St Patrick's CofE School

Inspection of a good school: St Patrick’s Church of England School Gatebeck Road, Endmoor, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0HH

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Outcome

St Patrick’s Church of England School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Patrick’s Church of England School is a caring and welcoming place to learn. Pupils talked about the school as being part of ‘one family’. Warm relationships are at the heart of this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they feel safe and happy. They know that adults care about them. They value the wide range of support that they receive from adults. Pupils trust that there is always an adult available to help them if they are worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are eager learners. They said that their teachers make learning fun. Pupils achieve well in a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are responsible and considerate of each other. Older pupils are quick to help younger ones when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to be valuable and responsible members of the school community. The school brings the curriculum alive with a wide range of experiences, such as trips to museums and the theatre and camping and residential trips.

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

The school has designed an effective curriculum from early years through to the end of key stage 2. This caters well for pupils’ different needs, including the needs of the youngest children in the provision for two-year-olds.

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

In most subjects, the curriculum gives pupils the knowledge and understanding that they need to become confident and interested learners. In these subjects, the school has thought carefully about what it wants staff to teach pupils and the order in which they 8 February 2024

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should teach it. The school’s approach to the curriculum ensures that most pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and for life in modern Britain. In a few subjects, it is less clear what pupils should learn and when subject content should be taught. This makes it difficult for teachers to design learning that helps pupils to build on what they know. At times, this hinders pupils from building a secure body of knowledge.

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Teachers explain new ideas clearly. They are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They help pupils to revisit and remember important learning. They use a range of strategies to ensure that pupils make secure connections between new and previously learned concepts. Teachers use assessment information well to establish what pupils know and to shape future learning.

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It is no coincidence that the library is situated at the heart of the building, as reading is of central importance in this school. Staff use good-quality literacy texts, which they link to themes and topics to bring learning to life. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading interesting and exciting books.

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Children in early years, including those in the provision for two-year-olds, enjoy sharing picture books with adults and their friends. As soon as they start in the Reception class, children learn letters and sounds through carefully crafted activities. Staff use their specialist knowledge of the teaching of early reading well. This helps pupils to become increasingly confident readers by the time they leave key stage 1. Staff help pupils who find reading more difficult. Most quickly catch up with their peers and read confidently and fluently.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. This enables teachers to give these pupils the right help to achieve well. It also ensures that pupils with SEND build up their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils with SEND are successful and learn all they should. They participate fully in the same curriculum and opportunities as their peers.

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Pupils’ behaviour in and around the school is strong. They are polite and respectful towards adults and to each other. Their rates of attendance are high. Parents and carers said that their children love attending school. Pupils agree. They enjoy being with their friends, are highly motivated to learn and listen carefully in lessons.

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The school prioritises pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy the after-school clubs that the school organises, including a wide range of sports clubs. All older pupils learn to play the guitar. Pupils particularly benefit from and appreciate the opportunities that the school provides to promote their positive mental health.

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Governors share staff’s ambition and commitment. Staff value the support that they receive for their well-being and workload. For example, despite it being a small school, staff appreciate the lengths that it goes to in order to ensure that staff have enough time to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Staff are proud to work at the school. 8 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not given sufficient thought to the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and in what order this should be taught. This hinders teachers from designing learning that builds pupils’ knowledge securely. The school should ensure that teachers have the information that they need to shape teaching and to enable all pupils to achieve well.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014.

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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 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, 8 February 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-patrickscofe.cumbria.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Patrick’s Church of England Primary is a small, voluntary-aided school.  Since the previous inspection in July 2018, the privately run pre-school adjoining the school has closed. This Nursery provision has been incorporated into St Patrick’s Church of England Primary School.  The school’s age range has been changed on the ‘Get Information about Schools’ (GIAS) website to reflect the fact that the age range of the school now includes Nursery-aged children.  The school offers provision for two-year-old children.  The school received an inspection for schools of a religious character under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in April 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place during the summer term of 2028.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 February 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They spoke with pupils about their learning. They also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about school life.

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and held discussions with staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also met with a representative of the local authority and spoke on the telephone with a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to school improvement.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicky Corfield Ofsted Inspector 8 February 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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