other attentively and play happily together at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in all year groups take great pride in their leadership roles. For example, pupils can be an eco-warrior, a happiness hero, a mental health ambassador or a corridor monitor. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 talked enthusiastically about being positive role models for children in the Reception Year. Pupils enjoy the many after-school clubs on offer, such as choir, cooking, sports and games clubs.

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

The curriculum is ambitious. The school has ensured that the curriculum is organised in logical steps starting from the early years. The school identified that, in the past, some 23 and 24 January 2024

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pupils had not grasped some key concepts fully. It took swift action. The school’s positive changes to some subject curriculums mean that pupils learn all that they should. Pupils achieve well in most areas of the curriculum.

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Teachers use a range of assessment strategies to check pupils’ learning. They use this information well to pick up on misconceptions. Staff receive regular training and support to develop their subject expertise and their approaches to teaching the curriculum. However, at times, some teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to teach some aspects of the curriculum. This sometimes means that pupils do not deepen their learning over time.

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In the early years, there is a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language skills. The early reading programme is understood and delivered well by staff. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 learn new sounds in a logical order. Reading books match the sounds that pupils know. Pupils enjoy reading. However, some pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read struggle to blend words. This limits their ability to read fluently. Although these pupils receive support, this is not helping them well enough to overcome gaps in their phonics knowledge.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately and quickly. These pupils receive the support that they need to achieve well and to be fully involved in school life.

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Pupils listen carefully to adults. They understand the school rules and form caring and positive relationships with their teachers and other adults. They work well with each other and try their best in lessons. The curriculum is taught without disruption. Children in the early years work together harmoniously. They engage in their learning with enthusiasm.

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The school prioritises good attendance. Reasons for pupil absence are known. There are clear and effective strategies in place to sustain high attendance, and as a result, most pupils attend school regularly.

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Pupils show respect for people who may be different from themselves. They are keen to help those in the wider community who are less fortunate than themselves. For example, pupils carry out extensive charity work for a range of good causes. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know what to do if something happens online that is inappropriate. The school actively champions positive mental and physical health. As a result, pupils are confident and active in supporting each other when life is tough.

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Governors and trust leaders know the school well. They offer effective challenge and hold the best interests of pupils at their forefront of their work.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at the school. They appreciate the thought that is given to their workload when changes to the curriculum are introduced.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 January 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to teach some concepts in some subject curriculums. This hinders them from deepening pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that teachers receive the subject knowledge training that they need so that pupils build a secure and deep body of knowledge over time.  The support that some pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning to read receive is not fully effective. This means that these pupils do not overcome gaps in their phonics knowledge. This limits their ability to read fluently. The school should ensure that the strategies to help those pupils who struggle to read enable them to catch up with the phonics programme.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Primary School, to be good in January 2018.

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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 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 23 and 24 January 2024

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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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Headteacher Sinead Colbeck (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2020. When its predecessor school, St Augustine of Canterbury Roman Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of Romero Catholic Academy Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The last section 48 inspection took place in September 2023. The next section 48 inspection will be in the 2028/29 academic year.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 his evaluation of the school. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. 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 listened to a sample of pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to a familiar adult. He also met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teachers.  The inspector met with the CEO and the director of primary education from the trust. He also met with members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector observed behaviour in classrooms and social times. He spoke to teachers and pupils throughout the inspection about behaviour in school.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-

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text comments. He also spoke with groups of staff and considered responses from staff and pupils to Ofsted’s online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Thomas Fay, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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