St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Primary School Goodson Road, Willesden, London NW10 9LS

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since January 2013. 23 and 24 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe in this close and welcoming school community. Every pupil has the opportunity to thrive here. The school’s core vision, ‘our expectations of our school and our pupils are limitless’, is deeply embedded in every aspect of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school develops pupils’ knowledge and confidence through a rich curriculum and thought-provoking experiences. Pupils excel in their learning. This is because the school has high academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are rightly very proud of the work that they produce in different subjects. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They listen attentively, are highly motivated and show respect and kindness to adults and each other. This begins in early years, where children are quick to learn and follow daily routines. They adopt a mindset where they see challenges or setbacks as opportunities for improvement.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a diverse range of wider opportunities to develop pupils’ characters. Everything planned and offered by the school is done so with great care and consideration. Pupils learn about helping others by, for example, engaging in fundraising activities or supporting the local food bank.

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better?

Pupils follow a rich and ambitious curriculum. In all areas of learning, including those in early years, leaders have identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and remember. This is logically sequenced so that pupils return to, practise and embed important concepts. This allows them to apply and connect their learning across the curriculum and build a depth of knowledge and understanding. For example, in French, children in Reception use adjectives to describe themselves. Older pupils recall what they have learned previously in French with confidence, such as by using their knowledge to talk about their local area.

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better?

Teachers have considerable subject expertise. Together with leaders, they have thought carefully about the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn in all subjects. They also think in detail about when and how this content should be taught. Teachers check regularly that pupils remember this essential knowledge. Based on these checks, teachers introduce new learning at just the right time. This enables pupils to build a deep body of subject knowledge across the curriculum. Teachers help pupils to take a keen interest in their lessons and look forward to future challenges.

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better?

Leaders make sure that staff are well trained so that they teach early reading effectively. Children learn phonics successfully from the moment they enter the Reception Year. They build very well on the strong communication and language skills that have been learned and practised in Nursery. The books that pupils take 23 and 24 January 2024

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home to practise reading are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to gain the phonics knowledge that they need to be successful readers. Pupils across the school delight in the books that their teachers share with them. This includes the ‘reading ladders’ that leaders have developed. Older pupils act as reading champions, partnering with younger pupils to foster a passion for reading, either in the ‘reading nook’ or in the library. Teachers read books that help pupils to understand and explore the rich diversity among people and families.

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Children in early years learn routines and expectations rapidly. They move between activities seamlessly and behave impeccably. Adults support children well in developing secure social and emotional skills. Older pupils build on this positive start successfully. Pupils leave the school highly equipped to embrace the opportunities and challenges of their secondary education. They are respectful of each other and of adults. Pupils’ exemplary attitudes mean that everyone can learn without disruption. The school is unwavering in its work to make sure that pupils’ attendance is high.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. A wide variety of enrichment activities is available. There is a high take-up of this offer. Responsibility is a key school value, and pupils are keen to take on the wealth of opportunities offered. Leaders provide training to pupils so that they can carry out their roles in a mature and sensible manner. For example, play leaders are equipped with a notebook filled with suggestions for activities. They use this notebook to share games with other children, like ‘What’s the Time, Mr Wolf?’ Intertwined within the curriculum are purposeful educational outings, visits and workshops that enrich pupils’ education even further.

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Leaders put pupils at the heart of every decision that is made. Leaders’ passion, rigour and determination have enabled the excellent quality of education to be maintained over many years. Staff are dedicated to the school because they feel valued and well cared for. Leaders’ strong emphasis on staff development supports the school’s culture of high ambition.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 23 and 24 January 2024

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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). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 January 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Joseph’s is a Catholic school within the Diocese of Westminster.  The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in May 2023.  The school runs its own breakfast club and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-olds, which opened in October 2023.

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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. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, French and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors 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. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 took account of the views of pupils, parents and staff, as gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Canning 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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